Michigan, 43 other states suing drug manufacturers

[bxrmom]

This was in our news today. There are at least 2 MS meds on the list; baclofin and tizanidine: bit.ly/2WBOg9a

Jessie

[rjoneslaw]

that is good news

[Peruzzot]

Those are some long lists. Maybe if the state's win the companies won't price gouge us as badly on all of our meds like they do now...generic or not.

[bxrmom in reply to Peruzzot]

That is what I'm hoping will come of all of this. The price gouging is ridiculous!

Jessie

[Iona60]

And this is just generics. For the past 15 years, each time a new DMT came to market, the others would raise their price to match. Back then copaxone was $2500 per month. If that's not collusion, what is?

[bxrmom in reply to Iona60]

Yes, the prices have been rising since I started my injections back in 2006. My copay with my work insurance was I believe $20, then rose to $150 when I had to leave in 2008. Luckily, while I was on short term disability they came up with a program to help lower your cost share and my cost was back to $50. When I see the receipt that comes with my Tecfidera and that my insurance paid over $7,200 it is insane! I'm glad that my deductible is met and that my copay is rather small for the couple of months that I have to pay it ($15).

Jessie

[Peruzzot in reply to bxrmom]

My tecfidera copay went from $35 last year to $50 this year. Nearly doubled. But the overall cost per month is more than I make per month before taxes! How do they expect us to pay for that without insurance???

[goatgal in reply to Peruzzot]

Gives you an idea of how deep those insurance company pockets are! Perhaps what looks like a fortune to us is merely a tax write off to them? But just imagine the chaos if insurance companies were able to exclude people with preexisting conditions from the insurable pool. We'd all be swimming with the sharks.

[Peruzzot in reply to goatgal]

Actually if none of us had insurance, none of would be able to buy the meds. So the companies wouldn't be making any money at all. They would have to sell them for a price of say a typical bottle of aspirin. Wouldn't that be something?

[goatgal in reply to Peruzzot]

It would indeed. But the interconnectedness of the insurance companies, the pharmaceutical companies, the medical community, and the humans who need help makes the cost problem tricky to solve.

[Fancy1959]

Hopefully it will help thanks for sharing the bxrmom. Unfortunately the drug manufacturers know we're at their Mercy and we pay a premium for drugs that we cannot do without. Don't get me going on the new DMTs out there. Thank God the drug manufacturers offer 0 co-pay or many of us would not be able to afford our DMT, me included. Unfortunately, just to have my DMT infused twice a year I have to beg borrow and steal money to cover infusion cost which just that runs me about 35 to $40,000 a year! Maybe pocket change the Donald Trump but not to the rest of us!

[mrsmike9]

I am familiar with quite a few of those meds on that list. I sure hope this helps!