Insurance+Programs=Cost - Sovaldi and Olysio

[Kel]

Okay, I fired my first GI, great doctor bad staff. Went to see a second and he's starting the ball rolling for approval for Sovaldi and Olysio - What I am asking is what was the approximate cost?  I am trying to figure out if I will have to get a loan.
Blessings,
Kel

[willie g]

 from what I have found out its a 1000 dollars a pill for the salvadi[spelling may be wrong] but from what I have read folks have had their treatments paid for by company if insurance doesn't cover it. read the posts, and that should be helpful. good luck. willie

[trapper]

sov/oly combo for 12 weeks is about 150k

[Kel]

Thanks trapper and Willie. I called the insurance and the office and spoke to them and there is some other assistance out there besides what the pharmaceutical company is offering  because 30K was freaking me out. 

[jberlin]

Keep working the system is all you can do... And hopefully costs will come down!
http://capsules.kaiserhealthnews.org/index.php/2014/04/biggest-insurer-shocked-with-sovaldi-costs/

truly sad... profits are ok, but this is extortion... 'cure for sale - bring lots of cash!'

Let's see, even with this UHC profits went up, but they are mad, and Gillead made an extra billion dollars in 3 months... Out of balance perhaps?

jack

[optimystic]

yeah....what price life? diag with c1 in apr. 14 ins exps. 7/31. was told that even if i could see dr  it would take 2-3 wks to be approved for meds  or not, then co-pays then iwould have to pay for check up visits myself. and that i can only get meds for one month at a time. so if i'm on for 12 wks, i would have to pay for 2 mos. my self, (or get help). read posts and it is happening. then i would have to pay for office visits and tests. no help there. soooo i'm trying the trials route. I do feel much better this way really as i have had indifferent experiences with drs.

[seeker0056]

Hi,,,, yes  4 me 2,.... 4 this is my 3rd go round since 2004.  dig in 99 hc1//// isn't FDA suppose to test for 7 yrs before marketing so they can know all of the side effects? everybody Billionaires but us ( the sick that got this through no fault of there own) Why doesn't someone give us a break 4 once in our lives. u don't hear the rich saying anything  . To all if u have a good GI he knows all of the ins and outs of all the programs so don't let them tell u any different. had really bad exp.. with all 3 1st ...2 gave me a heart attack only to find out all this time that I am allergic to the regm..... so I guess 3 strikes your out. guess will have to wait a few years to see if new regm.... comes out that I am not allergic to. Good luck to you all and I wish u all the best. May u all be cured and don't forget your GI is the key to you getting the cure or not. keep looking u will be able to find one that can help u aft.. ins,, runs out, glad 4 u to kel hang in there just don't eat any kind of fish what so ever even if u r not allergic with this reg... 4 some reason toxifies liver and kidney real I mean real fast and can't do anything to detox or will clean out meds u have built up in your system. God Bless you all. still am and will be until I can't no more. seeker 

[DesertGuy]

Biggest damned consiparcay I've seen. Sure 1000 a pill.  Dr. filed with my insurance, the instant your prescip gets approved. Solvaldi will send you  a $5  a fill copay cupon.  My copay on the Ribavarin will be 110.. Go figure.

[jberlin]

Yes, it's a mess... but, focus on getting cured and hope we get a better handle on medical costs in the future.  -jack

[Dharn55]

I am happy to say that my insurance approved the treatment yesterday and the meds are scheduled to arrive tomorrow. It was a three month+ process to get everything approved. It took about a month for the Sovaldi. And then another 2. Months before the Olysio was approved. My co-pay was going to be $900/mo. but with the co-pay coupons from the manufacturers this was reduced to $25/mo. Can't wait to start the treatment.

I also want to mention the support and assistance I received from Gilead in getting the approvals they. Worked with both the insurer and the specialty pharmacy to get the Sovaldi approved.  They also told me that if it was not ultimately approved they. Would provide the meds at  no cost. So they get a vote of support from me although I do believe that the price of treatments needs to be reduced.

[Mike]

I would note that Gilead paid $11 billion to bring Sovaldi to market. If they cannot recoup this investment and make some type of profit, I can assure you there will not be anymore more advances in Hep-C treatment.

I would also point out that 45% of every dollar of profits Gilead makes on Sovaldi goes to pay taxes.

If the government subsidized the cost of the drug with the profit they make from Gilead, treating folks without insurance would be a breeze. Sadly, this an'it going to happen.

Just my thoughts, Mike

[Dharn55]

Mike

Remember that Gilead paid $11 billion in the expectation that they would make huge profits on Sovaldi, and at that price they need to charge high prices. One question is should they have paid $11 billion? I think that the company that developed the drug made huge profits too!

[Mike]

They paid $11 billion because that was the value of the research company that did the initial development.

With that purchase came risk: future liability, market forces from drugs in direct competition with Sovaldi, limited population for those who will use Solvadi (only 3 million Hepers in the US) and so forth.

Gilead will make a profit, and they should. If not these types of drugs (especially for use in limited populations) will not be developed nor invested in.

Are companies in Russia, China and other countries that limit profit, bringing life saving drugs to market? No, they're not. The reason for this is simple. There is no incentive to spend the needed capital for research and development that is required  to bring the next cure to market.

Can you name a government that is developing new drugs and bringing them to market? No. There are none. Why is this?

Simple. It takes private capital/investment to do this. And if there is no incentive (profit), the money needed to do so will be spent elsewhere.

Is this fair? Probably not. But fairness and fact are two different things.

Mike

[willie g]

hey folks,all this stuff about research costs etc. WHO's making the big bucks? they do say follow the paper trail, the dough ray me. so this is my intake, just an opinion. AS IVE READ AND THOUGHT I SEE MANY PEOPLE HAVING TO DO THE OLD TREATMENT MULTYPLY TIMES 2,AND SOMTIMES 3 AS OUR MODERATER LUCINDA HAS DONE. SOME FOLKS HAVE WENT THRU TRIAL BASED THERAPIES WHICH IN AWAY ITS KINDA LIKE THE GUINEA PIG THING BUT HEY THEY VOUNNTEER FOR THESE PROGRAMS WHICH AGAIN OUR MODERATOR WENT THRU CAUSE IM SURE WHEN IT DOESNT WORK FIRST TIME I WOULD THINK ANYONE OF THOSE FOLKS WOULD TAKE ANY LOGICAL [OR FINGERS CROSSED AVENUE]   SO HERES WHAT IM TRYING TO SAY. THINK OF ALL THE MONEY THAT HAS BEEN WASTED ON THE OLD DRUGS WHICH IN SOME CASES MADE THINGS WORSE FOR PEOPLE,WHICH IN RETURN THE INSURANCE COMPANYS HAD TO PAY MORE COSTS AND MORE COSTS AND AS I HAVE DONE SOME RESEARCH I GET TO KINDA THINKING THEY WERE JUST GOING THRU THE MOTIONS ,IM SURE WANTING PEOPLE TO BE HEALED SO :THIER: COSTS WOULD GO "DOWN'. and the old way has been going on for YEARS,WITH NO GREAT GREAT RESULTS AND A HELL OF A LOTTA SUFFERING. SO NOW WE HAVE TWO DRUGS WHICH ARE GIVING GREAT RESULTS SO YES THE TAB IS BEING PICKED UP BY MAKERS, DVELOPERS, ETC. AND WHY WOULDNT THEY! PATIENTS ARE TRULY HAVING GREAT RESULTS AND ARE BEING CURED{WELL YOUR NEVER CAN PUT THE WORD :CURED: ON IT BUT HECK THATS ALOT MORE PROMISING THAN BEING TOLD SORRY WE WILL HAVE TO TRY AGAIN, AND AGAIN BECAUSE NOW ALSO THE INSURANCE COMPANYS ARE PROBABLY JUMPING UP AND DOWN TOO BECAUSE WHEN ITS ALL SAID AND DONE THEY NOW ARE GOING TO SAVE ALOT OF PAYOUTS IN "THE END". SO YA IVE PAID AND SO HAVE YOU MUCH MORE MONEY FOR NEW DRUGS UNTIL THEY REACH THE TIME PERIOD TO MAKE IT GENERIC.ONCE AGAIN THE BOYS AND GIRLS AT THE TOP RAKE IN THE BUCKS, BIG BUCKS! BUT THE GREATEST PART OF ALL OF THIS IS WHO CARES WHAT THEY MAKE? ITS BEEN THAT WAY SINCE THE BEGINNIMG OF GREED.HELL THAT SOUNDS LIKE FROM DAY 1 IN THIS WORLD. LOL BUT GO ON THE FORUM TO SEE WHAT THESE NEW DRUGS ARE DOING! PEOPLE REALLY HAVE A GOOD SHOT AT BEATING THIS THING AND BESIDES THAT SOME ARE HAVING NO SIDE EFFECTS! SOME WITH JUST SUN SENSITIVITY! HELL LIVE WHERE I LIVE AND SUNS DEFINITELY NOT A PROBLEM~! WE,US ARE LITTERALLY GETTING THIER "LIVES" BACK! WHAT A GIFT AND IM SURE CARING CAREGIVERS ARE FEELING GOOD TOO WITH HAPPIER FACES BOTH WAYS. YA KNOW MOST PEOPLE SAY THE WWORLDS GETTING WORSE AND WHERE ARE THE GOOD OLD DAYS? WELL SERIOUSLY YOU GO BACK IN TIME AND SEE STATISTICS OF ANYTHING AND DO YOUR HOMEWORK YOU WILL :SEE: IN MANY MANY MANY MANY AREAS LIFE HAS GOTTEN ALOT BETTER!THE MEDIA GIVES US WHAT WE WANT,AND WHATS THAT? EVERY WACKED OUT STORY WE CAN GET OUR HANDS ON AND GLUE OUR EYES TOO. FOR EVERY PLAIN CRASH THEY REPORT ON THE OTHER MILLIONS OF GOOD ONES ARE NOT REPORTED ON?WHY? BECAUSE WE AS A NATION THINK THATS BORRRIING. CRAZY ISNT IT? WELL I HATE TO TELL YOU THIS BUT ITS A FACT. BUT THERES GREAT NEWS! PEOPLE ARE FINALLY STARTING TO GET SICK OF DOOM AND GLOOM AND SOME LIKE ME ARE ONLY CHECKING IN WITH THE NEWS ONCE A WEEK. PEOPLE WAITING FOR HOURS,CAMPING OUTSIDE TO GET THE LATEST PHONE MODEL WHICH CHANGES EVERY SIX MONTHS LOL SO TO GET BACK TO THE WORLD IS GETTING BETTER IN MY GLASSES AND THANK THE CREATOR ,WHOEVER,THE DALILAMA,CHING CHANG PATTYWANG, WHOEVER!!! AND IM TICKLED PINK AS I SIT HERE IN PLENTY OF PAIN, NAUSEA, WEIGHT LOSS[HEY THATS OK FOR AWHILE} HEADACHES, TIRED AND I HAVENT EVEN GOT STARTED YET! AND YES IM SCARED BUT AFTER HEARING ALL THIS GOOD NEWS AND SEEING THAT THEY ARE REAL! PEOPLE ARE SAYING THEY FEEL BETTER THAN THEY HAVE EVER FELT AND THATS IN SOME CASES ONE WEEK! AM I LESS SCARED NOW? AM I MORE ENTHUSIACTIC NOW TO START. YOU BET YOR ARSE I AM. HEY, I AM SO HAPPY FOR YOU FOLKS WHO ARE GETTING YOUR LIFE, YOUR WELLNESS, YOUR :YOU: BACK AND BLESS YOU FOR SHARING ALL THAT YOU DO. WIILE G GENO 1 ETC.         PS  WHAT REATURANT ARE YOU GOING TO PICK TOMMORROW TO EAT, THERES ONLY 1000 KINDS LOL  "GRATITUDE,NOT ATTITUDE"  JUST THINK UP TO THIS DAY IN THE END WHEN HAVE YOUR REAL NEEDS EVER HAVE NOT BEEN MENT? YES WE ALL HAVE HORROR STORYS INCLUDING ME BUT DAM HERE I SIT, A LITTLE FOOD IN THE FRIDGE, INTERNET,JUST HAD A JELLY FILLED DOUGHNUT AND YES I GIVE WHEN I CAN WHICH I DID MORE. WHY, YOU MAY ASK? WHEN I GET DONE DOING OR GIVING SOMETHING I GET ALL KINDS OF THANKYOUS AND GOD BLESS YOUS AND THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH FOR HELPING ME,I COME BACK WITH""NO,THANKYOU FOR HELPING ME"! ISNT THAT THE TRUTH? WHEN YOU GIVE YOU REALLY DO "GET". THX GOODNIGHT AND STILLL  GOD BLESS AMERICA, FAITH, PRAYER, LOVE  WOW ARE WE LUCKY OR WHAT?  SORRY, ANOTHER SHORT STORY. AS MY SISTER SAYS AFTER 30 MINUTES MINIMUM "TO MAKE A LONG STORY SHORT""  OH MAN I MAY JUST PISS MY PANTS   NITE
LL