lune 15. 2011
Steep co­
payments cause
prescriptions to
go unfilled
Chemotherapy is now available
in a pill, but if you have Medicare,
you may not be able to afford it.
That's what happened to Rita
Moore when she took her prescrip­
tion for a medication to treat kidney
cancer to her local drugstore. She
was stunned when the pharmacist
told her a month's supply of the pills
would cost $2,400, more than she
makes.
Medicare prescription plans that
cover seniors like Moore are allowed
to charge steep copayments for the
latest cancer drugs, which can cost
tens of thousands of dollars a year.
purttani» (Dbaertier
About 1 in 6 beneficiaries are not
filling their prescriptions, accord­
ing to recent research that suggests
a worrisome trend.
Officials at Medicare say they're
not sure what happens to those
patients — whether they get less
expensive older drugs that some­
times work as well, or they just give
up. Traditionally, chemotherapy has
been administered intravenously at
a clinic or doctor's office. Pills are a
relatively new option that may rep­
resent the future of cancer care.
Moore, 65, was operated on in
February for an advanced form of
kidney cancer. As she faced a life-
and-death struggle, both her cancer
and kidney specialists agreed a drug
called Sutent offered the best chance.
It's a capsule you can take at home.
But Moore was unprepared for
what happened when she went to
fill her prescription.
Page 19
Meds
deliver the Medicare prescription
benefit say the problem is that drug
makers charge too much for the
medications, some of which were
developed from taxpayer-funded
research. The pharmaceutical indus­
try fa u lts in su re rs, say in g
copayments on drugs are higher
than cost-sharing for other medical
services, such as hospital care.
Some experts blame the design of
the Medicare prescription benefit
itself, because it allows insurers to
put expensive drugs on a so-called
"specialty tier" with copayments
equivalent to 25 percent or more of
Rita Moore looks at a photo o th e r son and grandchildren at her
the cost of the medication.
home in California. Diagnosed with advanced cancer she could
Drugs for multiple sclerosis, rheu­
not afford the prescription drug she needed to help stop the
matoid arthritis and hepatitis C also
spread o f the disease. (AP photo)
wind up on specialty tiers, along
"I cried," said Moore, who lives can maybe give you some quality of with the new anti-cancer pills. Medi­
in the small central California town life is unaffordable? I was devas­ care supplemental insurance —
of Corcoran. "What can you do tated. I didn't know what to do."
Medigap — doesn't cover those
when the only thing out there that
Private insurance companies that copayments.
BP***
C an cer R esource C en ter -- Provi­
dence St. Vincent Medical Center
and the American Red Cross have
joined forces to create the first in-
hospital resource center providing
books, printed material, computer
access and more for individuals and
families dealing with cancer. The
center is open Monday through
Thursday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
I x ad Poisoning Prevention - Learn
how to protect your family from lead
poisoning. Ideal for folks in live in
older homes with children or preg­
nant women. Qualified participants
receive a free kit of safety and test­
F a m ilie s w ith M en ta l Illn e ss - A
ing supplies. Call 503-284-6827.
free, 12-week course for people
P a ren tin g C la sses - Newborns whose fam ily m em bers live with
don’t come with instruction manu­ mental illness is offered at Emanuel
als but parents and parents-to-be Hospital, Mt. Hood Medical C en­
can learn about a variety of topics ter and Providence M edical C en­
from p ain and c h ild b irth to ter. The course has been described
breastfeeding to infant CPR and as “life-changing” by form er par­
much more. For a schedule of events, ticipants. Registration is required
c all 5 0 3 -5 7 4 -6 5 9 5 or v isit: by calling 503-203-3326.
providence. org/c lasse s.
H ealth W atch
C h o le ste r o l P r o file s — Get the
B ereavem en t S u p p ort G rou p s — R ed C ross C ertification - The Or­
Free, safe confidential group meet­
ings for those who have experienced
the death of a loved one offered on
various nights and locations. For
information and registration, call
503-215-4622.
T erry F amily
Mom Harris Restaurant
Grand Opening
F uneral
H ome
M a te r n ity W a te r W o r k o u t -
resources to help you keep an eye Helping new moms regain m uscle
on your cholesterol and other in­ tone, strength, and flexibility, all
dicators o f heart health. E duca­ in the support and freedom of the
tional material provided. For more water. Call 503-256-4000 for more
information, call 503-261 -6611.
information.
egon Trail Chapter Red Cross now
offers credits to helps profession­
als maintain licensing or certifica­
tion. For a cumulative list, visit
pdxinfo.net.
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503-249-1788
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