Medicare’s drug prices put my MS medication out of reach

When I was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, or MS, back in 1988, there were no treatments on the market. The only prescription I received then was a recommendation to go home and rest. It wasn’t until years later that the first treatment was released. Since then a lot has changed, but unfortunately what hasn’t changed is the exorbitant health care costs people such as me face.

That’s why I’m glad that Colorado’s leaders continue working to lower costs. Gov. Jared Polis, Lt. Gov. Dianne Primavera, and countless dedicated legislators are doing everything possible to save people money on their health care. The legislative package introduced by Democratic lawmakers will do exactly that.

Sky-high costs are forcing many Coloradans to choose between the care they need to live healthy, happy lives and making ends meet.

This is a choice I know all too well.

About seven years ago, I began taking an oral drug for my MS, Gelenya, which cost $63,444 per year. Luckily, my copays were $200 per month. I was also on Ampyra, which enabled me to stand longer and walk more comfortably. My copays for that drug were also $200 per month. With the insurance my husband had through his employer, I paid around $500 dollars total in monthly copays for my MS drugs. While that’s significantly lower than the tens of thousands of dollars that the drugs cost at face value, it was still a bit of a stretch for us financially. $500 per month is easily the cost of a car payment, a month’s worth of groceries for a family of two, and gasoline. That money could even be saved for excursions like vacations or trips to see family.

These medications significantly improved my quality of life, so we made it work.

Then it came time for my husband to retire, meaning his employer-based insurance would end, and we would both be on Medicare.

When I looked into what my medications would cost, I learned that instead of spending $500 per month, we would be spending anywhere from $700 to $3,000 every month. That’s up to $36,000 each year. That’s the down payment of a home or college tuition for some.

As retirees on a fixed income, there was no way we could make that work. So I had to make a tough decision.

Going off my medication was not something I took lightly.

The simple truth was that we couldn’t afford it. We had already downsized our home to get ready for retirement.

After I stopped taking my medication, my MS progressed, and I developed new lesions on my brain and my spine, causing me to lose more use of my left leg.

I don’t want anyone else to have to make the choice that I did, and new legislation strengthening the Prescription Drug Affordability Board could prevent that from happening to someone else.

Prescription drugs are only one facet of this package. Lawmakers are also looking at hospital accountability, transparency, and strengthening the Colorado Option, a health insurance offering on the marketplace with strict copay requirements.

We’re lucky to live in a state where our leaders are committed to creating a health care system where people can get the care they need without risking bankruptcy. I look forward to seeing this work progress and seeing fewer people forced to put their finances over their health.

Claudia Curry Hill is a

Littleton resident and has been an advocate for health care for many years through her involvement with organizations like the Susan G Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, National MS Society and The Race to Erase MS.