如何在你的药物上省钱
管理慢性疾病，如也意味着保持在RX的成本之上。这些策略可以帮助。
If you haveankylosing spondylitis (AS), that means you are one of the 51.8% of American adults living with at least one chronic condition. And like many of those with chronic conditions, your treatment may sometimes feel overwhelming. You’re likely juggling doctor appointments, adjusting medication dosages, and figuring out how to get your symptoms under control. On top of that, there’s the unavoidable fact that treatments can cost a lot of money.
In the United States, the typical family spends more than $8,000 per year on health care, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation. And that’s if they’re relatively healthy and not elderly. But a 2018 study inBMJ Global Healthfound that out-of-pocket health care costs for someone with two or more chronic diseases are five times higher than someone without a chronic disease. So it’s no exaggeration to say that the financial burden of living with a chronic illness like AS is a major one. That’s why we’re bringing you insider tips and strategies to help make your (often lifesaving) medications more affordable.
Communicate With Your Health Care Team
Making your health care team aware of problems you have affording your treatment is an important first step in finding ways to save, says S. Yousuf Zafar, M.D., a medical oncologist at Duke Cancer Center in Durham, N.C. Not only will they be able to possibly take this into consideration when prescribing treatment (more on that later) but they may refer you to other staff in the clinic or medical system where you’re seeking treatment who could be important resources for helping you afford your meds.
“Most health systems and insurance plans have case managers and/or social workers who are familiar with local, state, and federal programs that connect individual patients to the care they need, including for prescriptions,” says CT Lin, M.D., chief medical information officer at UCHealth in Denver, CO. “Patients can ask their insurance plan or their clinic for a case manager or a social worker to help them navigate this complicated environment.”
此外，一些机构可能有金融辅导员或患者领导者，Zafar博士博士也可以指出其他有用资源方向的工作人员。
查找透明处方定价
林博士说，就像和其他慢性疾病的处方都没有秘密，但其他慢性病的处方可能是昂贵的，而是缺乏明确的特定成本和不同的治疗选择可以使这个问题变得更糟。但最近联邦法律的变化可能有助于提高透明度。林博士说：“联邦政府现在要求卫生系统和电子健康记录供应患者将价格共同支付给处方者的处方。”询问您的医生，如果这是您提供的工具，那么您可以在您做出治疗决策时，您可以了解您预期的共同支付。
If your doctor is aware that cost is a factor, he or she may be able to point you in the direction of lower-cost alternatives since there are often several options for chronic disease medications. “Every patient and every insurance plan is slightly different, so it is a good idea for patients to speak up and ask to discuss possible alternatives with their provider—particularly if you have medications that tend to be more expensive,” Dr. Lin says. Your pharmacist may also be able to help you understand your options.
例如，用于为药物而不是品牌名称的通用版本可能是节省大美元的方式。根据美国食品和药物管理局的说法，仿古可以花费39％至95％，比同一名牌版本小于同一名牌版本。
Take Advantage of Pharmacy Coupon Services
Good news: There are several coupon tools available online to help you save money on your meds. Think of this as modern-day coupon clipping that is definitely worth your while. “For example,goodrx.com.is a web site where patients can search for their prescription and find out which pharmacies have the best prices for their specific medication,” Dr. Lin says.
Other similar programs include:
搜索财务援助计划
You may be able to apply for financial assistance programs through various institutions to help pay for your chronic illness medications, says Dr. Zafar. Some options include:
制药公司。For example, drug manufacturer AbbVie offers patient assistance programs to help you better afford certain medications, including a program for the JAK inhibitor Rinvoq (upadacitinib), which is used to treat ankylosing spondylitis and rheumatoid arthritis. Those without health insurance may even qualify to receive the drug for free.Search for your medication and check if you qualify for AbbVie’s financial assistance programs here。对于其他药品制造商，该网站RxAssist有一个数据库,您可以搜索任何书吗tion to find out whether there is a pharmaceutical assistance program available. Keep in mind that most assistance programs may require you to prove your financial need by qualifying for certain income requirements.
非营利组织。Additionally, nonprofits and charitable organizations may also provide financial assistance for medications, says Dr. Zafar. Examples include the处方援助的伙伴关系那HealthWell Foundation那andNeedyMeds。同样，您通常需要满足某些资格要求的资格。
Government programs.许多州和地方政府也基于处方援助方案。您可以搜索这些程序Medicare’s website。If you’re eligible for Medicare, you may be able to sign up for a Part D drug coverage plan that can lower the cost of your prescriptions, including savings on insulin for those with type 1 diabetes, bringing costs down to $25 for a month’s supply. If you’re on Medicaid, check with your state program to determine your eligibility for pharmacy benefits.
Again, talking with your health care staff can help here—they may be able to point you in the direction of the best program option for you and your specific condition and prescription needs, Dr. Zafar says.
Consider Clinical Trials
In some cases, getting involved in a clinical trial may be a way to save money on treatment for your AS. “Sometimes providers are aware of research trials that patients could get involved with,” Dr. Lin says. “Other times, patients could search the internet for research trials for the condition they’re interested in.” One place to start is a tool provided by The National Institutes of Health atClinicalTrials.gov。It allows you to search current and future research studies by condition, drug name, country, and more.
也就是说，临床试验不是每个人的选择，所以和你的医生谈谈。“如果他们在治疗上有意义，临床试验是一个很好的选择。除非试验专门设计为减少成本的手段，否则可能不是患者的最佳治疗选择，“扎法尔博士说。
借鉴药物储蓄的底线
The out-of-pocket cost of your prescriptions can seriously add up over time—even if you have insurance. “Particularly for some chronic illnesses like cancer, co-pays for prescription medications can run $50 to $100 a month or more. There is strong evidence that out-of-pocket cost in this range can result in nonadherence to the prescribed medication, which in turn, can worsen outcomes,” Dr. Zafar says.
That’s why using these tools can be a big help when you’re living with a chronic disease that requires expensive medications. Don’t be afraid to explore online resources and bring up the financial burden of your treatment with your health care provider—they may be able to connect you with ways to save so you can continue to access the treatments you need to manage your condition and stay as healthy as possible.
- Chronic Disease Statistics:疾病预防与控制中心。（2020.）“美国成年人中多重慢性病的患病率”，2018年。“https://www.cdc.gov/pcd/issues/2020/20_0130.htm
- 外包药物成本研究：BMJ Global Health。(2017.) Multimorbidity and out-of-pocket expenditure on medicines: a systematic review.”https://gh.bmj.com/content/3/1/e00055.
- 保健费用：Kaiser家庭基金会。（2019年）“卫生保健的实际成本：互动计算器估计直接和隐藏的家庭支出。”https://www.kff.org/health-costs/press-release/interactive-calculator- istimates-both-direct-and-hidden-household-spending/
- Cost of Generic Versus Brand Medications:食品和药物管理局。（2019年）“通用竞争和药品价格：与更大的通用竞争和较低的仿制药价格相关的新证据。”https://www.fda.gov/about-fda/center-drug-evalization-and-research-cder/generic-competition-and-druguice.
- 医疗保险D部分药物的报道:Medicare.gov. (2021.) “What Medicare Part D drug plans cover.”https://www.medicare.gov/drug-coverage-part-d/what-medicare-part-d-drug-plans-cover
- 医疗补助药房援助：Medicaid.gov。（N.D.）“处方药。”https://www.medicaid.gov/medicaid/prescription-drugs/index.html
