Letters submitted by BDN readers are verified by BDN Opinion Page staff. Send your letters to [email protected]
On Jan. 1, the price of my medication finally came down — and it will change my life.
I have been living with psoriatic arthritis for over 40 years, a condition that I treat with a medication called Enbrel.
For most of that time, the price set by its manufacturer Amgen felt completely out of my control. That drug alone costs me over $7,000 for a 30-day supply.
That uncertainty took a real toll. My husband and I delayed household repairs and stretched our grocery budget just to keep up. When too many expenses stacked up at once, I was sometimes forced to delay refilling my prescription. That’s a choice no one should have to make.
This year, my burden will begin to lift. Due to the Inflation Reduction Act, Medicare was allowed to negotiate the price of Enbrel, and the new prices took effect on Jan. 1. For the first time in decades, it feels like someone is stepping in to rein in drug prices that have been allowed to spiral out of control.
With Enbrel’s price finally coming down and the out-of-pocket cost cap in place, my husband and I have been able to worry less from month to month about whether we can afford my medication. I no longer have to skip doses just to get by, and I can focus on what really matters: my health.
That’s the difference Medicare negotiation has made in my fight.
Judy Aiken
Portland
