Price of Arimidex

JudyAS
JudyAS Member Posts: 48
edited March 2014 in Breast Cancer #1
I was diagnosed with breast cancer the end of March of this year. Since then I had a lumpectomy and they found 3 tumors, 2 different cancers so I had to have a mastectomy. I just finished my radiation treatment yesterday, do not have to have chemo, but the doctor gave me a prescription for Arimidex which I will have to take for 5 years. Then I find out the cost. The first 2 prescriptions for 90 days will cost me $110 and after that I will have to pay $1200 for each 90 days after that. I am a senior citizen and have Medicare part D drug insurance. I don't know what we will do because it will delete our savings. Has anyone else went through this. I feel like telling my doctor I won't take it but know his answer. I guess I just wanted to vent over this because I cannot believe the cost of the medicine. I knew our savings was for an emergency, just didn't know that a drug company would get it all. What a shame.
JudyAS

Comments

  • chickad52
    chickad52 Member Posts: 497
    #2
    SO COSTLY
    I can't believe that medicare won't pay for the medicine. Do you have to pay for all your drugs? There must be a way to find out some information about getting help. How about contacting the Office of the Aging. Maybe they could lead you in the right direction! Good Luck
  • chenheart
    chenheart Member Posts: 5,159 Member
    #3
    Arimidex
    Some time ago, Astra Zeneca( the maker of Arimidex) was running ads that if one needed help because they couldn't afford the meds, that the company has a program to help...you might also ask for samples ~ perhaps your oncologist has some. I do hope that this gets sorted out for you! Please keep us in the loop and let us know!

    Hugs,
    Claudia
  • mlmjt1
    mlmjt1 Member Posts: 537 Member
    #4
    Hey Judy
    There are at least 75 medicare part d drug plans out there. WE have a pharmacy where I live that will check the drug plans to find out which one will cover the meds you need. I know not all pharmacies will do that but there are those who will. If not check with the oncology social worker to see if she knows a benefit specialist in your area who can do this for you. In Wisconsin if you qualify for medical assistance, you can change your Medicare Part d plan monthly but if you are strictly medicare you may have to pay out of pocket until I think November at which time you can switch your plan.

    I dont know what your finances are but keep all of your receipts for anything you pay out of pocket. If your state has medical assistance, in wisconsin they look at what you are paying in health care costs to see if you will meet the medical assist spend down to qualify for a card.

    You NEED to talk to a social worker on Monday

    Hang in there and keep us posted

    Linda T
  • Kat11
    Kat11 Member Posts: 1,931 Member
    #5
    mlmjt1 said:

    Hey Judy
    There are at least 75 medicare part d drug plans out there. WE have a pharmacy where I live that will check the drug plans to find out which one will cover the meds you need. I know not all pharmacies will do that but there are those who will. If not check with the oncology social worker to see if she knows a benefit specialist in your area who can do this for you. In Wisconsin if you qualify for medical assistance, you can change your Medicare Part d plan monthly but if you are strictly medicare you may have to pay out of pocket until I think November at which time you can switch your plan.

    I dont know what your finances are but keep all of your receipts for anything you pay out of pocket. If your state has medical assistance, in wisconsin they look at what you are paying in health care costs to see if you will meet the medical assist spend down to qualify for a card.

    You NEED to talk to a social worker on Monday

    Hang in there and keep us posted

    Linda T

    Check with the village you
    Check with the village you live in. Sometimes there is funds for this. There is also that group that Montel Williams works with. I can't think of the name of it, but its a bus that travels with Medications for people who can't afford them. Sorry I just can't think of the name.
  • Kylez
    Kylez Member Posts: 3,761 Member
    #6
    Wow, I am so sorry Judy.
    Wow, I am so sorry Judy. That just isn't fair. I thought medicare would pay for almost all of it. Talk to your oncologist and pharmacist, see if they can help you out.

    Good luck
  • Akiss4me
    Akiss4me Member Posts: 2,188
    #7
    Another resource...
    Hi Judy. Welcome. Glad you found us though sorry for the reason. Another suggestion I can offer you is to check out Copay.org This is for people that have script coverage (including Medicare part D) that need help with their co-pay or out of pocket expense towards scripts only. They allocate you so much money for a 12 month period to use towards your scripts. What state do you live in? I tried to apply last month in WV, but they were already tapped out for the month. So I assume that it is a first come first serve basis. Hope this helps. Hang in there, it always seems to work out even if we can not imagine how.(:-) Pammy
  • jnl
    jnl Member Posts: 3,869 Member
    #8
    Kylez said:

    Wow, I am so sorry Judy.
    Wow, I am so sorry Judy. That just isn't fair. I thought medicare would pay for almost all of it. Talk to your oncologist and pharmacist, see if they can help you out.

    Good luck

    Welcome Judy and that is
    Welcome Judy and that is terrible at the cost that you have to pay. I hope that someone can help lower the cost for you.

    Hugs,

    Leeza
  • mrsbetty2
    mrsbetty2 Member Posts: 24
    #9
    price of Arimidex
    HI Judy, I have been on Arimidex for over 2 years and i couldn't get any help. I tried everything but because my husband had a prescription plan i couldn't get any help. I still have to pay $300. for the first month of the year and after that it is $300 for a 3 month supply. Along with the other meds i have to take it is still expensive. I just went into the Arimidex web site and there is a place there where you can check for help. They even have help for medicare part D. people. Check it out and hope you can get help. Betty
  • Marcia527
    Marcia527 Member Posts: 2,729
    #10
    You might also check out
    You might also check out these web sites to see if they can help.

    Needymeds.com http://www.needymeds.com/

    Partnership for Prescription Assistance https://www.pparx.org/Intro.php

    I don't know what they are about other then they were listed on my health insurance web site for financial assistance.
  • outdoorgirl
    outdoorgirl Member Posts: 1,565
    #11
    I can't
    believe how much it costs! Wow,my onc was right! Tamoxifen with my insurance is 10.00 for a 30 day supply-what a big difference! Why does Arimidex have to cost so much?!
  • Alexis F
    Alexis F Member Posts: 3,598
    #12
    Marcia527 said:

    You might also check out
    You might also check out these web sites to see if they can help.

    Needymeds.com http://www.needymeds.com/

    Partnership for Prescription Assistance https://www.pparx.org/Intro.php

    I don't know what they are about other then they were listed on my health insurance web site for financial assistance.

    I hope you can find some
    I hope you can find some financial relief. That is terrible. Good luck!

    Lex
  • rainbow4
    rainbow4 Member Posts: 137
    #13
    Arimidex cost
    Judy,
    I'm also a retiree who just started taking Arimidex. What a shock when I found out the cost! If you go to the AstraZeneca website and hunt around, you'll find a place where you can enter your income and prescription information, and they'll tell you if you qualify for assistance. If I remember correctly, they require that you've had medical expenses of at least 3% of your yearly income. Unfortunately, I don't qualify this year but with a full year of the prescription next year, I hope that I'll be able to get some assistance. The full cost for a month's prescription is $415; I'm paying $40 a month until I hit the Medicare Part D "donut hole" - very soon, at this rate! Good luck finding some assistance.
  • Christmas Girl
    Christmas Girl Member Posts: 3,682 Member
    #14
    outdoorgirl said:

    I can't
    believe how much it costs! Wow,my onc was right! Tamoxifen with my insurance is 10.00 for a 30 day supply-what a big difference! Why does Arimidex have to cost so much?!

    Tamoxifen...
    ... is inexpensive because the American Cancer Society - as a non-profit organization - funded the research and development for it. Therefore, a pharmaceutical company did not have to recoup their R&D costs. It was the very first prescription medication, ever, formulated and proven to reduce the risk of BC recurrence. Paved the way, so to speak, for all the others available today.
  • outdoorgirl
    outdoorgirl Member Posts: 1,565
    #15
    Christmas Girl said:

    Tamoxifen...
    ... is inexpensive because the American Cancer Society - as a non-profit organization - funded the research and development for it. Therefore, a pharmaceutical company did not have to recoup their R&D costs. It was the very first prescription medication, ever, formulated and proven to reduce the risk of BC recurrence. Paved the way, so to speak, for all the others available today.

    Thanks Susan
    A nugget of info I didn't know before!
  • Marcia527
    Marcia527 Member Posts: 2,729
    #16
    outdoorgirl said:

    I can't
    believe how much it costs! Wow,my onc was right! Tamoxifen with my insurance is 10.00 for a 30 day supply-what a big difference! Why does Arimidex have to cost so much?!

    I was told that Tamoxifen
    I was told that Tamoxifen was cheap because it's been around for a number of years but Arimidex and Aromason are newer drugs and the drug companies can ask what they want blaming it on development costs.
  • lanie940
    lanie940 Member Posts: 490 Member
    #17
    Arrgh, I hate that Medicare
    Arrgh, I hate that Medicare part D. That was Bush's baby. It stinks with that "donuthole" I understand that Obama wants to do away with the donut hole. Something surely has to change!
    Actually, if I read it right, Arimidex is supposed to cost me 80.00 for a 90day supply, that's if it's what my Dr. prescribes. I am post menopausal. I know my Dh's ins has a bunch of Formularies they prefer you to use.
  • Eil4186
    Eil4186 Member Posts: 949
    #18
    No health insurance? What
    No health insurance? What about those tv ads about drug companies helping people pay for medicines?

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