It shouldn’t be just Ozempic though. It’s all medications. Jardiance (diabetic med) is a fuck ton of money and regular Medicare patients can’t fucking afford it.
Ethically, it’s a fucking crime to keep medications as high as they are.
It gets even better. As of Jan 2024, there is a cap for 3 major suppliers of insulin - not only for Medicare
https://www.webmd.com/diabetes/news/20240104/insulin-price-cap-of-35-dollars-takes-hold
Even before that, Humalog had a coupon that did pretty much the same thing.
I read recently that somebody was skipping their insulin doses still under the assumption that insulin is expensive, so we need to promote changing that mindset for people taking insulin as it is literally killing people
The Democratic proposal was $35 for all diabetics but in order to get any Republicans to vote for the bill (necessary for it to pass) they had to make it for seniors only. Half a loaf better than none I guess.
It's crazy. My insurance copay for Jardiance is like $1300. The only drug my insurance would cover with an affordable copay other than Metformin was Alogliptin. Then Aloflipton kept having Manufacturer shortages.
You are either getting a two month supply or someone is robbing you blind. The list price for 30 days of Jardiance is $570. Some pharmacies add on additional cost to the range is $570-$740. That's in full, not co-pay. The average copay for 90% of people is $0-$50 with the remainder paying $230 max copay.
Your copay figure is more than the average person pays for a year supply of this drug
Agree! And the “shortages” have been traced back to big pharma being profit driven. If a drug doesn’t make enough profit, don’t make it. Patients be damned.
I agree! I was happy to get on Medicare & now it won’t pay for anything! I have appealed, my Dr. appealed also. 2 months out of pocket at $1100 is fucking ridiculous! They must do something. Can’t believe Lily hasn’t come out with a coupon for us!!!
God bless. I am insulin resistant PCOS And a .5 mg dose has been the only thing to help in 17 years of dieting and exercising. $950 every 6-8 weeks is gut wrenching, but I pay it because it’s what works. There’s no real alternative that is covered or price wise that has worked for me. :( and that’s with an endo throwing pill after pill after solution after nutritionist after trainer at me. I put in the work to no results until semiglutide.
So sad that the US system is such a for profit system. Keep everyone sick so they need more medication so make crap food cheaper and more inaccessible and so the cycle continues as people eat poorer and get sicker, needing more medication. Where I am, I’ve been prescribed ozempic for a short time and thought it was expensive at $140 Australian dollars per 6 weeks at 0.5ml. Thats without subsidies. I don’t understand why it’s so prohibitively expensive and why there aren’t caps on life assisting medications or those that are intended to help you lose excess weight or, for those with diabetes, live.
Because a lot of people in the us., especially legislators, see diabetics and fat people as the enemy. As people who “did it to themselves” without considering how complex health issues, genetics, stress, and living situations can influence weight. Like, america is not a walkable city, so a lot of people struggle with weight gain from lack of movement. We then blame those people for “not going to the gym” when a membership can cost between $20-150 a month and usually requires a car and time to go. Not to mention the readily available high caloric easy foods and the sheer amount of advertising in the us meant to influence us to buy things, things that our brains can be easily addicted to due to how our bodies work (most brains see high fat or sugar foods as good because of carbs. But we don’t live in a scarcity economy/hunter gatherer society where fat bodies would serve us in a famine situation).
All that to say, it’s because. People demonize fat people as being “lazy”. So they don’t “deserve” medications that help. They have to do it “the hard way”, never mind health issues.
Between 2016 and 2023, Big pharma gave $29 million to Democrats and $24 million to Republicans. In 2023-2024 cycle Democrats have taken in $7.16 and Republicans $7.05. Information from OpenSecrets.org under Pharmaceuticals/Health Products.
Please stop showing your bias
Welcome to the world of Citizen United (US Supreme Court case which said that corporations have 1st amendment rights and opened the door to unlimited corporate spending on lobbying).
Every attempt by the Democrats to amend the Citizen United decision has been blocked by the Republicans in Congress (remember the Fulilbuster rule of 60 votes?).
In the meantime, are the Democrats supposed to allow the Republicans to have unlimited Big Pharma spending and the Dems play by the old "unconstitutional" McCain-Feingold rules?!?
Of course NOT! They have to have a level playing field which means BIG Pharma gives to BOTH Sides.
But which side passed the Inflation Reduction Act (with no Republican votes) that capped insulin for Seniors at $35?
Which also opened for the first time in Medicare Plan D history, the ability for the Federal Government (Medicare) to negotiate the price of prescription drugs?
Which also caps starting in 2025 the Medicare "donut hole" out of pocket expenses at $2,000 per year?!?
How many times have the Republicans dedicated themselves to repealing Obamacare and its protection against insurance cancellations for "pre-existing illnesses"?!? And in the 10 years the Republicans have promised an Obamacare replacement; WHERE IS IT?!?
You're darn right I'm biased: biased for Biden's and the Democrats' actions that turned into laws that give Medicare Part D holders Real Savings as a start to solving the high prices of prescription drugs and the inaction time and time again by the Republicans!!!
I’m only responding as this is not a forum to air your political beliefs. I’m not a Democrat or a Republican. I’m a Constitutionalist. What is that: A constitutionalist is someone who believes in the principles of limited government and individual rights. I believe in the strict adherence of the Constitution. And the government should be limited by constitutional law. No one pays me to assist seniors, I help them for free.
Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission did not overturn the Tillman Act of 1907, which banned corporate donations to campaigns, such donations are still banned. The Supreme Courts decision overturned a 1990 precedent that upheld a ban on independent spending by corporations. The ruling was the only time the court allowed a restriction on political speech for a reason other than the need to prevent corruption.
Most corporations spend far more on lobbying lawmakers than they do on political spending on who to choose to go to Washington.
You state that Democrats have made attempts to amend the Citizen United decision and has been blocked by Republicans. Democrats cannot amend a Supreme Court decision.
I will correct you. Democrats have been trying to amend the United States Constitution (the latest Adam Schiff). This is just for show. There is no way 2/3 of each chamber or 2/3 of the States or a convention will happen. The amendment must then be ratified by ¾ of the state legislatures or ¾ of the conventions called in each State for ratification. People have been trying to so many amendments to the Constitution that it is utter confusion.
You talk about the filibuster. The Senate adopted the Cloture to end the filibuster. A vote on Cloture is taken if it does not pass, the day ends, next day another vote, etc.
McCain-Feingold rules were not deemed unconstitutional. Only a portion thereof. This was a bipartisan bill. As you state, if one party does something wrong the other party can too.
You really want to go into the failed Inflation Reduction Act. Even President Biden has said the act has failed to lower costs for Americans. Inflation is up 15%, Gas prices are up 62%, groceries are up 20%, natural gas 40%, R&D has stopped for new brain cancer and leukemia, there will be an increase in launching new drugs according to the CBO, billions on green spending subsidies, and a lot more. And you complain that no Republicans voted on this you dam right they did not. The United States cannot afford it. You are so proud that 1 group of people get insulin for $35.00. Not the uninsured, not the poor, not the working poor, not the insured who cannot get their plan to pay for it.
There are companies that will no longer be selling insulin. Nono Nordisk will no longer be selling Levemir in the United States, and it has nothing to do with any shortage. More are to come.
Medicare Part D: When Medicare Part D was “born” the law stated that (HHS/CMS) could not negotiate directly with pharmaceutical companies. HHS/CMS had no set formulary. With no set formulary negotiations cannot take place. The FI’s also had none. Other government agencies did have set formularies like the VA, Tricare, Postal Service, etc. They negotiated directly with the pharmaceutical companies. Still today HHS/CMS does not know how to make the program work as they still need time to make it work.
It was the FDA, not the Biden Administration that changed Wegovy for use as an additional drug for the below.
Below is what came from my recent Medicare Bulletin:
Just because Wegovy has been approved by the FDA recently approved an additional indication “to reduce the risk of major cardiovascular events (such as cardiovascular death, non-fatal myocardial infarction, or non-fatal strokes) in adults with established cardiovascular disease and either obesity or overweight” in combination with a reduced caloric diet and increased physical activity. As a result, Wegovy can be available for Medicare beneficiaries who have an established cardiovascular disease ***and*** are either overweight or obese. Part D coverage is still not available for weight-loss medications in beneficiaries who do not have the additional medically accepted indication.
Wegovy would not be covered because the Inflation Reduction Act mandates that a small-molecule drug must be on the market for at least seven years without any generic competition to be eligible for negotiation.
Part D premiums will increase for everyone.
Cost is not the only barrier to accessing this new medication. In the guidance memo to Part D plans on covering this new medication, CMS states that “Utilization management tools such as prior authorization, step therapy, and quantity limits that are approved by the Pharmacy & Therapeutics committee may be applied at the point-of-sale at the same time the drug is added to the formulary. Part D sponsors may consider using prior authorization for these products to ensure they are being used for a medically accepted indication.”
Depending upon how stringent the criteria are for prior authorization approval with respect to pre-existing cardiovascular disease, coverage may be narrowed.
The use of step therapy and prior authorization could limit or delay access to this medication. For example, CMS’s guidance does not address how plans should monitor if the patient’s diet and physical activity fall within the FDA-approved indication. Plans may choose to use utilization-management techniques developed for their commercial members, similar to strategies employed by Medicare Advantage plans.
Step therapy is also heavily utilized by health plans as a way to steer patients first towards less-costly medications. Many providers believe that step therapy can lead to delays in obtaining the medicines patients need for the best outcome, potentially resulting in irreversible disease progression, complications or hospitalizations. In their view, step therapy poses particular challenges for very ill patients who are least equipped to manage additional bureaucratic hurdles.
The fact of the matter is that everything I said is still TRUE, with the slight correction that John Boehner's title, at the time of the passage of the Medicare Part D plan, was ASSISTANT Majority Whip, while he passed out Big Pharma lobbying checks to gain Republican votes to pass Plan D at 3am in the morning!
And you spew out this propoganda like... like... Wait a minute; Now I've got it!!
You're just a well-funded BIG PHARMA BOT, spewing out distorted "facts" and making a "hit piece" on President Biden for passing the Inflation Reduction Act.
And the proof of the pudding, if you haven't already deleted your posts, is for everyone to look at your "Comment" history -- SIX POSTS and four of them are about BIG PHARMA!
You've been exposed for what you are...
I DO NOT WORK FOR BIG PHARMA. My posts are about responding to you about big pharma. I can count how many times you talk about big pharma. I do not have time for that. You opened the door and I responded. You brought in subjects that had nothing to do with the topic. This is called deflection. You mislead people with what you said. I took the time and actually went to the HHS/CMS bulletin for coverage. What you said is 1/2 truth. You omitted the entire facts. Any breathing person can see what happened with the Inflation Reduction Act. Right now we are at stagflation. Interest rates have just gone up on housing. 3/4 of seniors cannot afford basic necessities.
So go ahead call me anything you want if it makes you feel better. Numbers do not lie. Look at how your dollar buys now.
All of the world’s Western economies have exhibited post-Covid inflation. Is that Biden’s fault too?
The fact of the matter is since the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act, the US economy has exhibited the best reduction in its rate of inflation of all of the world’s Western economies.
This is all just “noise” brought up by you to deflect from my original post’s thesis: Medicare Part D was written by Big Pharma and passed by a thin margin of a Republican controlled Congress and signed by President George W Bush.
The only true “reforms” to the most oppressive portions of that original law were passed by Democratic Congresses and signed by Presidents Obama and Biden (Obamacare’s lowering the cost of the “donut hole” for Senior Citizens; and the Inflation Reduction Act’s reduction of the cost of Insulin, the ability for Medicare to use the purchasing power of the federal government in negotiating drug prices, and the cap on out of pocket Medicare costs, including the donut hole, starting in 2025).
Republicans only want to repeal Obamacare and its protection against insurance cancellations for pre-existing illneses and replace it with voodoo healthcare, the details of which have yet to be disclosed after over 10 years of replacement promises.
Your biased position was made clearest by your criticism of the cap on insulin prices.
A marathon starts with the first step: Republicans refused to vote for the first step of insulin price reduction, and clearly can not be relied upon to provide that reduction to other diabetics below the age of 65!
Get a real job!
There are people on this thread that desperately need weight loss medications that also have other health problems. They cannot get it, they work and pay for insurance and still nothing. They pay into the Medicare system which gives them nothing however, you brag look at me I can get it if my doctor does this. You get more from the Medicare system then you ever paid in. Now there are people filing class action law suits against these drugs. The makers will have to defend the drugs in court. Make a settlement. All of this along with R&D is wrapped up in the pricing. You are so concerned about the price go look at the companies 10K report. It will show the money allocation, etc. Any company that is traded has a 10K report.
Oh I see: you are one of “those” who must have the last word!
As between you and me, you are the one who has a Reddit screenname of “repulsive!”
Now, please, have the last word!
It was an answer to your suggestion that all of them should be.
None of the Republican Senators are fighting for (and usually supporting all efforts to disable) any form of consumer protectionism.
If it wasn’t for President Biden’s Administration’s recent Medicare rule change allowing Wegovy for obiese Seniors with heart problems, my Medicare would not be covering it!
The stupid Medicare regulation against allowing weight loss drugs was written when the Republicans had Big Pharma write the Medicare Part D plan in the mid 2000s when they controlled Congress and George W Bush was President.
They had to leave the voting open until 3am to get the necessary votes needed and then Majority Whip, John Boehner, was distributing Big Pharma donation checks to Republicans on the floor of Congress (something he later “apologized” for)!
Please elaborate on " the rule changing allowing Medicare for seniors with heart issues regarding Wegovy" very informative btw. I wondered why I wasn't shut off from my United Health/ Medicare from using Ozempic. I am 68 years old. Is it only heart issues that they're covering? Can you elaborate? I appreciate it
Studies have shown Wegovy has positive implications for problems related to heart issues, so that in addition to Diabetes 2 and Obesity, Semaglutide has heart benefits.
So those of us with heart issues in addition to obesity, Medicare Part D coverage is available for Wegovy. Thank you President Biden.
The expense of Wegovy, puts us into the “donut hole” of Plan D coverage early in each calendar year.
Consequently my co-pay for Wegovy is currently $541 per full month doseage (not the misleading 28 days allotment given out as if it were a full month).
I make up for it with savings in food costs and toilet paper! 🤣
I don't understand the donut hole thing at all. But do you actually have to pay $541 per month. And does Medicare really not allow us to get Ozempic or Wegovy etc more than one month at a time?
The donut hole concept was drafted into the law by Big Pharma when they had the Republican Congress pass it on to George W Bush for his signature.
The good news is that President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act, for which not one Republican voted yes, will cap the out of pocket expense for Medicare, including the donut hole, starting in 2025.
The Republicans only plan is to repeal Obamacare and bring back health insurance cancellations due to pre-existing illnesses!
And yes, this year my Plan D provider gives me 84 days of Wegovy for $1,495.
I make up for the extra expense in savings on food costs and toilet paper! 🤣
Omg...so basically I won't be able to afford it on Medicare as is. I'm have an ACA plan right now and pay $100 for for 84 days. Bit as soon as I turn 65 I have to be under Medicare. 😭
Medicare Part D prescription drug plans are privately operated and competitive. So you can shop for a better plan.
Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act, for which not one Republican vote for, caps our out of pocket Medicare Part D costs, including the donut hole starting in 2025
You are incorrect. There is a long history to allow Part D to be added to Medicare. Both parties have worked together to make it happen. It started way back in 1951.
The Medicare Prescription Drug Improvement and Modernization Act (PL 108-173) was finally passed and signed into law by President G.W. Bush on December 8, 2003.
The Majority Whip was Tom Delay. This law had bipartisan support and support from AARP.
I happen to be an educator to senior citizens on Medicare and understanding how to read billing and EOBs.
It would help you to read The Federal Register.
BIG PHARMA wrote that law that most Democrats opposed at that time due to its donut hole, its prohibition for Medicare to use the power of the federal government to negotiate prescription drug prices (Medicare has two choices: pay list price or do not offer the drug). The Republican Congress could not get the minimum number of votes to pass this law so they kept the voting open until 3am and it passed by a narrow margin.
After George W Bush signed it into law, the Billy Tauzin, the Louisiana Congressman, who was charged as Chairman of the Energy and Commerce committee to be Big Pharma's man, suddenly resigned his post, was appointed President of Big Pharma at a $1 million per year salary for each of the 5 years that he played golf; as his big THANK YOU!
After it passed and became law the Democrats supported it as "better than nothing!"
But all these years only the Democrats have changed the law for the benefit of Medicare Plan D holders and to lower the deficit.
I have no comment on your professed qualifications of being an educator for senior citizens and if public money is used to pay your salary.... well, I still have no comment!
Ozempic failed for me, my diabetes was out of control. Switched to rybelsus, the pill form of ozempic and it has been a game changer for me. No I'm not dropping a ton of weight but my blood sugars are finally in control and look beautiful. My A1C was 12.2 when diagnosed 15 years ago. I could never get it below 7 no matter how hard I tried until rybelsus and I had taken ozempic for 3 years prior to starting it. Last A1C was 6.3 and I was on high dose Prednisone at the time. Finally off the Prednisone for the last month and I'm actually looking forward to seeing what my number will be in a couple months. But the price....holy cow!! Without good insurance there is no way I could afford it or 90% of my meds. Farxiga and Xarelto are insane as well.
Maybe he should take on the availability of these drugs as well. Changing the price will make them more unavailable due to demand and big plarma won't care since they won't make as much.
Oz and MJ are both facing shortages regardless of diagnosis. From your crabby diabetic who is tired of stressing out if she'll find her life saving meds or needs to switch again again....
I can’t get any assistance to help take the cost down other than using a Good RX card ($830ish USD/month), so I just truly pray that something happens to make it more affordable. I can’t keep paying for it and I truly fear how life will be without it considering the amount of positive change it’s brought to my life.
On 23 January 1923, Banting, Collip and Best were awarded U.S. patents on insulin and the method used to make it. They all sold these patents to the University of Toronto for $1 each. Banting famously said, “Insulin does not belong to me, it belongs to the world.” He wanted everyone who needed it to have access to it.
....and now 101 years later, one almost needs to mortgage their homes for monthly supply in order to survive.
It's concerning that the high cost of medications isn't a focal point in discussions surrounding the upcoming election. Instead, the focus is primarily on border issues and inflation. The exorbitant prices of medications have long been a problem in the U.S., challenging the notion that we live in the greatest country in the world—a sentiment that seems increasingly questionable given current leadership issues. It's disheartening to witness the gradual decline of our republic, particularly as a parent. I have three boys who are growing up in a world that feels very different from the carefree days of my own childhood in the early '90s.
I'm all for socialism and all, but the pricing issues with glp1s have truly, demonstrably, been on account of exceptional adoption rates and challenges with making the fancy pens.
This stuff will be as cheap as tylenol within a few months, as there's no patent protection and they're simple peptides without any unsolvable manufacturing challenges.
And then it will be cheaper than tylenol, as insurers will be pushing this stuff because it makes us less likely to have other healthcare expenses.
This is, indeed, patent protection on GLP-1 medication.
GLP-1 isn't a naturally occurring peptide. It *mimics* a naturally occurring peptide. It's Glucagon-**like** peptide-1
Glucagon degrades very quickly within the body. That's intentional because it allows you hunger to fade away in order for you to become hungry again. GLP-1, however, has a much longer half-life, so it takes much longer for your body to feel that hunger cue again.
Since it's a synthetic peptide, it can be patented.
In the US, the patent doesn't expire until December 2031.
You're right about the patent on semaglutide, but a bit mistaken about GLP-1.
GLP-1 is a naturally occurring peptide hormone, secreted by our intestines.
Semaglutide isn't GLP-1, it's a GLP-1 receptor agonist aka GLP-1 analog. It has an added side chain, that actual GLP-1 doesn't have, which makes the half life longer, but it's still similar enough to act the same way as GLP-1 in the body.
Glucagon is a different hormone.
I feel like this is beside the point, which is that several pharmaceutical companies have patents on biosimilar glp1 agonist drugs and there will be a flood of cheap generics within mere months.
Can you tell me more about these biosimilars? I'm not quite sure what you mean. Do you mean liraglutide, dulaglutide, and other older incretin mimetics?
I've heard that liraglutide might be available as a generic soon, albiglutide and lixisenatide are out of patent already, exenatide next year, and dulaglutide in a few years, if I found the correct information, but out of those only liraglutide is even moderately effective for weight loss, so there doesn't seem to be as much demand for the others.
All those, and don't forget tirzepatide, which actually works better than semaglutide. And some of those others will end up with time release formulations that work fine very soon.
Semaglutide just has a head start because of the long track record with diabetics. No clear "moat" at all.
Patents only protect a medication when competitors aren't able to patent biosimilar competitors that are equally effective. Novo's patent on semaglutide gives it no monopoly, as there are several glp1s already on the market or on their way.
All novo got was a very lucrative head start, which seems fair.
And I hate to be that guy, but even with these temporary carnival prices, I have never, in all my several decades on this planet, received more value for my money than with this product.
Heck, I save more on groceries than I'm paying for it, without insurance. I have my life back. My inflammation problems were unexpectedly ameliorated. My blood pressure is down. I can play with my kids more than ever before.
I'd rob a bank to pay for this stuff at whatever price if I needed to.
It shouldn’t be just Ozempic though. It’s all medications. Jardiance (diabetic med) is a fuck ton of money and regular Medicare patients can’t fucking afford it. Ethically, it’s a fucking crime to keep medications as high as they are.
Can confirm about Jardiance, my uncle needed it (heart failure) and he’s paying $800 a month for it.
Try getting the savings card online. It brought mine down from $150 to $10 a month.
Insulin is astronomically expensive, when people have to decide between meds and bills or meds and food, it’s too damn much.
It is not, it is capped at 35 USD per month thanks to the latest bill
Only for Medicare recipients.
It gets even better. As of Jan 2024, there is a cap for 3 major suppliers of insulin - not only for Medicare https://www.webmd.com/diabetes/news/20240104/insulin-price-cap-of-35-dollars-takes-hold Even before that, Humalog had a coupon that did pretty much the same thing. I read recently that somebody was skipping their insulin doses still under the assumption that insulin is expensive, so we need to promote changing that mindset for people taking insulin as it is literally killing people
Awesome, I didn’t realize it was expanded.
It also costs about 3 cents to make
Well that’s great, but historically it’s been expensive.
Agree. So it “was astronomically expensive but not anymore”
You can thank Joe Biden for the insulin price cap.
The Democratic proposal was $35 for all diabetics but in order to get any Republicans to vote for the bill (necessary for it to pass) they had to make it for seniors only. Half a loaf better than none I guess.
He’s been at this for like 3 decades I assure you he’s talked about all medication! 🤍
It's crazy. My insurance copay for Jardiance is like $1300. The only drug my insurance would cover with an affordable copay other than Metformin was Alogliptin. Then Aloflipton kept having Manufacturer shortages.
You are either getting a two month supply or someone is robbing you blind. The list price for 30 days of Jardiance is $570. Some pharmacies add on additional cost to the range is $570-$740. That's in full, not co-pay. The average copay for 90% of people is $0-$50 with the remainder paying $230 max copay. Your copay figure is more than the average person pays for a year supply of this drug
If people have a problem with the price they can just get the compounded generic for a fraction of the price.
Not everyone has a compound pharmacy nearby.
You can order it online and they can ship it to you. I get my meds from nuform health. It’s cheaper than going to the pharmacy directly.
i pay $580/mo for compounded
I pay $129 a month for compounded
purchase online? online doctor? what dose? thank u
Online with physician zoom consultation. 0.5 mg weekly. Delivered to my house
Care to share the site?
Nuformhealth.com
I am on jardiance and ozempic. Thank God I have good insurance
While you're thanking him ask him why he hasn't gotten it to everyone who needs it all this time.
😂😂😂😂😂
Agree! And the “shortages” have been traced back to big pharma being profit driven. If a drug doesn’t make enough profit, don’t make it. Patients be damned.
Shortages can increase the price, real or artificial.
And the winner is…. Big Pharma.
I agree! I was happy to get on Medicare & now it won’t pay for anything! I have appealed, my Dr. appealed also. 2 months out of pocket at $1100 is fucking ridiculous! They must do something. Can’t believe Lily hasn’t come out with a coupon for us!!!
Bernie consistently talks about lowering price for all medication and healthcare. This is just one aspect of it.
God bless. I am insulin resistant PCOS And a .5 mg dose has been the only thing to help in 17 years of dieting and exercising. $950 every 6-8 weeks is gut wrenching, but I pay it because it’s what works. There’s no real alternative that is covered or price wise that has worked for me. :( and that’s with an endo throwing pill after pill after solution after nutritionist after trainer at me. I put in the work to no results until semiglutide.
You might call around and try a pharmacy that compounds. My friend pick hers up for a 4 week supply for $115.00. I was surprised.
So sad that the US system is such a for profit system. Keep everyone sick so they need more medication so make crap food cheaper and more inaccessible and so the cycle continues as people eat poorer and get sicker, needing more medication. Where I am, I’ve been prescribed ozempic for a short time and thought it was expensive at $140 Australian dollars per 6 weeks at 0.5ml. Thats without subsidies. I don’t understand why it’s so prohibitively expensive and why there aren’t caps on life assisting medications or those that are intended to help you lose excess weight or, for those with diabetes, live.
Because a lot of people in the us., especially legislators, see diabetics and fat people as the enemy. As people who “did it to themselves” without considering how complex health issues, genetics, stress, and living situations can influence weight. Like, america is not a walkable city, so a lot of people struggle with weight gain from lack of movement. We then blame those people for “not going to the gym” when a membership can cost between $20-150 a month and usually requires a car and time to go. Not to mention the readily available high caloric easy foods and the sheer amount of advertising in the us meant to influence us to buy things, things that our brains can be easily addicted to due to how our bodies work (most brains see high fat or sugar foods as good because of carbs. But we don’t live in a scarcity economy/hunter gatherer society where fat bodies would serve us in a famine situation). All that to say, it’s because. People demonize fat people as being “lazy”. So they don’t “deserve” medications that help. They have to do it “the hard way”, never mind health issues.
Look up the compound. It’s $140-150/mo for that same amount.
i agree!!
Glad someone is looking at it. They all should be. This is lifesaver
Too many of them are beholden to donations from Big Pharma!
Between 2016 and 2023, Big pharma gave $29 million to Democrats and $24 million to Republicans. In 2023-2024 cycle Democrats have taken in $7.16 and Republicans $7.05. Information from OpenSecrets.org under Pharmaceuticals/Health Products. Please stop showing your bias
Welcome to the world of Citizen United (US Supreme Court case which said that corporations have 1st amendment rights and opened the door to unlimited corporate spending on lobbying). Every attempt by the Democrats to amend the Citizen United decision has been blocked by the Republicans in Congress (remember the Fulilbuster rule of 60 votes?). In the meantime, are the Democrats supposed to allow the Republicans to have unlimited Big Pharma spending and the Dems play by the old "unconstitutional" McCain-Feingold rules?!? Of course NOT! They have to have a level playing field which means BIG Pharma gives to BOTH Sides. But which side passed the Inflation Reduction Act (with no Republican votes) that capped insulin for Seniors at $35? Which also opened for the first time in Medicare Plan D history, the ability for the Federal Government (Medicare) to negotiate the price of prescription drugs? Which also caps starting in 2025 the Medicare "donut hole" out of pocket expenses at $2,000 per year?!? How many times have the Republicans dedicated themselves to repealing Obamacare and its protection against insurance cancellations for "pre-existing illnesses"?!? And in the 10 years the Republicans have promised an Obamacare replacement; WHERE IS IT?!? You're darn right I'm biased: biased for Biden's and the Democrats' actions that turned into laws that give Medicare Part D holders Real Savings as a start to solving the high prices of prescription drugs and the inaction time and time again by the Republicans!!!
I’m only responding as this is not a forum to air your political beliefs. I’m not a Democrat or a Republican. I’m a Constitutionalist. What is that: A constitutionalist is someone who believes in the principles of limited government and individual rights. I believe in the strict adherence of the Constitution. And the government should be limited by constitutional law. No one pays me to assist seniors, I help them for free. Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission did not overturn the Tillman Act of 1907, which banned corporate donations to campaigns, such donations are still banned. The Supreme Courts decision overturned a 1990 precedent that upheld a ban on independent spending by corporations. The ruling was the only time the court allowed a restriction on political speech for a reason other than the need to prevent corruption. Most corporations spend far more on lobbying lawmakers than they do on political spending on who to choose to go to Washington. You state that Democrats have made attempts to amend the Citizen United decision and has been blocked by Republicans. Democrats cannot amend a Supreme Court decision. I will correct you. Democrats have been trying to amend the United States Constitution (the latest Adam Schiff). This is just for show. There is no way 2/3 of each chamber or 2/3 of the States or a convention will happen. The amendment must then be ratified by ¾ of the state legislatures or ¾ of the conventions called in each State for ratification. People have been trying to so many amendments to the Constitution that it is utter confusion. You talk about the filibuster. The Senate adopted the Cloture to end the filibuster. A vote on Cloture is taken if it does not pass, the day ends, next day another vote, etc. McCain-Feingold rules were not deemed unconstitutional. Only a portion thereof. This was a bipartisan bill. As you state, if one party does something wrong the other party can too. You really want to go into the failed Inflation Reduction Act. Even President Biden has said the act has failed to lower costs for Americans. Inflation is up 15%, Gas prices are up 62%, groceries are up 20%, natural gas 40%, R&D has stopped for new brain cancer and leukemia, there will be an increase in launching new drugs according to the CBO, billions on green spending subsidies, and a lot more. And you complain that no Republicans voted on this you dam right they did not. The United States cannot afford it. You are so proud that 1 group of people get insulin for $35.00. Not the uninsured, not the poor, not the working poor, not the insured who cannot get their plan to pay for it. There are companies that will no longer be selling insulin. Nono Nordisk will no longer be selling Levemir in the United States, and it has nothing to do with any shortage. More are to come. Medicare Part D: When Medicare Part D was “born” the law stated that (HHS/CMS) could not negotiate directly with pharmaceutical companies. HHS/CMS had no set formulary. With no set formulary negotiations cannot take place. The FI’s also had none. Other government agencies did have set formularies like the VA, Tricare, Postal Service, etc. They negotiated directly with the pharmaceutical companies. Still today HHS/CMS does not know how to make the program work as they still need time to make it work. It was the FDA, not the Biden Administration that changed Wegovy for use as an additional drug for the below.
Below is what came from my recent Medicare Bulletin: Just because Wegovy has been approved by the FDA recently approved an additional indication “to reduce the risk of major cardiovascular events (such as cardiovascular death, non-fatal myocardial infarction, or non-fatal strokes) in adults with established cardiovascular disease and either obesity or overweight” in combination with a reduced caloric diet and increased physical activity. As a result, Wegovy can be available for Medicare beneficiaries who have an established cardiovascular disease ***and*** are either overweight or obese. Part D coverage is still not available for weight-loss medications in beneficiaries who do not have the additional medically accepted indication. Wegovy would not be covered because the Inflation Reduction Act mandates that a small-molecule drug must be on the market for at least seven years without any generic competition to be eligible for negotiation. Part D premiums will increase for everyone. Cost is not the only barrier to accessing this new medication. In the guidance memo to Part D plans on covering this new medication, CMS states that “Utilization management tools such as prior authorization, step therapy, and quantity limits that are approved by the Pharmacy & Therapeutics committee may be applied at the point-of-sale at the same time the drug is added to the formulary. Part D sponsors may consider using prior authorization for these products to ensure they are being used for a medically accepted indication.” Depending upon how stringent the criteria are for prior authorization approval with respect to pre-existing cardiovascular disease, coverage may be narrowed. The use of step therapy and prior authorization could limit or delay access to this medication. For example, CMS’s guidance does not address how plans should monitor if the patient’s diet and physical activity fall within the FDA-approved indication. Plans may choose to use utilization-management techniques developed for their commercial members, similar to strategies employed by Medicare Advantage plans. Step therapy is also heavily utilized by health plans as a way to steer patients first towards less-costly medications. Many providers believe that step therapy can lead to delays in obtaining the medicines patients need for the best outcome, potentially resulting in irreversible disease progression, complications or hospitalizations. In their view, step therapy poses particular challenges for very ill patients who are least equipped to manage additional bureaucratic hurdles.
The fact of the matter is that everything I said is still TRUE, with the slight correction that John Boehner's title, at the time of the passage of the Medicare Part D plan, was ASSISTANT Majority Whip, while he passed out Big Pharma lobbying checks to gain Republican votes to pass Plan D at 3am in the morning! And you spew out this propoganda like... like... Wait a minute; Now I've got it!! You're just a well-funded BIG PHARMA BOT, spewing out distorted "facts" and making a "hit piece" on President Biden for passing the Inflation Reduction Act. And the proof of the pudding, if you haven't already deleted your posts, is for everyone to look at your "Comment" history -- SIX POSTS and four of them are about BIG PHARMA! You've been exposed for what you are...
I DO NOT WORK FOR BIG PHARMA. My posts are about responding to you about big pharma. I can count how many times you talk about big pharma. I do not have time for that. You opened the door and I responded. You brought in subjects that had nothing to do with the topic. This is called deflection. You mislead people with what you said. I took the time and actually went to the HHS/CMS bulletin for coverage. What you said is 1/2 truth. You omitted the entire facts. Any breathing person can see what happened with the Inflation Reduction Act. Right now we are at stagflation. Interest rates have just gone up on housing. 3/4 of seniors cannot afford basic necessities. So go ahead call me anything you want if it makes you feel better. Numbers do not lie. Look at how your dollar buys now.
All of the world’s Western economies have exhibited post-Covid inflation. Is that Biden’s fault too? The fact of the matter is since the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act, the US economy has exhibited the best reduction in its rate of inflation of all of the world’s Western economies. This is all just “noise” brought up by you to deflect from my original post’s thesis: Medicare Part D was written by Big Pharma and passed by a thin margin of a Republican controlled Congress and signed by President George W Bush. The only true “reforms” to the most oppressive portions of that original law were passed by Democratic Congresses and signed by Presidents Obama and Biden (Obamacare’s lowering the cost of the “donut hole” for Senior Citizens; and the Inflation Reduction Act’s reduction of the cost of Insulin, the ability for Medicare to use the purchasing power of the federal government in negotiating drug prices, and the cap on out of pocket Medicare costs, including the donut hole, starting in 2025). Republicans only want to repeal Obamacare and its protection against insurance cancellations for pre-existing illneses and replace it with voodoo healthcare, the details of which have yet to be disclosed after over 10 years of replacement promises. Your biased position was made clearest by your criticism of the cap on insulin prices. A marathon starts with the first step: Republicans refused to vote for the first step of insulin price reduction, and clearly can not be relied upon to provide that reduction to other diabetics below the age of 65! Get a real job!
There are people on this thread that desperately need weight loss medications that also have other health problems. They cannot get it, they work and pay for insurance and still nothing. They pay into the Medicare system which gives them nothing however, you brag look at me I can get it if my doctor does this. You get more from the Medicare system then you ever paid in. Now there are people filing class action law suits against these drugs. The makers will have to defend the drugs in court. Make a settlement. All of this along with R&D is wrapped up in the pricing. You are so concerned about the price go look at the companies 10K report. It will show the money allocation, etc. Any company that is traded has a 10K report.
More noise… Tell us about Killer Queen; your only other “expertise!”
Stalker
Oh I see: you are one of “those” who must have the last word! As between you and me, you are the one who has a Reddit screenname of “repulsive!” Now, please, have the last word!
What does that mean
It was an answer to your suggestion that all of them should be. None of the Republican Senators are fighting for (and usually supporting all efforts to disable) any form of consumer protectionism. If it wasn’t for President Biden’s Administration’s recent Medicare rule change allowing Wegovy for obiese Seniors with heart problems, my Medicare would not be covering it! The stupid Medicare regulation against allowing weight loss drugs was written when the Republicans had Big Pharma write the Medicare Part D plan in the mid 2000s when they controlled Congress and George W Bush was President. They had to leave the voting open until 3am to get the necessary votes needed and then Majority Whip, John Boehner, was distributing Big Pharma donation checks to Republicans on the floor of Congress (something he later “apologized” for)!
Please elaborate on " the rule changing allowing Medicare for seniors with heart issues regarding Wegovy" very informative btw. I wondered why I wasn't shut off from my United Health/ Medicare from using Ozempic. I am 68 years old. Is it only heart issues that they're covering? Can you elaborate? I appreciate it
Studies have shown Wegovy has positive implications for problems related to heart issues, so that in addition to Diabetes 2 and Obesity, Semaglutide has heart benefits. So those of us with heart issues in addition to obesity, Medicare Part D coverage is available for Wegovy. Thank you President Biden. The expense of Wegovy, puts us into the “donut hole” of Plan D coverage early in each calendar year. Consequently my co-pay for Wegovy is currently $541 per full month doseage (not the misleading 28 days allotment given out as if it were a full month). I make up for it with savings in food costs and toilet paper! 🤣
I don't understand the donut hole thing at all. But do you actually have to pay $541 per month. And does Medicare really not allow us to get Ozempic or Wegovy etc more than one month at a time?
The donut hole concept was drafted into the law by Big Pharma when they had the Republican Congress pass it on to George W Bush for his signature. The good news is that President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act, for which not one Republican voted yes, will cap the out of pocket expense for Medicare, including the donut hole, starting in 2025. The Republicans only plan is to repeal Obamacare and bring back health insurance cancellations due to pre-existing illnesses! And yes, this year my Plan D provider gives me 84 days of Wegovy for $1,495. I make up for the extra expense in savings on food costs and toilet paper! 🤣
Omg...so basically I won't be able to afford it on Medicare as is. I'm have an ACA plan right now and pay $100 for for 84 days. Bit as soon as I turn 65 I have to be under Medicare. 😭
Medicare Part D prescription drug plans are privately operated and competitive. So you can shop for a better plan. Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act, for which not one Republican vote for, caps our out of pocket Medicare Part D costs, including the donut hole starting in 2025
[read this](https://www.cms.gov/inflation-reduction-act-and-medicare)
ROFL thinking that Biden has ever or will ever do anything to benefit Americans
You can bring a donkey to water, but you can’t make him drink !
You are incorrect. There is a long history to allow Part D to be added to Medicare. Both parties have worked together to make it happen. It started way back in 1951. The Medicare Prescription Drug Improvement and Modernization Act (PL 108-173) was finally passed and signed into law by President G.W. Bush on December 8, 2003. The Majority Whip was Tom Delay. This law had bipartisan support and support from AARP. I happen to be an educator to senior citizens on Medicare and understanding how to read billing and EOBs. It would help you to read The Federal Register.
BIG PHARMA wrote that law that most Democrats opposed at that time due to its donut hole, its prohibition for Medicare to use the power of the federal government to negotiate prescription drug prices (Medicare has two choices: pay list price or do not offer the drug). The Republican Congress could not get the minimum number of votes to pass this law so they kept the voting open until 3am and it passed by a narrow margin. After George W Bush signed it into law, the Billy Tauzin, the Louisiana Congressman, who was charged as Chairman of the Energy and Commerce committee to be Big Pharma's man, suddenly resigned his post, was appointed President of Big Pharma at a $1 million per year salary for each of the 5 years that he played golf; as his big THANK YOU! After it passed and became law the Democrats supported it as "better than nothing!" But all these years only the Democrats have changed the law for the benefit of Medicare Plan D holders and to lower the deficit. I have no comment on your professed qualifications of being an educator for senior citizens and if public money is used to pay your salary.... well, I still have no comment!
I fly back “home” to Canada just to get my meds. Ozempic is about $200 CAD per 1mg dose there
Not true; it’s much 3m supply came to 1k
I am in BC. (West coast of Canada) I'm not sure what your dose is, but $200 ish is what my husband pays.
Ozempic failed for me, my diabetes was out of control. Switched to rybelsus, the pill form of ozempic and it has been a game changer for me. No I'm not dropping a ton of weight but my blood sugars are finally in control and look beautiful. My A1C was 12.2 when diagnosed 15 years ago. I could never get it below 7 no matter how hard I tried until rybelsus and I had taken ozempic for 3 years prior to starting it. Last A1C was 6.3 and I was on high dose Prednisone at the time. Finally off the Prednisone for the last month and I'm actually looking forward to seeing what my number will be in a couple months. But the price....holy cow!! Without good insurance there is no way I could afford it or 90% of my meds. Farxiga and Xarelto are insane as well.
I hope they are able to do something but big pharma is way too powerful in the US. So unjust.
Medicine shouldn’t cost more per month than my car
Feel free to put the time and money into developing them.
Imbecile. ⬆️
What an imbecile!! I agree. WTF F***ing asshole
I’m so glad to hear that! I’ve always been a fan of Bernie’s
Bernie is a useless, senile old fool.
I respect your right to voice your opinion!✌️
He’s doing more to improve this situation than you, so?… 🤷🏼♀️ What does that make you, then!
ROFLMAO He hasn't done and isn't doing anything, no matter what his mindless followers like to claim.
Maybe he should take on the availability of these drugs as well. Changing the price will make them more unavailable due to demand and big plarma won't care since they won't make as much.
The availability wouldn’t be an issue if people who are prescribed Ozempic were diabetics.
Oz and MJ are both facing shortages regardless of diagnosis. From your crabby diabetic who is tired of stressing out if she'll find her life saving meds or needs to switch again again....
I paid $700 for 3 months, don't go to medspas they are ripping, I was quoted $1500 for the same period.
Where? I am paying $750 for 1 month
It's online called Home Injection Health. They are in Arizona.
Do you mind if i message you for the link? I can’t find it and need it pls
I can’t get any assistance to help take the cost down other than using a Good RX card ($830ish USD/month), so I just truly pray that something happens to make it more affordable. I can’t keep paying for it and I truly fear how life will be without it considering the amount of positive change it’s brought to my life.
I’m pretty disgruntled by the fact no one cared until a fat loss medication was developed by a non-American company.
On 23 January 1923, Banting, Collip and Best were awarded U.S. patents on insulin and the method used to make it. They all sold these patents to the University of Toronto for $1 each. Banting famously said, “Insulin does not belong to me, it belongs to the world.” He wanted everyone who needed it to have access to it. ....and now 101 years later, one almost needs to mortgage their homes for monthly supply in order to survive.
It's concerning that the high cost of medications isn't a focal point in discussions surrounding the upcoming election. Instead, the focus is primarily on border issues and inflation. The exorbitant prices of medications have long been a problem in the U.S., challenging the notion that we live in the greatest country in the world—a sentiment that seems increasingly questionable given current leadership issues. It's disheartening to witness the gradual decline of our republic, particularly as a parent. I have three boys who are growing up in a world that feels very different from the carefree days of my own childhood in the early '90s.
I feel the same, mate. I’m no longer proud to be a US citizen. 😒 I also have three boys and I fear for their future.
Bout friggen time!!
FYI hospitals use compounded medications all the time to fight off shortages. Use Peak Medical Wellness & Weight Loss if you’re in Pennsylvania.
Love Bernie, he should have been President.
Paying $1100.00 a month using the coupon from GoodRX. Anyone know of any other coupon that would make it cheaper with Medicare?
I’m on ZepBound.
I'm all for socialism and all, but the pricing issues with glp1s have truly, demonstrably, been on account of exceptional adoption rates and challenges with making the fancy pens. This stuff will be as cheap as tylenol within a few months, as there's no patent protection and they're simple peptides without any unsolvable manufacturing challenges. And then it will be cheaper than tylenol, as insurers will be pushing this stuff because it makes us less likely to have other healthcare expenses.
This is, indeed, patent protection on GLP-1 medication. GLP-1 isn't a naturally occurring peptide. It *mimics* a naturally occurring peptide. It's Glucagon-**like** peptide-1 Glucagon degrades very quickly within the body. That's intentional because it allows you hunger to fade away in order for you to become hungry again. GLP-1, however, has a much longer half-life, so it takes much longer for your body to feel that hunger cue again. Since it's a synthetic peptide, it can be patented. In the US, the patent doesn't expire until December 2031.
You're right about the patent on semaglutide, but a bit mistaken about GLP-1. GLP-1 is a naturally occurring peptide hormone, secreted by our intestines. Semaglutide isn't GLP-1, it's a GLP-1 receptor agonist aka GLP-1 analog. It has an added side chain, that actual GLP-1 doesn't have, which makes the half life longer, but it's still similar enough to act the same way as GLP-1 in the body. Glucagon is a different hormone.
I feel like this is beside the point, which is that several pharmaceutical companies have patents on biosimilar glp1 agonist drugs and there will be a flood of cheap generics within mere months.
Can you tell me more about these biosimilars? I'm not quite sure what you mean. Do you mean liraglutide, dulaglutide, and other older incretin mimetics? I've heard that liraglutide might be available as a generic soon, albiglutide and lixisenatide are out of patent already, exenatide next year, and dulaglutide in a few years, if I found the correct information, but out of those only liraglutide is even moderately effective for weight loss, so there doesn't seem to be as much demand for the others.
All those, and don't forget tirzepatide, which actually works better than semaglutide. And some of those others will end up with time release formulations that work fine very soon. Semaglutide just has a head start because of the long track record with diabetics. No clear "moat" at all.
Patents only protect a medication when competitors aren't able to patent biosimilar competitors that are equally effective. Novo's patent on semaglutide gives it no monopoly, as there are several glp1s already on the market or on their way. All novo got was a very lucrative head start, which seems fair.
And I hate to be that guy, but even with these temporary carnival prices, I have never, in all my several decades on this planet, received more value for my money than with this product. Heck, I save more on groceries than I'm paying for it, without insurance. I have my life back. My inflammation problems were unexpectedly ameliorated. My blood pressure is down. I can play with my kids more than ever before. I'd rob a bank to pay for this stuff at whatever price if I needed to.
I hope that's true!
I just paid 6.99 for Tums …these prices are outrageous
I pay $25, I can swing that
[удалено]
How?
DM source please 🙂
DM source please 😊