Beyond Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton and the heated rhetoric around this election season, another story has been picking up major steam this week. The US Senate has been asking hard questions all week about Mylan Pharmaceuticals, the makers of Epipens, the very popular and very necessary epinephrine injector, used for people who have had allergic reactions. I know people who never leave home without their Epipen. I suspect everyone knows someone who carries their Epipen with them all the time too. It’s literally a life-saving tool for people with allergies, like nut allergies or strawberry allergies or bee-venom allergies, etc. Well, over the past year, Mylan has hiked the price of their Epipens. A package of two Epipens used to cost $100. Now it costs $600 or more. Mylan has 85% of the Epipen market.
Now Mylan is trying to do some damage control, and they’re claiming that they’ll help cover the costs of their drastic price hike, but from what I can find… they’re not going to reduce the price. They’ll just help “some” people pay for part of their price hike. Many are like “shut your mouth, you can do better than that.” One of those people is Sarah Jessica Parker, who just became the face of Mylan’s work a few months ago. SJP is now formally ending her partnership with the company.
Sarah Jessica Parker announced that she is ending her relationship with Mylan, the manufacturer of EpiPen, after the company raised the price of the allergy injector again to over $500 – a more than 400 percent hike since they started selling the product in 2007.
“I’m left disappointed, saddened and deeply concerned by Mylan’s actions,” the 51-year-old actress wrote in an Instagram post on Thursday. “I do not condone this decision and I have ended my relationship with Mylan as a direct result of it.”
In the post, Parker noted that her son, James Wilkie, requires an EpiPen for his peanut allergy, writing that the product “is a vital part of our family’s healthcare, as it is for the many who are at risk.”
The small device filled with epinephrine – used in the case of life-threatening allergic reactions to peanuts, bees and more – cost just $57 in 2007, according to Bloomberg News. Since then, the price has increased each year, spiking 32 percent between 2014 and 2015.
“I hope they will seriously consider the outpouring of voices of those millions of people who are dependent on the device, and take swift action to lower the cost to be more affordable for whom it is a life-saving necessity,” Parker continued. Parker was a paid spokesperson for Mylan, as part of a campaign called “Anaphylaxis For Reel,” aimed at ensuring allergy sufferers are prepared in the case of anaphylaxtic shock with products such as an EpiPen.
I’m glad that SJP cut ties. This was emotional and personal for her, it wasn’t about the money. She has money! She took the work with Mylan because of her son, not for a paycheck. And I do think that every little bit helps when it comes to questioning the sh-t out of Big Pharma. The fact that this keeps happening with life-saving drugs is appalling and shameful.
Here’s how to get the cheaper Epipen alternative.
Photos courtesy of WENN, SJP’s Instagram.
Good for her!
I am allergic to tree nuts and I never leave home without my epipen. I’m glad SJP is taking a stand. I am lucky enough to have insurance that covers the epipen, but everyone deserves affordable access to this life saving device.
I love the thought of Sarah. Like my nanny said, she’s good people.
The healthcare market in this country is appalling. It costs $1 to make an epi pen. Greed continues to profit off those who need life saying drugs. This is why people cross the border for drugs they need. The government needs to continue overhauling this stupid system
We have a disgustingly high cost of health care in America and when compared to other countries, they just scratch their heads at us. Why do you think people go on health care vacations abroad? My friend’s wife has asthma and they used to stock up on devices in Mexico. America wants to make money off the sick. Parasitic is what it is.
It’s part of why I just don’t understand the whole business of the US being the greatest country in the world, the leader of the free world, etc.
The way the US treats it’s citizens is appalling. This election is highlighting issues that have always been there, and it’s just getting worse. The lack of division between church and state, the 2nd amendment, it’s a freaking mess.
The lack of health care is horrifying to me. Dani commented below about needing stitches and couldn’t just go get them. Horrifying to me. My son fell and needed them, off we went and an hour later we were home. Canada has it’s issues for sure but not health care. I cannot fathom having to make the choices people in the US do, over something as simple as stitches.
khaveman, this. What’s happening in the US is shameful. My friend’s doctor actually yelled at her and humiliated her when she said she didn’t have the funds to pay for about $25,000 worth of tests (outpatient, would take only three hours) that he wanted to her to take. She has insurance, but knew the deductible was enormous and that her insurance balked at paying everything (including doctor-ordered tests for a very serious condition). He could not fathom why she could not write a check; so she dealt with a shaming, arrogance, and increased worry about her health — while paying a fat monthly fee for insurance.
Yesterday, I feel in the street and needed stitches on my knee. I don’t have insurance because it costs me MUCH less to pay the penalty for the year when I file my taxes and pay per doctor visit as opposed to getting the cheapest healthcare plan ($380 for bronze) that still leaves me with huge copays and no dental or vision coverage at all. Long story short, an ambulance was called but I refused to go with it because a) who’s going to pay the $1-3k ambulance bill for me? b) who’s going to pay for my hospital visit? c) who’s going to pay $1k for my blood work? $1k for my xrays? $1k for my stitches?? We’re left in such shitty positions because either you don’t make enough to pay for you own health care or you make just a bit too much to apply for government assistance.
My toddlers pediatrician who is a family friend ended up coming to my house and doing stitches for me for just the price of the materials. Roughly $40. And this is something so minor. Welcome to America.
Dani- I thought Obama care guarunteed affordable heath care. Genuine inquiry since I don’t fully understand it.
@Zuzus: He didn’t guarantee affordable health care. He required everyone to have insurance, and will penalize those who don’t through their tax returns.
This is long, but it is worth the read:
https://www.verywell.com/faqs-about-obamacare-whats-true-whats-not-1738910
I think this ” If the ACA can rein in healthcare inflation – which is currently the major obstacle – then everyone’s healthcare will eventually be more affordable.” is where it all goes wrong: the ACA did the opposite; it increased inflation and gouging not limited it.
Obamacare made insurance MORE affordable for SOME. It does not mean that everyone can afford the care they need.
Um…it’s not affordable for me or my husband. Maybe to people who make more than us. We make a combined $90k a year. The cheapest plan is $800 a month for the both of us with the bronze plan which is the ‘lowest’. It doesn’t cover dental (not even cleaning), vision, or medicines. . Regular physician is $75 co pay, dentist is whatever your dentist will charge you, same for vision. OB/GYN is partially covered and you have to pay the rest out of pocket and my doctor doesn’t accept the bronze plan. At the end of the year we paid a fine of $1200 for not having insurance. I went to the OB once ($300) and my physician twice ($100 total, pharmacist is my husbands cousin so luckily free) and dentist once for a cleaning ($75). My husband got a blood test $700 and one cleaning $75. With the fine we paid $2450 for medical care. Insurance alone would have cost us $9600, before copays and out of pocket dental/vision/obgyn. It just doesn’t add up and is so unfair. We’d be spending close to $15k a year for health insurance which isn’t an expense we can swing.
@Zuzu
The plans offered on the exchanges typically have very high premiums and the coverage is not ideal. A single person can spend several hundred per month for their premium then have a deductible of $5000 or more before certain services are covered (anything diagnostic, for instance) and then coverage is usually at 70% or 80% per service. Preventative services like an annual physical, mammograms, and screening colonoscopies are covered at 100%. Some insured through the Exchange do get subsidies to help with their premiums and some also get subsidies for their out of pocket expenses. But for many, a cancer diagnosis or a broken bone or even a trip to the doctor because of the flu results in a huge bill.
Obamocare helped those that are poor to get coverage, but it screwed the middle class. The biggest problem is that it forced American’s who cannot afford the high premiums to get insurance or pay a penalty, but did nothing to reign in the escalating costs of medical care. It’s unconstitutional for the government to force people to pay for a product in which costs are not controlled.
Mylan is disgusting and the CEO is unapologetic about it. To her, it’s just business, not life or death as it is for those dependent upon it:
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/27/business/painted-as-a-villain-mylans-chief-says-shes-no-such-thing.html?smid=fb-nytimes&smtyp=cur&_r=0&mtrref=www.facebook.com&gwh=285EC4A578DEC7C9C21042FAC82BD965&gwt=pay
Of course Mylan CEO is unapologetic. Her daddy is in Congress. She was also a lobbyist before she got the top job and with the help of Daddy and his cronies, they passed a law requiring all schools to purchase epipens. For that good job, she got promoted.
Obamacare did not solve the health crisis at all. It just made everything more expensive for the middle class. They need to contain the costs for medical devices and RX.
There is major backlash against Mylan and their stock is falling. I hope the CEO goes down with the ship.
I hope your knee heals quickly and completely, Dani. I’m in a similar situation with respect to medical insurance: I don’t have enough money to cover my current bills and pay for premiums. Thankfully my kids and I are very healthy, so it isn’t an issue… yet.
Frankly, Obamacare looks to me like just a redistribution of profits from healthcare providers to insurers. I don’t like that at all.
If we had obomacare crap, we would pay over $1000 a month and over $15000 on copays. Our penalty for the year, is $900. When we go for a Dr appt, we pay $85. And thats only for my husband and I. Not our 4 kids, Obamacare is a joke. It only helps people that don’t make too much money and the chronically ill.
Omg this THIS!! I too can’t even afford monthly premium bc of juuuuuuuust missing the cut off for so-called “assistance” so I’ve self paid at my PM clinic for years now. Bc of some long story bs that would take too much to write I’m being forced to go to new clinic thru no fault of my own. And when I say forced there is literally no one at old clinic taking over the patients so if we want our necessary meds we’ve got to new one. AND we were given NO warning just a letter AFTER he’d already moved to new clinic. Called to make appt and they are demanding $500 just to become a patient. $500. When I’ve been paying $74. And bc I will end up in hospital without my meds I. Have. No. Choice. It’s extortion at a level I can’t begin to understand, or want to.
So yeah, I feel your pain on this & thank goodness for dr who did ur stitches at cost!!!
The problem is that people are still at the mercy of health insurance companies– who are reducing coverage and raising premiums because they aren’t making enough of a profit off of ACA plans. Yes, they think they should be making profits even off of the subsidized plans which are made for low income people who do not qualify for medicaid.
It is not a perfect system. It is choked by middle men who feel entitled to profits. What we really need is a single payer system, and to make that work, we are going to have to let go of the concept of making money off of people’s illnesses. Maybe some things, like healthcare, should not be for profit. We can do it, but it will mean higher taxes for those in the upper income brackets and for corporations who have been enjoying unreal tax cuts for the past 35 years. Unfortunately, many Americans would rather spend 20% of their income on healthcare than pay a 2% tax and have it all taken care of for everyone.
OK, first, I agree that we need to find ways to make insurance more affordable.
But, I also want to make the point about the definition of insurance – it isn’t that you put so much money in per year and you get the same amount of healthcare out of it. It’s pooling money so that no one person takes the financial hit of an illness. Insurance was designed originally to cover the very expensive things that could happen to you that would be catastrophic. Maybe this year you only spent $2500 on healthcare when insurance would cost $15000, but if you get in a car accident? If you have a heart attack? If you are diagnosed with cancer? Then what happens? Either you forego care, or you get backended into Medicaid or the hospitals and caregivers have to write off the costs of caring for you and pass the costs on to the paying patients. I’ve never met an uninsured person who would genuinely be willing or able to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars for catastrophic care, or who would accept that they lost the gamble and succumb to an illness they couldn’t pay to treat.
It is one of the reasons that, as a physician, I’m growing to support the idea of a national health care plan so that basically people don’t have a choice to pay into the system, because it’s frustrating to me when I can’t give people the care that they need.
The single payer option sounds great to a lot of people until you really think about it. Just like there are physicians that are refusing to accept Medicare, there will be physicians that would not accept this single payer option. There would still be people who needed care and couldn’t afford it. Our government has showed us how great they are with things like the VA, social security and public schools. Their solution to everything is that if they just had more money for these things… Everything would be better. I don’t understand how people talk about how greedy the insurance companies are while the government robs people everyday and gives them substandard service in return. I don’t know what the solution is but having the government run something else is scary to me. I mean, you read who the CEO of this company is. And politicians are even worse than the “greedy” drug companies etc., at least they make a product. Our government officials just do what they can to line their own pockets… Most of them, anyway.
My heart goes out to anyone who needs a doctor and cannot afford to see one. Or needs medicine and cannot afford it. We live in a great country and I agree with the posters here… We should be able to do better for our citizens.
@Zuzus Girl, part of the problem is you’re at the mercy of the state you live in. The Federal government provides money to each state to subsidize those that qualify. In the not so great state of Georgia, with a Republican governor, I qualified one year for the subsidy THAT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT GAVE GEORGIA FOR MY USE. Instead Georgia keeps the money, tells you that you’ve qualified for the subsidy but Georgia declines to give it to you. Instead, you’re exempt from the penalty. It’s rage-worthy, IMO, and another example of why Republicans push for state’s rights. So they can force their cheap, small-minded, and bigoted ways on its citizens. It was eye-opening that a state can keep money instead of giving it to those who are mandated by the federal government to receive it.
While the ACA is far from perfect, the major things it has done have been lifesavers for many. The best parts of the bill are letting kids stay on parents policies until 26 and disallowing insurance companies for cancelling you for using it and doing away with pre-existing conditions.
Anybody who has worked anywhere near insurance companies or even just carefully looked at their policies and costs over the past 20 years knows that insurance prices have been rising, and likely would have been close to what people are paying now for Obamacare. Actually, mine’s actually leveled out the past 2 years after crazy hikes, even before the ACA was thought of. It’s just that people are noticing how much they’re paying now because their employers are passing on more of the costs to them.
Single payer is the only way out of this mess. Anyone who thinks that insurance companies will have your back better than the government are sorely mistaken. Insurance companies don’t give a ***^ about you. I think the more people see the light about that, the sooner we’ll have single payer.
It’s one of the things that freaks me out about the USA. Here in europe, there was a new medicine that could cure to 95% a disease (can’t recall the name) that was chronic and expensive to manage. A few hundreds in my country were going to die if they didn’t take that new medicine but it was SO EXPENSIVE the national health care system couldn’t afford and people with means couldn’t have access to it either. So the government, after getting pressure from the media (there was a patient who “made a scene” in our parliament about it) reached to other european countries and together they were able to make an agreement with the pharmaceutical company to get it to a much lower price. Now, the cases where there’s a huge chance of a cure get it and their lives are saved. I doubt it would happen in the USA.
It’s really sad:/ I expect pahrmaceuticals to have profits like any other sustainable business, but it’s immoral after a certain point to shamelessly let people die because you put big profits against everything else.
+1000
Me too. I’m Canadian, and like the other CDN commenter above said, while our system is far from perfect, its so much better than what the US has. Socialism people! It’s not a dirty word!
Three weeks ago my husband ruptured a ligament in his bicep. Sure, we spent 8 hours in the ER that day getting tests & seeing Drs, but he had surgery to repair it THE NEXT DAY. Total out-of-pocket cost to us? $0.
I have Crohn’s disease and have been quite sick over the last several years. Because of complications from that I’ve had 2 c-sections and, in the last 2 years alone, 4 major abdominal surgeries, each of which required a minimum 5-day hospital stay. After the 2nd one I had surgical complications and was in for 2 weeks. I never had to pay a penny. In the province in which I live, an ambulance ride costs $80.
To top it all off, I’m on $3000/month meds. Between the provincial insurance program & my employer benefits I pay $0.
If I lived in the US I would probably be dead.
I heard on the news last night that the cost of the epinephrine in the pen is approximately $3.00. What they’ve done is disgusting.
I love SJP.
She has a soul and she sticks to what she believes in.
Me too. I criticize her sometimes for some of the things that she says but I still have so much fondness for her. I’m really happy that she took a stand here.
WORD UP.
She has integrity.
I do too. I’ve loved her since Square Pegs. She annoys me at times, but she’s always seemed like a very genuine person.
yep. She put her money where her mouth is, I have major respect for her, for doing this.
I respect her for that!
And thank you so much for the link to getting an Epipen alternative! I really really needed that information. You may have saved a life. 🙂
Jag, I posted but just waiting for it to show but in my comment below you can see if you can get free epipens. I get them for my son who is deathly allergic to peanuts. Hope it works for you!
Good for her, but this is faaaaar from the first time this has happened. Go find a type 1 diabetic (someone whose pancreas is defective and doesn’t produce any insulin at all, NOT type 2, which in some cases can be managed with diet and exercise. That’s the one associated with obesity) and ask them about the cost hikes of their insulin and medical equipment. This is happening all over the place and has for years, but with lack of publicity. Can we ACTUALLY reform health care now?
Or an asthmatic. I ration hits on my inhaler because of the huge price jump in the last two years. I can’t afford to refill it as often as needed.
Sorry to hear that. My sister is type 1 and she rations her insulin too. Her insurance also stopped covering the version of insulin she used to use so she had to switch to a different one that doesn’t work as well. Her insurance dictated what she has to use, and then how much. Where are the laws on things like THAT.
@InvaderTak, that sucks to hear. Where I am in Canada the insurance companies of course always choose to substitute the generic version of any med but if the Dr writes on the prescription, “no generic substitutes,” the pharmacy & insurance company have to honour that.
@InvaderTak
I have Type 2 diabetes. Type 1 and 2 run in my family. Yes, Type 2 is often linked to obesity, but more often it is linked to diet and/or genetics. I have tried everything to improve the status of my diabetes and despite being a healthy weight, I can’t seem to kick the insulin or Victoza which monthly costs:
Insulin = $200.00
Victoza = $700.00
… nearly kill me until I can meet my $3500 deductible each calendar year.
Just as an FYI …
Have you gone to the Novo Nordisk website to investigate savings cards for your v? If you have commercial insurance, there are savings cards that will help with that cost. Those cards work for deductibles as well.
Also, depending on your income, household size, etc., there are programs available that are not advertised, which is a shame. If you want to private message me I might be able to help. 😉
One other thought army brat…
Oftentimes the drugs in the same class have better coverage than others. I know you are comfortable w v but that class (the glp1ras) are pretty consistent in efficacy, side effects, etc., and you might want to talk to your nurse/office staff about ones that have lower copays or have savings cards. A couple that come to mind are tanzeum, Byetta, bydureon.
I’m type 2 and not fat. Both my parents and my two sisters are also type 2 and not fat.
My older sister has two type I kids.
Let’s get rid of the type 2 and obesity stereotype.
+1000
@Adele Dazeem
Thanks for the info! I’ve looked into some programs for discounts on Victoza, but I don’t qualify based on income. I’ll definitely look into Novo Nordisk.
Lets not do away with the thought that being overweight is the number one caue of diabetes type 2
Say that two people have the same genetic mutation. One of them eats well, watches their cholesterol, and stays physically fit, and the other is overweight (BMI greater than 25) and inactive. The person who is overweight and inactive is much more likely to develop type 2 diabetes because certain lifestyle choices greatly influence how well your body uses insulin.
You may have a gene mutation, however lifestyle has a huge impact on if you will need to take insulin or Metformin.
The very necessary medication for Parkinson’s disease is not covered by insurance because it is considered “experimental.” Mind you, it is THE drug that people take for Parkinson’s and has been around for decades. Without insurance, the cost is $500/month for a minimal dose. It is disgusting; people really do have to choose between medication and food.
Josephine, that’s not gabapenton, is it?
Josephine and ugly artwork: if it IS gabapentin, that is generic and can be prescribed for a different code and therefore no prior authors, etc. Talk to your hcp/staff.
Gabapentin is primarily for nerve pain or seizures. Most likely the drug is Mirapex.
Bloody hell. There are times like this when I am so very glad to live in the UK.
My son has Type 1, he was diagnosed on his ninth birthday. Now he is 11 he has an accuchek pump, and often tests his blood sugar 10+ times a day (its fairly brittle).
Thanks to the NHS his 6 day stay in hospital on diagnosis, his pump, the insulin, the test strips and all associated items are free.
We do have extra insurance for the pump as if something happens to it outside of its expected 4/5 yr life we would have to replace it (at a cost of around £4000) but that is a very small price to pay.
I’m with SJP on this! My son has a life threatening peanut allergy so we need three sets of epipens every year. One for home, one for when we are out of the house along with his Benadryl. And one for school. We were paying but then our allergist showed us the epipen website and we were approved for three free sets of epipens!!! Seriously, I just filled in the third prescription for school yesterday (you can’t do all three on the same day for some reason). And also have your pharmacist enter it into the computer and you shouldn’t have to keep showing he card. Here is the website:
https://www.epipen.com/copay-offer/
My son also has to have three each year (peanuts/treenuts, here).
That price hike is ridiculous! Epi-pens are required for life-or-death circumstances.
Thankfully, we live in Canada, where there is a Federal review board which regulates drug costs here.
Bravo, SJP, for standing up for her child, and others in the US who need epi-pens. I applaud her for bringing public attention to this disgraceful act.
Thank you so much for that link! I’ve been paying $45 copays for 5 years. I also keep old epis as I understand they keep strength for a couple years.
This is our political system at work. Mylan upped its lobbying fees by $1 million. Suddenly, Epi-Pens were required to be sold in packages of 2. Suddenly, they were required to be stocked in schools. Suddenly, you had to have an Epi-Pen in order to even get an allergy shot covered. Gee, why would that be? The other twisted part of this saga is that the CEO is the daughter of a US Senator – Joe Manchin of West Virginia. It will be interesting to see if the daughter of a Senator is dragged up to Capitol Hill and grilled like any other pharma CEO would be. When pharmaceuticals were exempted from any cuts under Obamacare, this was all bound to happen. They have to fix the whole problem and not do it drug by drug.
And her pay jumping from (if I remember the amounts correctly) $3 million a year to… $18 million a year.
Yes, but they’re looking out for our interests!!! Tell me more about this “reform” that happened…
Allergy shots. I ran into this issue, too. Having an Epipen is apparently required to get allergy shots. The first year of my shots, there was an online coupon that covered the cost of the pen. That was dropped the following year and the allergy doctor gave me that card a poster listed above in the comments, but since I have federal government health insurance, it didn’t work for me, so I told the pharmacist “no thanks” and didn’t have the pen. I don’t need the pen. The next year, the allergy doctor lectured me about what I did and said if I didn’t get the pen he wouldn’t continue the allergy shot therapy. So I said, well I guess we’re done then, because I was not going to pay over $100 for something I would never use. Just then, his nurse came in with a “sample” to give me, and that was the end of the discussion. It will be interesting to see how this goes down next month when I have my next annual appointment. I intend to continue to refuse paying for the pen when I know I won’t have to use it. My allergy is to cat hair, so it’s much different than a sudden unexpected exposure to something like bees or nuts. There’s a huge difference there, imo.
Time to get more generics – this pharmaceutical company needs a wake-up call. Kudos to Sarah Jessica Parker!
The reason he won’t do it is because he won’t get paid for doing it.
If your appointment is annual … did you look at the expiry date on the pen, or did you just toss it? Because if you still have it, it could still be in code.
Or perhaps you could borrow a pen for a few days? (Not the pen someone carries normally, the spare pen they keep at grandma’s or wherever.)
If all else fails, I wonder if your doc would miraculously find another sample for you. Seems unusual for a nurse to undercut a doctor’s authority like that. Either he’s a complete absolute jerk (and nurse goes did it to annoy him) or they were playing a kind of good-cop/bad-cop … you didn’t fold and buy your own pen so they found you one.
Unfortunately generics can be just as expensive if not more expensive than branded agents, mylan is a generic manufacturer. It’s all about the market and supply and demand, unfortunately. Epipen wasn’t as expensive until they lost their competition.
@Lucretia….I just looked at the Epipen they gave me (professional sample) and it expires in January 2017. I’ll tell them that during my annual appointment next month, but I’m also going to inform them that I have absolutely no intention of forking out unnecessary cash when this thing expires. (If I’d had to use one in the past, that would be a different story entirely.) I have no history of an extreme allergic reaction and so in my case, I see no need for this. I think the allergy doctor just has it as an across the board standard. If there wasn’t a huge out-of-pocket expense then it wouldn’t be a big deal — and from the sound of it the cost is getting even more ridiculous. I’ve had very good results with the allergy shots, but if the doctor is going to get hardnosed about this then it will be time for me to go back to using an inhaler when I get an asthma attack. I definitely won’t be getting rid of my two white Maine Coons, that is for sure.
Have a good day.
I’m sure Daddy Manchin’s daughter will be dragged before the Republican controlled Congress. He’s a Dem I believe and maybe it’s political payback to humiliate the greedy daughter?
I’m sorta done with the two party system. They both suck in varying degrees.
My son is allergic to peanut, tree nuts,eggs and all dairy and I am allergic to shellfish. This is sickening to hear but not surprising. To hear the company talk about it makes it worse because it’s pretty clear that the product is not about the people but about profit and supply and demand. Always the bottom line and then if they happen to help save a life they pat themselves on the back. Well done SJP.
I also have a child with severe food allergies, and while I appreciate SJP’s quick and appropriate response to this news, I think it would send an important message if she donated whatever money she made as Mylan’s spokesperson to allergy research. There is critical research aimed toward solving this growing problem at multiple children’s hospitals throughout the country.
I absolutely don’t agree. why would she donate the money? She made it fair and square. It’s not a cosmetic product. it’s a health product for a serious condition her son has. She might even has to return it if the company decided it’s a breach of contract.
Know why they’re offering coupons instead of just cutting the price? Doing it this way, they can continue to charge Medicaid/Medicare patients $600 – and get it. Medicare/Medicaid aren’t allowed to negotiate the same way insurance companies can. Mylan don’t want to piss-off the end consumer, but they’re quite happy to rort money from the taxpayer. So even if you aren’t personally using an Epipen, if you’re a taxpayer then they have their fingers in your wallet.
Also, an Epipen twin-pack costs costs about $100 in Australia (in AUD). (Or $38 dollars if you’re covered by the PBS scheme, which is basically all residents.) About $77 (or $29) US at current exchange prices. Similar prices in Euro countries, Canada etc. They are specifically targeting Americans for the heaviest gouging because your health care system is broken, and lets them get away with it.
@Lucrezia
It is not true that Medicare and Medicaid will pay $600 for anything just because that is what is billed. At least, not in the US. Medicare has very specific guidelines on what reimbursement is allowed for each service provided and many other insurers typically follow Medicare’s lead. Medicaid, which is federally and state funded, has the lowest reimbursement rate of any health plan I’ve seen. Whereas some insurances may allow $55 payment to a doctor for an office visit, Medicaid undercuts that by ten dollars or more per visit.
Correct! I’ve worked for Medicare and various doctors offices. Medicare absolutely negotiates, they just negotiate through the government. Medicare payments are typically lower than most major insurance companies. However, most doctors don’t mind Medicare patients as they are steady and consistent and always pay, whereas insurance companies can be a right Royal pain in the @ss to get payments paid in a timely manner.
One of the stories yesterday indicated that the coupons are NOT applicable to those on Medicare/Medicaid or for those without insurance. The CEO is as unethical as you get but then again she’s the one that lied about having a Masters degree.
That’s right–Medicare and Medicaid and even the military health insurance are federally and state funded. There are anti-kickback laws preventing those patients from using most copay/discount cards for their drugs. For those patients, there are assistance/nonprofit programs (NORD, PAF) that will cover some or all of a patient’s treatment depending on their diagnosis and financial need and availability of funds.
(Posted in slightly wrong spot. This is @ GOAT and lostmymind)
We are talking pharmaceuticals, Medicare part D. We’re not talking about Medicare part A or B, which DO have government negotiation. By federal law, government is prohibited from negotiating prices with the pharmaceutical industry. Companies providing part D coverage negotiate on their own.
I agree that retail price doesn’t always match negotiated price. And it could be that medicare D companies have negotiated lower prices … but I just went looking and the very first one I found had an average June 2016 NEGOTIATED price of $611.89. (Not sure link would get posted, so if you want to check me, just google: Cigna-HealthSpring epipen negotiated).
I’ve shown evidence to back up my claim, your turn: find a Medicare D plan with a decent negotiated price for epipens.
This happens every time. Pharmaceutical companies blame insurance companies and vice versa. Meanwhile, it’s the consumer who’s left holding the bag.
Our whole healthcare system is such a damn mess.
A commenter on Slate (sorry, whoever you are, I don’t remember your screen name) that they work in a small pharmacy that’s part of a buying group that has approximately the same buying power as CVS or Walgreens. I believe s/he said they pay $546 per epi pen pack, so the insane pricing is definitely coming straight from the manufacturer. Just disgusting.
If you take the purely intellectual, long-term view, the fact that the US insurance companies are now starting to pass along these costs is a good thing. That’s how capitalism is supposed to work – people look at the price and choose a cheaper alternative (like Adrenaclick).
Painful as heck in the short-term though. You shouldn’t have to choose between paying the rent and life-saving medicine.
Except these aren’t pure market goods, i.e. discretionary purchases. As well, allergic crises can send people without epi-pens to public hospitals. Canada, Australia etc.are capitalist countries but recognize the public good in negotiating drug prices
Oh, I agree single-payer is better. That goes without saying, doesn’t it? My argument is that if you’re going to NOT have single-payer, and trust the market to balance prices, then you need transparency on what those prices actually are.
And I’d agree many medicines are not discretionary, but (imo) an epipen is close enough. It’s not like you wait until you’re suffering an acute allergic reaction and then decide to go to the pharmacy. You have time to shop around.
Time to shop around? If you are using insurance, you will pay the same no matter what pharmacy you go to. If you are looking for an alternative to the EpiPen, there is one option which is excluded by name from many people’s policies. It’s not a one-for-one generic equivalent that pgarmacies can just “switch out” like Albuterol inhalers.
It depends which state you live in. There are 12 states (including California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Vermont, and Washington) where the pharmacists CAN swap you the generic, even if your script specifically says Epipen.
It also depends which insurance you have. Most would cover adrenaclick, if the doctor prescribed it.
And “shopping around” includes taking advantage of Mylar’s coupons (if you have insurance) – I bet the media furor over the price has helped a lot of consumers who never even knew those coupons existed.
Taking advantage of ANY of those options hits Mylar firmly in the wallet. But people are only going to do so if they are paying the price (or a decent percentage of the price) directly. If insurance companies had continued to cover the full cost, no-one would be looking for better deals. The end result would be higher insurance policies, and everyone would blame the insurance companies – instead of being angry at the real culprit. That’s how we ended up with Mylar charging stupid money for something that costs them a minimal amount to make.
But what is happening now: the anger at Mylar, the drop in their share price, the fact people are shifting to adrenaclick … that’s how capitalism drives prices down. But it can’t happen unless the consumer pays a percentage of the costs.
It’s not the best system, but it’s the one you have, and this it it working. What was happening before was the system not working at all.
The unfortunate reality is that the world is controlled by psychopath CEOs via each corporation. They don’t pay their fair share of tax, their CEOs hike up their salaries (like the CEO of Mylan did) and they lobby politicians who maintain the status quo.
CEO of the company is the daughter of Democrat Senator Joe Manchin, West Virginia Senator. Maybe he be will able to influence the company’s decision, but I doubt it. Either way, it’s pure greed and should be against the law because it basically withholds lifesaving medicine from people who may not be able to afford it. I have violent allergies so I know it saves lives.
Glad she is speaking up against it.
She and her father (former governor of WV) are beyond shady. They make Trump look like Mother Teresa.
Well let’s be fair. No onr can make Donald Trump look like Mother Teresa. They are horrible humans though, so we can definitely agree on that
Wait and see Keats. There are going to be more layers of this onion unpeeled as we go on. Mark my word!
Good for her.
I find it nauseating that medicine and drugs are such an enormous sort of profit. Insulin, epipens, asthma medications – and those are just the ones I can think of off the top of my head. I’ve been very fortunate that my husband’s job has decent insurance, but it’s just unconscionable that we routinely deny medical care and payment.
Every time Big Pharma stories show up, I’m reminded of how Dr Jonas Salk was pressured NOT to give away the polio vaccine he developed during that horrible epidemic in the ’50s. He resisted as it was “The right thing to do”
Salk was a real hero. I wish we still venerated people like that.
Polio went on in waves before the 50s, by the way.
You are correct – FDR had it all during his presidency during the Depression. Another mindbottler – would we vote in a paralyzed President now?
My mind must have been on the decade where it had escalated to its worst point & the vaccine was developed.
I am astonished that this is even legal.
How I moaned when our prescription fees went up to £8.40 per item. And many, many conditions entitle you to free prescriptions.
Utterly abhorrant that a company can charge this sort of money for a life saving drug.
I read that the CEO gave herself a 16 million dollar raise, coinciding with the price hike.
I reed about this in other news outlets. I like what she did and i respect her for standing up to company. very good Sarah
Name and shame everyone working for this company. Disgusting.
Just to be clear; we are not paying that price in Canada (with or without insurance), not in Australia, not in most of the Western world. Remember that Americans, the next time one of your politicians wails and whines about the evils of regulations. They care nothing for you or your children and do not care if you live or die. Slightly more evil than regulations I think?
Oh and you can mail order from Canada to ship to the USA. Please do.
How about we just name and shame the decision-makers? There are always peons who end up taking the fall, and there’s just no reason.
Yes you can order from Canada! I live in the US, and my cholesterol med isn’t covered by my insurance because it’s a hybrid med, one of the two meds in it is still under patent, and I never tried just a statin alone (likely because my doctor understands that my primary source of cholesterol is a genetic aberration that makes me produce it like it’s going out of style). I now order from North Drug Store, and it’s shipped from the manufacturer directly to me from overseas. And it’s ONE-THIRD the price.
My dad orders from a pharmacy in Israel. He gets all FOUR of his Rxs, at ONE THIRD the cost of what just ONE of them would cost him here! It’s just unbelievable! His doctor even took the name of the pharmacy to give out to his other patients.
Can you share that name?
Two epipens are $38 in Australia. I’m disgusted by Mylan. Lost for words..
I’m from WV and have some close associations with Mylan…we are appalled here at Heather Bresch’s decisions as CEO and the obvious jump in her pay raise is, well, raising serious questions in this state.
This is the same girl who was allowed to graduate from West Virginia University with an MBA that she didn’t earn. She attempted half of the credits required for the program and was still issued a degree due to pressure from politicians (see: dad Joe Manchin, D-WV) and a friendship with the then-president of the university. Many faculty lost jobs because they were pressured to go along with the scheme and change grades for Ms. Bresch.
I also heard this woman speak at a community fundraising dinner a few years ago and her foul-mouthed attempts at a clever speech were disgusting and classless. She should be ASHAMED of herself.
No honest achievements and riding on her daddy’s good name to shaft thousands of people out of affording life-saving medicine.
I just CAN’T with her.
Her parents are great people and I really thought she was raised better than what she’s demonstrating in the world.
Would love to see social media take Mylan & that shameless CEO to task on this. This needs to trend.
Kate: well said and 100 percent true. totally agree.
I would love social media to publicly shame this moron CEO. Another overly loved child who grew up to screw the public. Manchin should be ashamed of himself. His little girl isn’t even fit to work at a McDonald’s.
Thanks for posting this. I am from WV too and this woman is an embarrassment. Of course she didn’t experience any fallout from the MBA scandal, in fact, she seems to be thriving, and still insists to this day that she graduated. I’m sure whatever consequences arise from this scandal will fall to the poor workers and Mylan and Ms. Bresch will continue to skate through life. Too bad – she is such an ugly person and it shows. Her excuses for the price hike are completely transparent.
Has anyone found out how much it costs for Mylan to actually make the epipens? That probably wouldn’t be something that was public knowledge. It would be interesting to see how much it does cost to manufacture them (and I am willing to bet that the parts of the pen itself is made in another country for next to nothing and then shipped to Mylan to put the drug in it and package it).
Somebody said upthread $1-3.
I have heard ranges of $1-$3 per pen to make them.
I have paid over $500 for my sons epipens before and that was with the $100 coupon. It depends on your insurance what you end up paying. By offering this $300 coupon, they are basically slapping people in the face. This CEO is all about scheming for profits and this is just a way for her to try to appease people while still lining her pockets. If she were serious, she would have dropped the list price of the pen. And these pens are something that have to be purchased every year, for the rest of our life. We need multiple sets so we have sets at home and school. They know they’ve got us parents of kids over a barrel and she took full advantage of it. I’m proud of the allergy community for saying ENOUGH!
This is shameful. I understand the need to make profits to cover things like the research that went into the product, but by all accounts, this is excessive. They are really holding peoples’ lives hostage with this one. The alternatives are either to carry syringes (which may or may not carry the correct dose) or just hope to God that you’re vigilant enough to not come into contact with your allergens. Somebody on another site mentioned that since he lives in a major city, he forgoes the pen in the hopes that if he does collapse, he’ll be in close proximity to the hospital and get there in time. That’s scary.
ETA: Stuff like this is why I’m so paranoid about allergies. After my doctor said that early exposure to the allergens MIGHT (not sure, MIGHT) decrease the risk later in life, we started letting the cats sleep in the crib, smearing peanut and nut butter on veggies for our kids to eat as babies, etc. Like, exposing them to everything in the hope it actually works. Who knows if it does, but we were that worried.
Mylan had absolutely no research costs–epinephrine use was well established before the pen’s very easy to use and effective delivery system was developed: by the Department of Defense for NBC attack defense. Also, the original Mark I auto injectors delivered atropine and another drug, not epinephrine.
Mylan BOUGHT the company that brought epi-pens to market, after they were in use for many years –then spent millions on lobbying and marketing to ensure a) epi-pens were the specific model EMTs and other first responders trained with and were required to carry and b) civilians, especially parents, recognized the need for epi-pens to be available to at -risk persons 24/7.
I’ve been carrying an epi-pen for decades , but wide-spread awareness has come this century.
So, after the money spent on purchasing the company, lobbying, and advertising –Mylan just HAD to raise prices so much! 😠
But don’t let them spin you a tale about research and development, because that was your tax dollars at work.
Good for SJP. I read that the epipen costs just dollars to make. I also read somewhere that the first version of the epipen was developed for military use. The military contracted the research, so the research and development was basically funded by taxpayers.
Wow, thanks for this info, cynic. This is insult on top of injury — the fact that the pharma company didn’t even pay the massive costs of the initial research (the taxpayers did) and are bloating prices to this unbelievable point. As Cersei Lannister would say: SHAME. SHAME. SHAME.
Wow!
I really can’t with people who cling to the idea of market sorting itself out. I see nothing but the opposite of that every day.
Mylan are nothing but extortionists, and good on SJP for taking this stand.
Last year, the school where I work held compulsory staff training sessions on how to use an EpiPen alternative. The principal told us that the makers of EpiPen had, once again, hiked up the price of theirs, and it looked likely the price would continue to rise. We keep about 8 of them at our school, and some children have their own, and they need replacing at some point, even if they haven’t been used. The school pays for these life-saving necessities from its own budget, allotted by the State governmen. My daughter carries one for an allergy to chillies, but our fantastic pharmacist advised her very early on to use the alternative gadget. Sadly, Australia’s once-exceptional health care system is becoming as bad as the US system. It’s all about shareholders, expensive doctors’ insurance, pricey tests, medical personnel salaries…. For example: My daughter (age 25) went through cancer treatment for 12 months. She’s in the top health cover category, but they did not cover her chemo and certain other treatments. She’d have even better off not working, suspending her health insurance and being treated for free. Instead, on top of very expensive health “insurance”, she had to fork out another $52 000,
My understanding is that Mylan has a monopoly on this product due to a patent. There was a lawsuit challenging this and as part of the settlement, they agreeed to allow another company to enter the market. Teva will introduce a generic version. They are trying to get the most money out of their product before Teva enters the market. It’s a common practice in the pharmaceutical industry. Apparently the same thing happens prior to a patent expiring.
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/25/business/mylan-raised-epipens-price-before-the-expected-arrival-of-a-generic.html?_r=0
This is a drig that was developed for the military with taxpayer dollars. That company has no basis for trying to price gouge like that. None.
I am in shock. I can not believe the cost of the drugs in your country. Victoza cost like 120 dollar in Mexico, post Day (plan B in USA) cost 15 dls the most expensive brand. My OB Gyn is a good and even famous doctor in my area, and she is 60 dls per visit, no insurance, no copay, just the final cost.
Take a flight to Cancún, buy All your meds and spend the rest of the money in the beach!
– sorry bad english I am learning –
Your English is totally fine Kristeller. That is great advice. I may just do that.
A friend of mine did catering in NYC for upscale events for a while and told me that of all the celebrities he encountered, the kindest and most polite was SJP. Glad that she’s taking a stand, good for her.
Just throwing this out here as a Canadian who needs an Epi-Pen due to a tree nut allergy. I am blessed to be able to afford the cost (which is much much lower in Canada, plus I have a good medical coverage at work. What isn’t covered by my benefits, my healthcare spending account covers the rest.)
The American healthcare system baffles me. I had no idea that Americans had to pay so much for your medicine. Drug companies should stop spending so much money on advertising (seriously, I watch a lot of American TV, and find that the majority of the commercials I see are from one drug or another, claiming that it’s the best option for whatever various health condition the medicine is for, while listing a crazy amounts of side effects including death…) . The money spent on advertising should be saved to allow the cost of the medicine to be lower.
Stepping off my soap box now….
That’s a good point that I never thought about. It does seem strange to me to advertise to patients. After all, we don’t really advertise surgeries and procedures (although I do think I’ve seen an ad for a gastric bypass, but I feel like that’s because it caters to vanity more than to health), we trust that our doctors would advise us best, based on our unique situation. So, why not trust that the same can be done with drugs? After all, one can hardly decide which drug will work for them based on an ad. Most people I know who take medication long-term had to try a few before they found what worked for them best. So, why do we need ads, again?
The ads are so consumers will ask their docs for the advertised drug. It is manipulation of the medical contract between doctor and patient. This country needs to get rid of health care for profit.
I’m just going to come right out and say this
How can a country claim to be civilised, the land of the free, when a child had to PAY one red cent for an epipen
( RRP £36, if you want multiple for different handbags in UK)
This Britishers is what is going to happen if you don’t stand up against the likes of Jeremy hunt and Owen Smith.
But yes, big shout out to thumb face. She’s done the right thing. it’s nice to see
Honestly? I don’t know. But I do know that so many Americans I know would DEFEND this right to screw people out of life-saving medications and procedures until they start foaming at the mouth. My favorite argument? “Health care is not guaranteed by the Constitution”.
Thank you SJP! Wealthy people sticking up for the middle class and the poor is rare. We need more of this! There needs to be regulation on big pharma’s ability to raise prices on the sick.
Pardon me if anyone has already posted this but I encourage ANYONE who is on a prescription with no insurance or a high copay, etc to please go to http://www.pparx.org This website is the partnership for prescription assistance & you put in the drug you’re on & some basic income/experience info & it refers you to websites & programs to help you pay for your scripts. My brother was able to get his $1200.00 per month Parkinson’s med for FREE once we looked his meds up on that site. Insulin, inhalers, tons of meds are on the site & some of the programs are for the insured, some for Medicare patients & some for the uninsured so its worth it for EVERYONE to check that site out. If there’s a chance you can save some money or get your meds for free it’s worth the time to get on that site & spend a few minutes checking it out. Please, pass this site on to anyone who needs help.
I always liked SJP, but now I’m a fan for life. Classy chic!
There is a cure for every sickness and disease. We will never know because too many scumbags would lose too much money. It’s all about the dollars, sadly.
This is the only stupid comment in the whole thread. You just think that because you have no idea how complicated it is to understand an illness and to develop a drug for it. And to supress knowledge with different types of scientists all over the world workingg on the topic? Impossible!
Newsflash – the pharmaceutical industry doesn’t want to actually HELP you, it only wants to profit off you. If big pharma was about saving lives, medicine would be free.
Coincidently, why isn’t medicine free? Is there anyone in the world, apart from psychos or lunatics, who would say “no, don’t give that person over there the medicine that they need, let them suffer and die because, hey, they didn’t make enough make money last year, so we don’t care about them”.
????
I swear America is a monarchy in a sense – your worth is tied to your bank account, and if you don’t have money then you’re pretty much screwed.
I understand your frustration and while big pharma has its flaws, MAJOR ones, let’s not forget it is a business. Unless subsidized by the government or some other entity, these companies are like any other business–they produce a product and sell it to make money. Like all businesses, they get caught up in profit, monopolies, etc…which is wrong, by all means…but expecting a private company to give away all their products for free makes no sense. How would they pay their employees? Researchers? Electric bill?
Healthcare should not be a for profit industry. And those epi-pens they are selling for $600? They were developed for the military wiht tax payer money. What that company is doing is sinful. Full stop.
Adele, you’re right of course, but I’m angry and frustrated that our health and lives have been turned into business for profit.
Some things should be sacred, like human life.
If killing and harming others is illegal and even punishable by death in some states, then how is denying injured and sick people their right to help any better than murder?
Just a PSA: For those that live close enough to drive to Canada, you can purchase an epi-pen over the counter for around $100 CAD. It’s 100% legal, just be sure to bring your prescription with you because you will need it when you re-enter the US. I just had to make a run for my son, who has a bee allergy.
Good for SJP. The medical expenses in America have gone beyond insane.
My adult son had/has a heroin addiction. He is 22 so I can still carry him on my medical. My insurance will only cover 60 percent of out of network expenses. I met my deductible a long time ago for detox and rehab. I’ve now paid $25,000 out of pocket this year for the “non-allowable expenses.” Now he is in intensive outpatient treatment. That’s “in network.” A completely different deductible that I have to meet.
The GREAT news is that my boy is now 67 days clean. Still fresh, but so hopeful.
My husband has cancer. We’ve had three 6-month sessions of chemo over the past 4 years (18 treatments). Each treatment is $35,000. Again, it’s “non-allowable expenses” that have wrecked us financially. One of his shots…Neulasta…costs $16,000 a shot. He’s now doing stem cell transplant. Who knows what this will eventually cost.
It is NOT CHEAP to fight for your life in America.
I’m so pleased for you and your son. Best of luck for the future
Such greed, disgusting. Beyond what the market can bear..
Can we please stop blaming the government and / or The ACA for drug companies raising the price of drugs and for insurance companies gauging the average consumer. It’s not the governments fault. Healthcare like everything else in this country is big business because we elect people who worship at the altar of capitalism and the free market.
Before complaining go check to see how your congressional reps and senators vote on there type of issues and ask yourself: did I vote for them?
If you want a single payer system or actual regulation to reign in the cost; you have to elect people who will do that. And in can be done. No other county in the world pays what we pay for insurance or drugs – because their leaders don’t allow it and neither do the citizens of those countries.
Sadly Mylan is not even the worst offender in its industry. The WSJ did an article last week on the worst price-gauging pharma companies and Mylan wasn’t even in the top ten (Gilead came out on top, btw)
Is it outrageous? Yes. But these are all publicly traded companies, and until shareholders start dumping Mylan stock in droves or demanding changes to management I dont see how anything will change.
I personally think SJP should have gone farther and called for the CEO’s resignation.
This is disgusting.