Living with chronic illnesses over the years has been no easy feat. I spent most of my life misdiagnosed with irritable bowel syndrome, before learning I had Crohn’s disease in 2010. This disease has been incredibly taxing on my body, forcing me into early retirement and becoming my full-time responsibility.
On top of my disease, I’ve relied on costly drugs, one of which has a monthly list price of nearly $25,000. It is simply impossible for me to afford. Without financial support from a copay assistance program, I would have to go without my medicines and suffer painful flare-ups and inflammation. No person should be put in such a difficult situation to access life-sustaining medicines.
Thankfully, the drug price reforms in the Inflation Reduction Act respond to the needs of millions of patients like myself who are forced to pay extreme prices for essential medicines. Under the historic law, Medicare will implement an $2,000 annual cap on out-of-pocket costs beginning in January 2025.
This historic measure offers me and my family peace of mind in knowing that I will be able to better afford my prescription drugs if I ever went without my copay assistance.
Doug Lusty
Kaysville