Aa
Ampyra and $$$ cost
Well, I finally got my Ampyra after being stuck in some netherworld where the drug company and the insurance company don't speak the same language (one nice thing about the trial drug is that it involved no insurance companies and no telephone trees). I will say that the Acorda (the drug company) supervisor really went out of her way to help me.
Apparently, Acorda has both a co-pay assistance program and a patient assistance program for the uninsured and underinsured. There are some details at http://brassandivory.blogspot.com/2010/02/annual-price-for-ampyra-set-at-12850.html with more info in the comments. And yes, the base price for a 30-day supply is $1,056.
The way the co-pay program works is that if your co-pay is more than $40, Acorda will pay the difference so the patient's max out-of-pocket is $40. If your co-pay is greater than $50, you will be automatically enrolled as long as the state you live and your insurance company allow the program (evidently, they don't all allow this). There seem to me to be some wrong-headed economic incentives here. Get as much money as you can from the insurance company and then charge the patient much less so that you can get patients enrolled. How that's a sustainable health care model I don't know. However, without the co-pay assistance, I would be out about $225/month, which is pretty steep.
I'm not sure about the patient assistance program, but Acorda's number for Ampyra is 1-888-881-1918 so you could probably call and ask them.
I asked Acorda how long they were planning to continue these assistance programs. The rep told me that they hadn't been told it was a promotion or that there was an expiration date. It's just what they're offering now. An honest answer, I guess.
Anyway, I feel better now that I'm back on the 4-ap. It's not a miracle, but it takes the edge off some things.
sho
Apparently, Acorda has both a co-pay assistance program and a patient assistance program for the uninsured and underinsured. There are some details at http://brassandivory.blogspot.com/2010/02/annual-price-for-ampyra-set-at-12850.html with more info in the comments. And yes, the base price for a 30-day supply is $1,056.
The way the co-pay program works is that if your co-pay is more than $40, Acorda will pay the difference so the patient's max out-of-pocket is $40. If your co-pay is greater than $50, you will be automatically enrolled as long as the state you live and your insurance company allow the program (evidently, they don't all allow this). There seem to me to be some wrong-headed economic incentives here. Get as much money as you can from the insurance company and then charge the patient much less so that you can get patients enrolled. How that's a sustainable health care model I don't know. However, without the co-pay assistance, I would be out about $225/month, which is pretty steep.
I'm not sure about the patient assistance program, but Acorda's number for Ampyra is 1-888-881-1918 so you could probably call and ask them.
I asked Acorda how long they were planning to continue these assistance programs. The rep told me that they hadn't been told it was a promotion or that there was an expiration date. It's just what they're offering now. An honest answer, I guess.
Anyway, I feel better now that I'm back on the 4-ap. It's not a miracle, but it takes the edge off some things.
sho
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