![]() With Ocrevus, Genentech did come up with a price that was slightly less than for rival drugs, but only after MS medicines were already extremely expensive. As newer drugs were brought to market, it promoted increased escalation in drug prices." "There was no competition on price that was occurring," said Daniel Hartung, the OHSU and Oregon State University professor who led the study. Over two decades ending in 2013, costs for MS medicines rose at annual rates five to seven times higher than those for prescription drugs generally, found a study by researchers at Oregon Health & Science University. ![]() Should I Try It?Įven in a world of soaring drug prices, multiple sclerosis medicines stand out. Shots - Health News There's An Amazing New Drug For Multiple Sclerosis. (Cleveland Clinic has provided financial support for NPR.) Service provider: Cleveland Clinic, a nonprofit, academic medical center based in Ohio. Medical service: Two Ocrevus infusions, each requiring several hours at the hospital. Hickson got a bill for about $3,620, the balance calculated as her share by the hospital after the insurance reimbursement. CareSource, Hickson's Medicare managed care plan, paid a discounted $28,960. Total bill: $123,019 for two Ocrevus infusions taken as an outpatient. Because her MS has left her too disabled to work, she is now on Medicare she also has Medicaid for backup. Patient: Shereese Hickson, 39, single mother who worked as a health aide and trained as a medical coder, living in Girard, Ohio. Hickson received her first two Ocrevus infusions as an outpatient two weeks apart in July and August. Hospitals delivering the drugs often make money by charging a premium on top of their cost or adding hefty fees for the infusion clinic. Such medicines have become increasingly expensive, priced in many cases at well over $80,000 a year. The drug is one of several for multiple sclerosis that are delivered intravenously in a hospital or clinic. Genentech, a South San Francisco, Calif.-based subsidiary of Swiss pharmaceutical giant Roche, makes Ocrevus. If you have a billing experience that you'd like to share with NPR and Kaiser Health News, you can submit it here.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |