by: Miranda Orth
Medications can be expensive. Sometimes people need to advocate for coverage when it isn’t covered by their medical plan.
There are ways to advocate. The first option would be to find out if there is a generic medication that is covered by your plan.
A second option is to find out what financial program can eliminate the cost or lower it.
The way you can find out about these programs is by talking to your family doctor and specialists.
Recently, my coverage expired. I was told my medication would cost $940.00 every three months and that it would have to come out of my own pocket. The reason I’m telling this story is to help people understand there are programs that can help cover the cost of prescriptions. I don’t want anyone to give up!
Back in June, I called my local pharmacy to get a refill of the medication I need. They said my coverage had expired and it would cost $320.00 a month. I knew I didn’t have that type of money and I knew I wouldn’t have it every three months.
I kept in touch with my family doctor and specialist about having them help me solve this problem. I wrote letters to different people including the health minister and asked for help. I did some research about the medication and as of September 2021, it was partly covered by Pharma Care. However, I finally found a program that covers this medication for free.
This was a medical problem and I had to fix it fast because my condition wouldn’t be controlled without this medication. This is the power of self-advocating.
