Drug Deals

I realized my patient “Julie” probably had multiple sclerosis. She did not know it yet. She had come in to see us in the family practice clinic because she had suddenly lost her vision in one eye. What followed was a blur of specialist appointments, MRI scans, difficult moments breaking the news to her family and friends, and the slow process of coming to terms with life as a young woman with two small children living with a chronic and potentially debilitating disease.

That should have been enough for her to deal with. But when the price tag for the medication she needed came in, things got worse. The annual cost for the medicine Julie needs is $25,000—and she probably has to take it for life. She has insurance coverage through her husband’s employer, but like many private insurance plans, it does not cover the full cost. Julie and her husband were left wondering where they...