Ways to Pay for Meds Without Insurance

Not being able to afford a medicine that may potentially help your psoriasis can be disappointing, but there is hope. There are a variety of treatments for psoriasis, the most common treatments are topicals, pills, and injections.

Uninsured with psoriasis?

These drugs are expensive and can cost anywhere from hundreds to thousands of dollars. I once used medicine that was $2,800 a month, there was no way I could afford the cost and at the time I was uninsured.

Check out these ways you can find medicine to treat your psoriasis while being uninsured:

Consider a clinical trial

Right now there are currently 238 clinical trials available for those with psoriasis, which can be reviewed at Clinicaltrials.gov. Clinical trials involve medicines that have not yet been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

The National Psoriasis Foundation describes clinical trials as, “research study used to determine whether new drugs or treatments are safe and effective. It involves volunteers, and takes place in a variety of locations…”.

What are the benefits of a clinical trial?
Studies are monitored by healthcare professionals. If you don’t have health insurance or can’t afford medicine this is an option you may want to consider. Here are the pros and cons of joining a clinical trial:

• The medicine given during a clinical trial is FREE.
• Free regular doctor visits to help monitor progress and health while in a clinical trial.
• Free lab work to monitor health.
• The opportunity to use a highly effective drug before it hits the public.
• Participants are usually paid for their participation.
• If the drug is approved by the FDA, you may be able to continue the use of the drug for free for up to 1 year.

The cons include: you are using a drug not yet approved by the FDA, therefore there are potential side effects still under study and unknown, the process may cause you to take a lot more time off from work due to required checkups and lab work and you may receive a placebo.

Patient Assistance Programs (PAPs)

A lot of medicines have patient assistance programs. These programs allow patients to receive medicines for free or at a super discounted rate. The amount is determined by the person’s income and insurance status.

I have had the chance to enroll in a patient assistance program for 3 different biologics where the most I paid was $20, one was completely free. Be sure to speak with your doctor about other pay options.

Good RX

Good RX is an app that you can download on your phone. It won’t find a medicine that’s free, but it will allow you to search your area for the cheapest prices for prescription meds.

You can’t use this app for specialty drugs like injections, but it could be beneficial for other treatment drugs. The app allows you to view the price of drugs when you have insurance and also when you do not have it. You can check the price of a drug before being prescribed it by your doctor.

Do you know of other resources that are available for those who are uninsured or underinsured that might help other community members?