People are fuming this week as news of the outrageous EpiPen price hike has been circulating… and rightfully so. For no apparent reason whatsoever, the price of the life-saving device has skyrocketed from just $100 in 2008 to $600 this month — that’s 400 percent in the past decade.
For parents who need several pens — one for home, one for school, one for after-school programs, etc. — this is a huge expense, especially when they expire after just one year. Hardest hit are those families who have to pay a large deductible out of pocket before insurance kicks in to start paying.
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Nothing justifies that price hike as far as anyone can tell (SheKnows reached out Mylan, the maker of EpiPen, and they didn’t respond), but there is a bit of good news.
There is a My EpiPen Savings Card copay coupon available on the EpiPen website, which if you’ve already paid any deductible your insurance requires means they are free. If you haven’t tried to use it before, it’s a must that could save you a lot of money.
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However, because many people have such high deductibles these days, and the fine print on the card says the card can only “reduce the amount of your out-of-pocket expense up to a maximum of $100 per EpiPen 2-Pak® carton, up to a maximum of three (3) 2-Pak® cartons per prescription,” that still left many parents shelling out a whole lot of money just to to keep their kids (or themselves) alive.
In response to all the backlash this week, however, Mylan did announce a bit of a break for those families as well. While the company isn’t reducing the cost of the EpiPens (heaven forbid), they are reducing the out-of-pocket cost through the discount program, allowing “patients in health plans who face higher out-of-pocket costs” to now save up to $300 on a pack of two EpiPens. For those without insurance or the underinsured, Mylan said it will double the eligibility for its patient assistance program.
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So while it would be nice if they’d just drop the price, this is a bit of relief for many. Make sure you get your discount card before heading to the pharmacy, because we really shouldn’t have to shell out a penny more to save our kids’ lives than absolutely necessary.
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