Question / Guidance

Hi and Welcome! Have you called any of the medical companies to see if they offer programs for those that can't afford prescriptions? Are you able to work? I'm going to see what I can find you in regards to psychiatric help for those who can't afford it. You hang in there!!!

It is really difficult, I totally understand where you're coming from. Right now I'm in a flare and should most definitely be on medication, but I just started a new job and have to wait till July for the insurance to become effective and I simply can't afford the medication out of pocket. There are programs that offer reduced cost or free medications if you qualify, like www.rxassist.com
The problem with that is you need a doctor's signature and a prescription from one, which is hard to get if you can't get in to see a doctor!! But you could probably try a free clinic or something and see if they would fill one out for you. Oddly enough, I qualify to receive my azathioprine free, but not the asacol, which always seemed MUCH more expensive! Grr.

Good luck. There are always options, you just have to dig deep.

And don't be afraid to share you stories or just come here to vent, that's what we're here for and I guarantee no one minds :)

Thanks for the quick responses. Now for some quick answers to questions:

1) I haven't tried calling any of the medical companies to see if they offer assistance. I honestly didn't even think of that, but will definitely look into it.
2) No, I am not able to work. I've pretty much been in a prolonged flareup for the last 3 to 4 years and it has taken its toll on my body. I am 6'1" and currently weight about 140 lbs.. I also am pretty anemic (have had a number of blood transfusions).
3) I will be sure to check out UNLV and see if they have any free psych counseling. I know Boise State University offered this, but it was only for enrolled students.

Part of my inability to afford all my meds is due to the fact that when I first qualified for Disability it was already past the yearly signup time for Medicare's Prescription Drug Plan. The sign-up period came around again this last winter and I filled out what I figured was the proper paperwork, but I later found out I hadn't. By the time I found out it was too late. That's probably my fault for not staying on top of it, but there's nothing I can do about it now. Not until the signup period comes along again. So basically I'm having to pay full cost for all my prescriptions which is far more than I can afford (Disability only pays me right around $1,000 a month and that doesn't even come close to paying all my bills.)

That last paragraph was probably a bit of a ramble, but someone said I could vent here so I took advantage of it. ;-) I don't really have many people to talk to about this, so just typing out my frustrations helps a little.

It's really tough to have to worry about financial issues when you are also struggling with your health. My heart goes out to you.

I found a website that might be a place to start for looking for free psych help and possible some help with getting medications paid for:
http://mhds.nv.gov/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=64&Itemid=72

It looks like there are different links that take you to agencies that deal with different parts of NV, so you might have to look around a bit.

If UNLV psych services are only for students, you might want to ask if their psych grad students or school of social work have any free group therapy or something.

Another idea would be to contact the hospital and see if there's a support group for people with chronic illness. I think that our local hospital had something like that advertised some years back.

Sorry I'm just throwing ideas out as they come to me. But another is that navigating the disability system might be something that a public social worker or free legal aid service could do for you. That is, maybe someone can appeal the fact that you missed some stupid deadline and now can't pay for your drugs. Someone who knows that whole system would be very helpful, I think.

Now-- about getting medical treatment. Are you being treated for PSC also? Do you have a plan for finding a good doctor in LV? If not, we can probably brainstorm about that here and try to help you with a plan. I know it takes a lot of energy to manage your health -- energy that most of us don't have.

Vent away. We will listen!

Julee70, thanks for your response.

Don't apologize for just throwing out suggestions. I am glad you are. It gives me more of an idea of things I can look into. I really like the support group idea, so I'm hoping one of the local hospitals has something like that. The only time (other than talking to my GI) I've ever felt like I was having a helpful conversation about UC is when I went out to a hospital in Utah when my GI felt I was in risk of needing a liver transplant. That day they had several people around to talk to who had previously had a liver transplant and two of them that were there had the transplant due to complications with UC / PSC. It was real helpful just talking to them. It turned out I didn't need a liver transplant (this was last January and they said in about 18 months they wanted me to come back for another evaluation).

Anyways, yes I also have PSC and was getting treatment for it. I say "was" because the medications cost me $170 a month and there is no way I can afford that. With the complications I've already had with my liver I know it's a really bad idea for me to have gone off the meds, but I don't really have a choice. This is one of the main reasons I came here to ask the stuff I did. I can get my old doctor to refill the prescription at any time. I just need to be able to afford it.

I do not have a plan for finding a good doctor out here in Las Vegas. In Boise my GI was a real nice guy and I could tell he cared. He noticed I had missed a few appointments and called me to find out why. I simply told him I couldn't afford the co-pay at the time and I already felt bad that I had an outstanding bill of over a couple thousand dollars (just with him...how much I owe hospitals is MUCH more). Well, he told me to come in the next day and when I did we had our normal check-up. At the end of it he told me that my previous balance had been wiped clean and I would no longer ever be charged by him. That helped make things a ton easier on me, so I stayed on top of my visits. Out here in Las Vegas I am living on an even tighter budget (cost of living is much higher out here) and I have already had some really bad experiences with a number of places back when I originally got sick. Quite a few of the other places out here just went through a major hepatitis scandal so I've been waiting to see how that played out as well (turns out it was mainly one place...a place I actually had an endoscopy at before that time frame).

Hi VegasGuy. Here's one more thought for you. Have you called the Crohns and Colitis Foundation of America? They have a hotline for free info:
1-888-My Gut Pain

The CCFA may have more info about where to get free meds or where to find free/low-cost healthcare.

I have been thinking of you and really worrying about you and all the other people who are not getting enough medical care. I know that PSC and UC both need to be monitored by a doctor, so I really, really hope that you can find some free medical care in Las Vegas.