People walking through the University of Utah campus in Salt Lake City on Monday, Jan. 10, 2022.I used to keep a treasure in my fridge. Every three months I received a box with 12 syringes worth more than everything else in my life combined. Every Friday, I looked forward to injecting myself to keep my chronic illness at bay for one week more.
It is no secret that prescription drugs cost an absurd amount of money, according to a 2019 NPR article, the price of prescription drugs has been steadily on the rise since at least 2008. Injectables like mine rose 15% on average a year. For the first 15 months I was in Utah I got my medication, Enbrel, for free through the AMGEN Safety Net Foundation. When I reapplied at the end of 2021 I was rejected. I should be the textbook image of “underinsured,” which is how I originally got into the program, but this time the assessors inexplicably determined I had adequate prescription coverage.
Even with the reimbursement, I would have to have $60,000 of extra income to dedicate to Enbrel every year, as well as $10,000 a month to pay upfront while I wait for reimbursement. As a master’s student, I make less than $20,000 a year.