Expensive medications and specialty pharmacies

I've been doing battle with Murphy a lot lately, it seems.

I concluded my last piece on the subject of expensive medications with a plea to my specialty pharmacy: Stop asking me to refill my Enbrel.

Well, that plea fell on deaf ears for a while.

They'd still call during the work day with their robo-dialer, then pass me to a rep, and I'd tell them I don't want to refill Enbrel.

Well, the issue got a litte.. fucking absurd recently.

Last Friday I got the robocall, and got passed to a rep. I told them I don't want to refill, I'm no longer taking it, and will be switching medications (more on that later). They said - FINALLY - they'll put in the ticket to remove it from my medication list.

Monday rolls around, and I get a robocall to refill again. I tell the rep the same thing when I finally get connected to them.

Tuesday jumps out of the bushes, and I get another robocall. I get passed to the rep, I tell them the issue. They offer to remove me from the auto-dialer list, but since I'm about to start a new medication that's probably not a good thing just in case.

Wednesday comes in like a wrecking ball, and wouldn't you know it?

I got another fucking call.

The rep confirmed the ticket was still in to remove it, offered again to remove me from the call sheet, etc.

Jesus. Fucking. Christ.

Thursday hits, and by this time I am fucking done; work has been in-fucking-sane, and if I got another call from Accredo trying to get me to refill a medication I no longer take?

I was going to escalate the issue.

Karens have nothing on someone who lives in unceasing chronic pain when it comes to verbalizing a complaint to management.

Thankfully - for both myself and Accredo's management - I didn't get another call, and Enbrel was removed from my medication list in the portal.

Of course, now I'm waiting for them to accept my new prescription.

I looked up all the RA meds I've yet to take to see what is left that insurance will (somewhat) cover, that I can self-administer, and has a decent payment assistance program (because all the shit that's left costs more than what I make in a year).

There's one left that meets all 3: Orencia. So, at my latest doc visit, I asked him if I could be put on that. He says sure, and we're off to the races! Well, sorta.

Doc put it in on the 9th; Insurance prior auth went through on the 15th. By the 17th EOD? Still nothing in the portal.

Why the fuck is the only specialty pharmacy in-network with my insurance rated 1-star? I'll tell you..

..Because they fucking suck, and presumably they're the only ones that gets along with my insurance.

I assume that means they're (relatively) cheap, which would make sense given how bad they are.

It is just insane to me that the only options for people like me - people who already have more than enough shit to deal with - are relegated to the worst pharmacy for the last line of defense for their health problems.

In case you weren't aware: Specialty pharmacies handle shit like cancer medications. Shit that will bankrupt most folks in less than a year without insurance coverage.

These are people that you want to trust to take care of you in your most vulnerable states; You're barely functioning, if at all, and need advocates.

Unfortunately, that's not the case here.

Fuck me, just get me my Orencia; I fucking hurt.

This post, like others that will follow it, is a continuation of my Gambling On Life series.