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Double dipping.

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That's how some

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advocates describe

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the practice of

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copay accumulators.

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I'm Marisa Wojcik

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"Here & Now" series producer

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and multimedia journalist.

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In our five-part series

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Rx Uncovered

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we look at why patients

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can't afford the

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medication they need.

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Imagine you have to

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pay for a really

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expensive medication

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and when someone else

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like the drug manufacturer

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gives you money

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to help you afford it

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your health plan refuses

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to let any of that money

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count towards your deductible

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or out-of-pocket maximum.

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That's called

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a copay accumulator.

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They weren't shipping it

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and so I kept calling

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and saying, well

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why isn't this shipping?

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They're like, you owe $6,000.

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And I'm like

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what do you mean?

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I owe $6,000?

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Tamara's drugs for her

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debilitating illness

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suddenly went from being

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mostly covered

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by financial assistance

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to costing her

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thousands.

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They wouldn't send

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her medication

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until she came up

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with the cash.

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In Rx Uncovered

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we look at

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the hidden ways

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patients can lose out

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on the medicines

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they need to survive.

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Find more

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at pbswisconsin.org.