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Well, I started getting

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calls from patients

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who were trying

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to get their medications.

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They'd go to

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the pharmacy counter

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and they were being told

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that it would be

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thousands of dollars

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to get the medication

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that they're used to paying

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$30, $40, $50

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whatever their copay was.

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They were learning that

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a copay accumulator

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had been applied

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to their policy.

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This is a new thing

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insurance companies are doing

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where

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if you have

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an expensive medication

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if you have multiple sclerosis

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or any of these conditions

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that have expensive medications

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manufacturers

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will frequently provide you

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with copay assistance.

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So what they do

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is they give you a card

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and when you go

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to the pharmacy counter

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you present that card

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and the manufacturer

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is actually paying

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for your medication

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until you get to the point

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where your doughnut hole

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has been

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your deductible

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has been filled

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and then at that point

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you're just paying the copay.

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Insurers have started

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taking the money

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that is being paid

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by the

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pharmaceutical manufacturer

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but not applying it

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to the patient's deductible

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and not telling the patient.

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So the patient goes up

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they think they're going

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to pay their copay and

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it's $3,000, $4,000, $5,000.

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The one

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that really struck me

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was a woman

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with a heart condition

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who needed this

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heart medication to live.

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She went up

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like she always does to

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buy her medication.

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They said it was

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gonna be $3,800.

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They didn't have $3,800

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and her husband

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had to go to the bank

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and take out a loan

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so she could

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get the medication

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she needs to live.

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And I realized

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we have a problem here.

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That woman

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who I've come to know

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her family is going into debt

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more and more every year.