>> The following program is a PBS Wisconsin original
production. >> I just remember walking
in and she had it written down on a piece of paper,
no longer covered by insurance.
>> What would you do? >> We always assume that he
kind of ran some life choices and said rent or
this, and thought he could do without it.
>> If your medicine was suddenly not covered by
insurance. >> We need $13,000 before
we can ship this. [MUSIC]
And I said $13,000. >> If you had to pay
hundreds or thousands of dollars up front.
>> Yes. to be delivered without
insurance. >> Before getting a life
saving prescription. >> Because the patients
really don't understand what's going on with their
benefits. >> And it all seems too
complicated to understand. [MUSIC]
survival mode, and you're just trying to figure out,
like, do I go to work and make money? Or do I deal
with this disease? >> We have the fifth
highest health care costs in the nation, and our
quality does not reflect that.
>> These patients are confused, they're
overwhelmed, and they're forced into impossible
decisions about their health.
>> Good evening. I'm Marissa Wojcik, series
producer of Here and Now. Tonight on our program,
we're bringing you a series of stories about
prescription medication becoming increasingly
unaffordable in Rx Uncovered. We'll dive into
the complex systems driving these trends and the
stories of patients facing life or death choices. We
look at how and why more health plans are not
covering life saving medication. The real life
impacts this is having on Wisconsin patients, who's
trying to change it, and what you should know about
your plan. It's "Here& Now" for January 2nd.
>> Funding for "Here& Now" is provided by the Focus
Fund for Journalism and Friends of PBS Wisconsin.