| If you haven’t heard of a new drug named Aduhelm, find comfort in the fact that you have been paying for it each month if you are on Medicare. Remember that nearly 15% Medicare Part B premium increase you received a few months ago? Half of the increase was a direct result of Medicare deciding to cover the cost of Aduhelm, an Alzheimer’s drug.
Aduhelm was originally priced at $58,000 a year! Later, the price was reduced by $30,000, and Medicare changed course and limited access to the prescription medication to those in clinical trials. The roll out of the drug was a mess, and when Medicare placed restrictions on the medication from manufacturer Biogen, the stock collapsed and the CEO resigned. Now there is talk of Medicare reducing the Medicare Part B premium due to the Aduhelm price reduction and restrictions on distribution. Aduhelm is approved for use in the USA and the UAE, nowhere else. There are many experts that question Aduhelm’s effectiveness. For those suffering from Alzheimer’s and not in a clinical trial, their only option at this point is to pay $28,000 a year! |