Struggling to Afford Essential Medications

I never thought I’d have to do this. I hate asking for help. But I’m a disabled, chronically ill person living in a modern, dystopian America ruled by greedy health insurance companies and billionaires.

I’m 32 years old and on Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), and I have been for a few years. This is my only income. I receive about $1,400 a month from SSDI once taxes and my health insurance premium are taken out of my gross income. For my health insurance, I’m on an Aetna Medicare Advantage Value plan that costs me about $185/month. I used to have MaineCare (Medicaid) as well, as a secondary insurance, but then my husband got a $0.35/hour raise at work and I no longer met the income qualifications.

For the two previous years that I’ve been on Medicare, I haven’t had any deductibles, and copays on my medications have been quite low and very affordable. Imagine my shock when I went to the pharmacy and was told that one of my meds would be $245 and another would be $376. I did some digging, and A) my insurance decided to change its formulary and B) it decided to add deductibles.

So I’m asking for help paying for my medications, covering my deductible, and settling past due bills with my therapist, who is an essential part of my care team. I would be so grateful for any help at all, really. If you’ve made it this far, thank you so much for your time and consideration. If you can’t help financially, sharing this with others would be greatly appreciated. Thank you so much ❤️