It’s been a fiasco! If you hadn’t heard, there was some type of cyber security attack on Change Health that disrupted insurance payments and processing of pretty much anything health care related. The cyber incident happened right as I was expected to get my second shipment of Zepbound. I had been waiting for two weeks as my last shot was on February 22.
To make a long story of phone calls to insurance company, pharmacies and doctor for two weeks I finally got my medicine through a different pharmacy that was able to process the health insurance claim.
What Happened With Two Weeks Off Medicine?
A few things happened as soon as I got off the drug. First, my appetite came back with a vengeance and I was gobbling up meals and snacks throughout the day. I ended up gaining back 2 lbs of the 5 that I lost in two weeks.
Second, my inflammation came back which included pain in my lower back and the heels of my feet. I had been feeling like a new man with no inflammation pain but it slowly has crept back after being off the drug for two weeks.
New Dosage
Today I took a higher dosage of the Zep. The initial preparation for getting on the med is 2.5 ml for the first month then it jumps to 5 ml. It normally takes 24 hours for the full effect to take place so I don’t have anything to report on the higher dosage yet but I will keep notes and update at the end of the month.
New Cost
I wrote on my first post that the first month cost me $600 but with the new pharmacy I ended up getting a three month supply and the cost, so far, has been $325 total. I am not sure if I met a deductible or if there was a pricing mistake or if the insurance company negotiated a better rate but with the total chaos with Change Health hack it wouldn’t surprise me if it was a combination of all three.
The total running cost now for 4 months worth of Zepbound is $925. Of course, this doesn’t include the huge amount of money I pay for health insurance every month but that’s part of the rant at end of post.
Travel
With spring break looming, I plan on traveling to Europe to visit family and my concern right now is being harassed by TSA agents for carrying needles through security. I don’t plan on checking bags so if I can’t take the pen shot through I will be forced to check a bag. I may just take the drug early in the week before I leave and take it as soon as I get back.
Health Care System Broken
It has become clear that the health care system in the United States has been broken for decades but it’s really starting to fall apart now. With exploding costs, cyber security incidents, labor shortages, supply chain disruptions, and endless graft by corporations fleecing taxpayers in Medicare and Medicaid something needs to change. The whole system of insurers, providers, consumers and government enforcement needs a reboot.
My medicate wasn’t critical for me to continue to live but I do wonder about millions of people that need life saving medicine and not being able to get it through this broken system.