This is apologist thinking at best, intentionally misleading at worst.
You are correct that companies do have patient assistance programs. What you’re leaving out is that this applies to a small subset of people that usually have to be denied federal/state insurance, not have any other kind of insurance, and make less than 4x federal poverty level.
additionally, they rarely provide a lifelong supply. Imagine being a diabetic and novo nordisk, who makes most of the insulin types on the market, only gives you a four month supply.
Oh wait, thats exactly the terms of their patient assistance program.
There are some examples like Truvada which seem to be very open.
Gilead would reimburse any out of pocket costs.
Even still it's just a sick game to bilk insurance companies, and thus us insurance premium payers, out of more money while pretending to be looking out for consumers. The monthly cost on my really great insurance was still over $1k out of pocket, which took a bunch of paper work and over a month to get back. Poor people don't have that luxury.
Oh and now that Gilead's license has run out they have a new very expensive PrEP drug magically appear. Which they tout doesn't have as bad long term downside on your organs. The skeptic in me seems to think the timing is too perfect. if there is a safer drug throw it out asap. maybe they did, I can't know that but I have a strong distaste for Gilead in particular.
For-profit healthcare is one of the biggest moral failings of our country.
Not only that, but the people who most need the assistance are also the likeliest to have trouble jumping through all the hoops. I used to work for a nonprofit who would administer these patient assistance programs and after a while I felt like I was just getting a lower wage for being part of what was clearly mostly a service to for-profit companies.
Not only this, on top of it all - as if it's not hard enough to ask for 'handouts' - they require you to submit evidence that you don't make too much money.
Just a W-2 or a federal tax return should do - not like those poor people should care about their data or privacy or dignity or anything ~s
You are correct that companies do have patient assistance programs. What you’re leaving out is that this applies to a small subset of people that usually have to be denied federal/state insurance, not have any other kind of insurance, and make less than 4x federal poverty level.
additionally, they rarely provide a lifelong supply. Imagine being a diabetic and novo nordisk, who makes most of the insulin types on the market, only gives you a four month supply.
Oh wait, thats exactly the terms of their patient assistance program.