My Rent or My Medicine: No One Should Have to Choose

maryrburrell
Jul 8
2 min read

People are breaking down in Facebook comments—because they can’t afford their Eliquis.

It’s hard to read.Some are skipping doses.Others are cutting pills in half to make them last.And some are going without completely—even when they know how important it is for their heart.

This is happening right now to real people. People like us.

I take Eliquis too. So far, my cost hasn’t gone up. But the more stories I see, the more I worry. It’s scary to rely on a pill to keep your heart safe and not know if you’ll be able to afford it next month.

I’m not a doctor or a policy expert. I’m just someone who knows what it’s like to live with a heart condition and to depend on this medicine every single day.

Lately, I’ve been part of some conversations about the Inflation Reduction Act. It was supposed to help lower the cost of meds like Eliquis, especially for people on Medicare. And for some folks, it has helped.

But many are still paying way too much. It feels like the system found a back door. Prices may look capped on paper, but the bills at the pharmacy don’t always show that.

Here’s why that is happening. Some people do get lower prices because the new law sets limits on what they have to pay out of pocket. But others don’t see those savings because of how insurance plans, drug companies, and pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) work behind the scenes. They can shift costs around, and that means some people still get hit with high prices.