Stage 3 Melanoma and high co-pay for Yervoy

Bristol-yers Squibb will help pay for it, ask your doctor for the forms to fill out for the drug company. They should provide you with them. 

Here is their website if you want to call them and talk to them directly:

http://www.bms.com/products/patient-assistance/pages/yervoy-uninsured.aspx

Bristol-yers Squibb will help pay for it, ask your doctor for the forms to fill out for the drug company. They should provide you with them. 

Here is their website if you want to call them and talk to them directly:

http://www.bms.com/products/patient-assistance/pages/yervoy-uninsured.aspx

Bristol-yers Squibb will help pay for it, ask your doctor for the forms to fill out for the drug company. They should provide you with them. 

Here is their website if you want to call them and talk to them directly:

http://www.bms.com/products/patient-assistance/pages/yervoy-uninsured.aspx

You might also want to ask you doctor about whether you would be better off waiting if or until you proceed to stage 4.

A number of the big melanoma experts dont recommend yervoy for stage 3 feeling there is no advantage to taking it early and potential downsides with toxicity quality of life exclusion from trials etc

Also things are changing so quickly that in a year or so you will probalby have access to Nivo or Keytruda or somehting even better.

Yervoy as a lot of side effects and is only about 15 percent of people respond.

.

You might also want to ask you doctor about whether you would be better off waiting if or until you proceed to stage 4.

A number of the big melanoma experts dont recommend yervoy for stage 3 feeling there is no advantage to taking it early and potential downsides with toxicity quality of life exclusion from trials etc

Also things are changing so quickly that in a year or so you will probalby have access to Nivo or Keytruda or somehting even better.

Yervoy as a lot of side effects and is only about 15 percent of people respond.

.

You might also want to ask you doctor about whether you would be better off waiting if or until you proceed to stage 4.

A number of the big melanoma experts dont recommend yervoy for stage 3 feeling there is no advantage to taking it early and potential downsides with toxicity quality of life exclusion from trials etc

Also things are changing so quickly that in a year or so you will probalby have access to Nivo or Keytruda or somehting even better.

Yervoy as a lot of side effects and is only about 15 percent of people respond.

.

Hi Steve,

Its difficult to comment on financial considerations since there are so many variables.  I do think the $32,000 number is full retail value of the infusion, not what the hospitals or insurance companies actually pay, and not what would be an insurance co-pay.  But its likely you could be looking at a 20% co-pay which still could be financially devastating with a 4-dose regime.  With the ACA allowing purchase of private insurance, you may want to consider putting all you can up-front in the best policy you can possibly afford.  Many have a maximum out of pocket cap so after the initial hit, coverage is virtually 100% after that.  Even a catastrophic plan may serve this purpose.  You also need to think ahead to the what if's.  Hopefully you will be a full responder to Yervoy, but if not, other treatments and tests could continue to cost you.

Gary

Hi Steve,

Its difficult to comment on financial considerations since there are so many variables.  I do think the $32,000 number is full retail value of the infusion, not what the hospitals or insurance companies actually pay, and not what would be an insurance co-pay.  But its likely you could be looking at a 20% co-pay which still could be financially devastating with a 4-dose regime.  With the ACA allowing purchase of private insurance, you may want to consider putting all you can up-front in the best policy you can possibly afford.  Many have a maximum out of pocket cap so after the initial hit, coverage is virtually 100% after that.  Even a catastrophic plan may serve this purpose.  You also need to think ahead to the what if's.  Hopefully you will be a full responder to Yervoy, but if not, other treatments and tests could continue to cost you.

Gary

Hi Steve,

Its difficult to comment on financial considerations since there are so many variables.  I do think the $32,000 number is full retail value of the infusion, not what the hospitals or insurance companies actually pay, and not what would be an insurance co-pay.  But its likely you could be looking at a 20% co-pay which still could be financially devastating with a 4-dose regime.  With the ACA allowing purchase of private insurance, you may want to consider putting all you can up-front in the best policy you can possibly afford.  Many have a maximum out of pocket cap so after the initial hit, coverage is virtually 100% after that.  Even a catastrophic plan may serve this purpose.  You also need to think ahead to the what if's.  Hopefully you will be a full responder to Yervoy, but if not, other treatments and tests could continue to cost you.

Gary

Steve,

I am sorry you have been placed in this situation in your life. Not only to be sick but not able to pay for proper treatments. I am Stage IIIB and i took the route of a clinical trial of Yervoy or Opdivo. I get infusions for 50 weeks.  My drugs, infusion room and all scans are paid for by BMS.

I beleive I am getting the Opdivo and I am not so sure Yervoy is the proper option for a stage III unless you are a IIIC. On the other hand waiting to be come a stage IV does not sound appealing either (we all want to do something).  At stage III you do have other options like Juicing vegetables, Rene Caisse's Essiac Tea, and Cannibals Oil. All these options are low cost to the cost of Yevoy.  You still need to see your Dermatologist and get CT scans every 3 month (the scans in itself I am charged $19,000 every 3 months, but now BMS has stepped up to pay for them. You can also go to an imaging center for about $2300 per full body scan). 

The cost of a high quality Cannibals Oil is about $5000 for a full year of oil.  Studies are also saying that Hemp Oil and other essential oils are also helpful if you do not live in an area where Cannibals Oil is legal. 

I have to admit I am not in favor of Obama Care (because it is not affordable or free to anyone with the super high deductables they have), but for a person in your condition, you should take advantage of it and I am happy to contribute to Obama Care for people like you.  Just like the advice you have gotten you need to look all the deductible options.  If BMS will pay for your drug this may help too, but the infusion room will cost about $1000 per infusion (you only need 4 at this point).  

You have to weigh out the options of Yervoy because not everyone can handle it. It can damage a gland in your brain.  Opdivo is much safer. If I was not on my clinical trial I would do the Cannibals Oil as a stage IIIB until Opdivo is available to stage III. 

Tom

PS, email http://mestrong.net/ for a grant. They offered me $1000. I know it is not much but everything helps. They will help pay to medical bill or even provide food or gas for travel for treatment. 

Steve,

I am sorry you have been placed in this situation in your life. Not only to be sick but not able to pay for proper treatments. I am Stage IIIB and i took the route of a clinical trial of Yervoy or Opdivo. I get infusions for 50 weeks.  My drugs, infusion room and all scans are paid for by BMS.

I beleive I am getting the Opdivo and I am not so sure Yervoy is the proper option for a stage III unless you are a IIIC. On the other hand waiting to be come a stage IV does not sound appealing either (we all want to do something).  At stage III you do have other options like Juicing vegetables, Rene Caisse's Essiac Tea, and Cannibals Oil. All these options are low cost to the cost of Yevoy.  You still need to see your Dermatologist and get CT scans every 3 month (the scans in itself I am charged $19,000 every 3 months, but now BMS has stepped up to pay for them. You can also go to an imaging center for about $2300 per full body scan). 

The cost of a high quality Cannibals Oil is about $5000 for a full year of oil.  Studies are also saying that Hemp Oil and other essential oils are also helpful if you do not live in an area where Cannibals Oil is legal. 

I have to admit I am not in favor of Obama Care (because it is not affordable or free to anyone with the super high deductables they have), but for a person in your condition, you should take advantage of it and I am happy to contribute to Obama Care for people like you.  Just like the advice you have gotten you need to look all the deductible options.  If BMS will pay for your drug this may help too, but the infusion room will cost about $1000 per infusion (you only need 4 at this point).  

You have to weigh out the options of Yervoy because not everyone can handle it. It can damage a gland in your brain.  Opdivo is much safer. If I was not on my clinical trial I would do the Cannibals Oil as a stage IIIB until Opdivo is available to stage III. 

Tom

PS, email http://mestrong.net/ for a grant. They offered me $1000. I know it is not much but everything helps. They will help pay to medical bill or even provide food or gas for travel for treatment. 

Steve,

I am sorry you have been placed in this situation in your life. Not only to be sick but not able to pay for proper treatments. I am Stage IIIB and i took the route of a clinical trial of Yervoy or Opdivo. I get infusions for 50 weeks.  My drugs, infusion room and all scans are paid for by BMS.

I beleive I am getting the Opdivo and I am not so sure Yervoy is the proper option for a stage III unless you are a IIIC. On the other hand waiting to be come a stage IV does not sound appealing either (we all want to do something).  At stage III you do have other options like Juicing vegetables, Rene Caisse's Essiac Tea, and Cannibals Oil. All these options are low cost to the cost of Yevoy.  You still need to see your Dermatologist and get CT scans every 3 month (the scans in itself I am charged $19,000 every 3 months, but now BMS has stepped up to pay for them. You can also go to an imaging center for about $2300 per full body scan). 

The cost of a high quality Cannibals Oil is about $5000 for a full year of oil.  Studies are also saying that Hemp Oil and other essential oils are also helpful if you do not live in an area where Cannibals Oil is legal. 

I have to admit I am not in favor of Obama Care (because it is not affordable or free to anyone with the super high deductables they have), but for a person in your condition, you should take advantage of it and I am happy to contribute to Obama Care for people like you.  Just like the advice you have gotten you need to look all the deductible options.  If BMS will pay for your drug this may help too, but the infusion room will cost about $1000 per infusion (you only need 4 at this point).  

You have to weigh out the options of Yervoy because not everyone can handle it. It can damage a gland in your brain.  Opdivo is much safer. If I was not on my clinical trial I would do the Cannibals Oil as a stage IIIB until Opdivo is available to stage III. 

Tom

PS, email http://mestrong.net/ for a grant. They offered me $1000. I know it is not much but everything helps. They will help pay to medical bill or even provide food or gas for travel for treatment.