Cordelia Kingsbridge's Blog, page 18

GoodRX is great resource as well. I used it when I had no insurance, and paid less than I do with insurance in some cases. If you get meds through a hospital pharmacy it can be cheaper as well.

More good advice!

So I’m going to do something a little unusual for this blog and talk about something that has...

So I’m going to do something a little unusual for this blog and talk about something that has nothing to do with writing. I don’t do this a lot, but I think this is something I should share.

As you all know, last week I started taking medication to treat newly diagnosed ADD. This medication - Vyvanse - has already profoundly changed my life for the better. A lot of prescribers prefer Vyvanse for ADD because it has an extended release over the course of the day, which helps maintain focus without the unpleasantness of dumping a bunch of amphetamines into your brain all at once. It works incredibly well for me, with no side effects.

The problem? Vyvanse has no generic equivalent, and won’t until at least 2023 (which is when the patent expires). So the manufacturer charges over $300 for a 30-day supply - which is why my insurance company was so resistant to authorizing it.

Now, I have pretty good health insurance (through the Marketplace) for living in the US. My monthly premiums aren’t crushing, I have no deductible, a $2500 out-of-pocket max, and relatively low copays if I stay in-network. For a medication like Vyvanse, I have to pay 40% of the cost. That’s $118 a month. With good-quality health insurance.

I got this first month as a free trial with a card from the manufacturer. Since Vyvanse ended up working so well for me, I do want to keep taking it. But I’m not paying $1400 a year - more than half my out-of-pocket max - for one medication.

Because I was a hospital social worker, I know that most manufacturers have monthly savings cards. The one for Vyvanse would bring my copay down to $58, which is still too much, and it’s only good for 12 months. So I did a little more digging and learned that my income is low enough to qualify for their patient assistance program, and spent a good chunk of my morning gathering all the necessary materials for the application. If I’m approved, my cost will be drastically reduced - possibly free - and I can apply for renewal after a year if I still meet the eligibility criteria.

As I was doing this, it occurred to me how much my own privilege is giving me a leg up in this situation. From start to finish, I needed:

The knowledge that programs like these exist, and where and how to find them
A computer with internet access
The level of English literacy and reading comprehension necessary to read the application, figure out if I met the requirements, and fill it out
To be a US citizen (or legal resident), because these programs aren’t available to undocumented immigrantsThe knowledge, skill, and means to seek out and obtain all of the required supporting documentation, such as proof of income, proof of copay amount, proof of insurance, etc.
Access to a printer
A state of mental health where I feel comfortable bringing this up with my practitioner at my next appointment, asking her to complete her part, assertively following up when she inevitably dawdles, and persisting until I’ve ensured that my complete application is sent in
The level of mental, emotional, and physical ability necessary to initiate and complete all of these steps on my own

Look at that list. Look at how many places a patient could be confronted by an obstacle they don’t have the means to overcome, and therefore not be able to afford the medication they need even when they qualify for available assistance.

And I know that happens all the time, because I saw it when I was a social worker. A big part of my job was helping patients obtain prescription assistance, but there was only so much I could do. I could find the programs for them, explain the applications and requirements, help them fill out the forms, and hound the doctors until the physician’s sections were completed.

But I couldn’t go home with those patients and help them track down things like their proof of income or unemployment. I couldn’t be there to make sure that their depression, or lack of internet access, or the fallout from their hospital stay didn’t obstruct the process and prevent it from being completed. So quite often, those applications weren’t ever completed, the patient couldn’t pay for their medication, and they were back in the hospital a month later for something that was completely preventable.

My point in sharing this is to try to spread awareness that there are prescription assistance programs out there. Because it wasn’t until I needed one myself, and already knew what to do and how to do it, that it occurred to me how many people might have no idea. My practitioner certainly never mentioned any of this to me.

If you find an assistance program through the manufacturer of your medication but are having difficulty understanding it, completing it, obtaining supporting documentation, etc., there’s usually a number on the form you can call for help. And if there are other barriers for you - for example, if you’re so depressed that even thinking about the process is too overwhelming - please consider asking a trusted friend or family member to help you. Similarly, if you know someone who might benefit from programs like this but would have trouble getting through the application process themselves, see if they’d be okay with you giving them a hand.

We shouldn’t make it so difficult for people to get the medication they need. But until that changes, we need to look out for each other.

thefirstmrshummel:ckingsbridge:shelbanuadh replied to your post: At the risk...

thefirstmrshummel:

ckingsbridge:

shelbanuadh replied to your post:
At the risk of crashing the Riptide website, do…

A lot of the Riptide authors I used to read left, but some two that I really enjoyed :

Sacrati by Kate Sherwood - The cover put me off for a long time, but the book was very enjoyable.

Blank Spaces by Cass Lennox - The story was good and it had very good ace representation, probably one of the best I’ve seen in a MM novel.

Adding to the recs tag, thank you!

I can vouch for Kate Sherwood - she’s a writerly friend of mine who was one of the betas on Gravity. I’ve beta’d her last two books and really enjoyed them.

I’d also suggest Annabeth Albert, especially her Out of Uniform series. Each one is an automatic buy for me, and she has a similar heat level to both Cordelia and I when it comes to sexytimes.

More recs!

tk-tishana replied to your post: At the risk of crashing the Riptide website,...

tk-tishana replied to your post:
At the risk of crashing the Riptide website, do…

Ooh, here’s a rec: the “Marshals” series by Mary Calmes (first book is “All Kinds of Tied Down”). The antagonist is really, really interesting and the two MCs are funny, cute, and badass. I’m actually re-reading the series right now despite having a to-be-read list 80 books long!

Thank you! Added to the tag. :-)

shelbanuadh replied to your post: At the risk of crashing the Riptide website,...

shelbanuadh replied to your post:
At the risk of crashing the Riptide website, do…

A lot of the Riptide authors I used to read left, but some two that I really enjoyed :

Sacrati by Kate Sherwood - The cover put me off for a long time, but the book was very enjoyable.

Blank Spaces by Cass Lennox - The story was good and it had very good ace representation, probably one of the best I’ve seen in a MM novel.

Adding to the recs tag, thank you!

At the risk of crashing the Riptide website, do you have any specific recommendation for other writers or books that are sold there? I would really like to know if you have any favourites that have good writing and good character development, since the oth

That’s a tricky question, because after everything that happened earlier this year, a lot of authors pulled their works from Riptide.

I’ll recommend Where Death Meets the Devil by LJ Hayward - I actually supplied a blurb for the book when it came out - but none of the follow-ups to what’s become an intriguing series are being sold by Riptide. (You can find them on Amazon, or check out the author’s personal website).

I also just started reading Counterpoint by Anna Zabo, who also used to be a Riptide author but pulled almost all their works. (I’m only a chapter deep into Counterpoint, but so far I’m really enjoying it!)

If you’re looking to take a break with something tonally different from the Seven of Spades series, Quinn Anderson is a very prolific Riptide author who writes sweet contemporary romances. She also seems to be a lovely person, from the interaction I’ve had with her!

Before I turn off my computer for the night, a quick reminder: it’s too early for me to answer...

Before I turn off my computer for the night, a quick reminder: it’s too early for me to answer anonymous asks that contain spoilers for One-Eyed Royals. If your question contains spoilery details for the book, you can ask me off anon so I can respond privately. Otherwise, it’ll have to wait a bit, to be fair to people who haven’t read the book yet.

Well I would like to know what is next for you? The Seven of Spade series is one of the best I have ever read and boy let me tell you I read a lot...You know you could start a new series with our boys Levi and Dominic and a new set of killers...Regardless

Thank you very much! I’m not sure yet what I’ll be doing next - I’m not planning to make any decisions until after I’ve finished the first draft of A Chip and a Chair and have had some time to decompress. The Seven of Spades journey has been amazing, but also very stressful! ;-)

I do know that I’ll be investing more time and energy in my Patreon stories, including reviving The Blue Orchid from its long hiatus. But as far as future published books, that’s still TBD. I’ll keep you posted!

So I’m doing a reread of the series (and will probably do another near March) and I just checked what day March 3 is (which I believe is a tentative release date) and I am DEVASTATED that it’s a Sunday! I work a standard Mon-Fri job and would need a whole

I’m not sure of the exact release date, but it’s definitely not a Sunday - Riptide always releases their books on a Monday. And if you pre-order the book, Riptide will send it to you a couple of days early, giving you the entire weekend to read at your leisure. ;-)

Thank you so much for your very kind words!

Wow, seeing you talk about your mental health struggles has reminded me a lot of myself. I've always had depression and anxiety and blamed them for my laziness and an inability to focus. I am on antidepressants which help with some things, but they've neve

That’s exactly what happened to me while I was waiting a month (!) to get my ADD medication approved - we’d finally found a combo of antidepressants that was starting to help with things like dysphoria, anhedonia, etc., but the concentration and so on remained just as bad as ever. It’s certainly a good idea to run any mental health questions you have past your doctor!