A valuable tip from my #Covid adventure: the government no longer subsidizes Paxlovid treatment and my co-pay for it (with insurance) is over $1,400! 😡😬 But, you can go to Paxlovid dot com and get a coupon that zeroes out the co-pay. Stupid U.S. healthcare system. - ThreadSky

idaholark.bsky.social • 18 days ago

A valuable tip from my #Covid adventure: the government no longer subsidizes Paxlovid treatment and my co-pay for it (with insurance) is over $1,400! 😡😬 But, you can go to Paxlovid dot com and get a coupon that zeroes out the co-pay. Stupid U.S. healthcare system.

Comments

idahodiehl.bsky.social•17 days ago

It's the tax write-offs. They get to claim that coupon against the profits.

idaholark.bsky.social•17 days ago

Interesting. It’s too bad that my doctor and the first pharmacy I called didn’t mention the coupon at all.

clarepenny.bsky.social•17 days ago

Interesting. Only the highest risk patients in the UK are given paxlovid (to reduce hospital admissions). Whilst it would be nice to feel better sooner, both times I’ve had covid (and been quite ill because I have asthma) I was testing negative by day 6 anyway and only cough remained bc of asthma.

idaholark.bsky.social•17 days ago

The first time I had it was extra rough as I was in Brazil’s rainforest and 100 miles from a town. It took me 15 days before I had a negative test.

clarepenny.bsky.social•17 days ago

Wow! That is rough! I had not come across anyone with such a long positive test until you! Good to know it can be longer for some people. My husband once took 8 days for negative test despite feeling fine, but he was the longest I’d ever known. Thanks for sharing :)

idaholark.bsky.social•17 days ago

I know a man who caught Covid mid-2020. They tested regularly at his work and later that year he tested positive and was sent home repeatedly. It turns out a positive test (esp. a PCR) weeks after first symptoms does not mean one is still contagious, just that some virus particles are still present.

markthebronco.bsky.social•18 days ago

Cost aside, Paxlovid works totally awesome. You will likely test negative in about 6-days. When I was undergoing cancer treatment in Beijing recently, I caught Covid in the hospital. Everybody in China gets Paxlovid. It got rid of the symptoms and I tested negative on Day 6. Stuff is a miracle.

idaholark.bsky.social•17 days ago

For now it is free. I’m aware that many people have rebound cases—feeling fine and test negative in ~6 days but then have another round of symptoms and a positive test. We’ll see! Only side effect so far is dry mouth.

sharoncarbine.bsky.social•17 days ago

Think positive. I took Paxlovid in May 2023. I never got a rebound case of COVID19.

idaholark.bsky.social•17 days ago

It’s drying out all my mucous membranes and my mouth is blech, but I’m sure feeling better quicker than I did with my last bout of Covid.

sharoncarbine.bsky.social•17 days ago

Great! I'm happy for you.

Thank you for your tip about free Paxlovid availability.

colleenfellows.bsky.social•17 days ago

Your saliva will taste metallic while taking Paxlovid. Drink a gulp of water before each bite of food to wash the saliva out of your mouth so your bite of food tastes like food, not like your metallic flavored saliva.
I got a rebound case, but only really mild one.
Paxlovid is worth taking.

idaholark.bsky.social•17 days ago

It’s not metallic in my case. More like sour. I’d kill for some Altoids or hard candy. Three more days…

shannonkmurray.bsky.social•18 days ago

Meanwhile, the actual cost to produce a five-day treatment of paxlovid is $13.88, per experts at Harvard University.

idaholark.bsky.social•18 days ago

Yep. More than 100x production costs. But does that include research and clinical trials, too?

shannonkmurray.bsky.social•17 days ago

"Paxlovid was developed in part with federal funds"

https://www.porh.psu.edu/commercial-price-paxlovid-100-times-production-cost/

shannonkmurray.bsky.social•17 days ago

I know that doesn't entirely answer your question, but I suspect that if the $13.88 doesn't include the initial R&D that was not covered by federal funds, the final number would be no where close to the $1660 that Pfizer is currently charging.

idaholark.bsky.social•17 days ago

Thank you for researching that.

wendipqa.bsky.social•18 days ago

Crummy crum crum Glad you stuck out the inquiries for care

theresareel.bsky.social•18 days ago

Insanity!

I hope you are feeling a little better today.

kcarpdiem.bsky.social•17 days ago

📌

willbearsmom.bsky.social•18 days ago

Well I guess I’ll just be sucking it up. Our “health care” system is total garbage. Single payer! Single payer! Single payer!

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