The Little-Known Way Pharma Companies Hook People On Their Costly Drugs

Kip Burgess was relieved last year when pharmaceutical giant Amgen overnighted him a $2,976 check to help pay for his go-to arthritis drug, Enbrel. The 36-year-old psychologist had run into an increasingly common problem: The copay coupon sent by Amgen couldn’t cover the drug’s more than $4,000 monthly price.

“Nothing in the world gives me more anxiety than just getting my medication,” Burgess said. “There’s nothing you can do but beg.

Kip Burgess was relieved last year when pharmaceutical giant Amgen overnighted him a $2,976 check to help pay for his go-to arthritis drug, Enbrel. The 36-year-old psychologist had run into an increasingly common problem: The copay coupon sent by Amgen couldn’t cover the drug’s more than $4,000 monthly price. “Nothing in the world gives me more anxiety than just getting my medication,” Burgess said. “There’s nothing you can do but beg.