News and Reports | June 1, 2026
My name is Helen Bell from Fletcher, North Carolina, and I live with the dual challenges of psoriatic arthritis and Crohn’s disease. Because my immune system is particularly aggressive, or “stubborn” as I call it, my clinical management requires a stacked medication regimen.
Currently, I am prescribed Methotrexate, Entyvio, and Rinvoq. Together these medications have provided me with periods of remission and overall stability. The financial logistics of maintaining this access, however, have become a more stressful burden than my illnesses themselves.
I am fortunate enough to have good Part D Coverage through my Medicare plan. My Methotrexate and Rinvoq are covered under Medicare Part D through my husband’s retirement benefits. But while the costs are manageable, it is worth noting that Rinvoq costs more than six times more in the United States than it does in Europe — and the situation worsens with medications that do not fall under my Medicare Part D but rather Part B.
My Entyvio would have been a massive financial burden on our household, as it falls under Part B as an infusion. I was only able to proceed with this medication because my gastroenterologist’s treatment coordinator navigated a patient assistance program application successfully, getting the manufacturer to provide the medication at no cost and reducing my per-infusion expense to approximately $26 per month.
Before landing on my current medication combination, six biologic medications failed me. All of these have been expensive enough that I had to avail myself of the manufacturers’ copay assistance programs, at times forcing me to delay new treatments as I coordinated these programs.
Having insurance does not guarantee access to affordable care, and lifesaving medications are not guaranteed to be affordable for many. My story is tragically far too common in our broken healthcare system.
We need affordable healthcare and prescription drugs now!