Emily Byrn

I live with psoriatic arthritis.

Growing up, I always had various injuries and illnesses and tendonitis in nearly every joint. I never had a specific diagnosis to explain all of these symptoms until five years ago. My journey to being diagnosed with psoriatic arthritis was difficult, involving dozens of different medications and doctors trying to figure out a diagnosis.

I eventually was prescribed Humira, which brought relief to my joints with minimal side effects. The only concern was that this prescription carried a list price of over $6,400 per month. And Abbvie, Humira’s manufacturer, has hiked Humira’s price 400% over the past 15 years – I know that price will very likely keep increasing in the future if nothing changes.

I’m lucky that I have insurance that allows me to afford my medication, but I know that could change at any moment. The stress of my drug’s price really weighs on me and affects decisions I make every day and for my future. I think about Humira’s price when I switch jobs — worrying that I might have to pay the list price or a larger portion of the price on different insurance.