S4, Ep 5- Methotrexate: Confusion and Controversy
07/07/22 • 21 min
1 Listener
If you’re immunocompromised, you’re tired of having to fight for basic health care. But after the U.S. Supreme Court issued Dobbs vs. Jackson which overturned Roe vs. Wade, access to the drug methotrexate, which prolongs the lifespan of people with rheumatoid arthritis, is being denied in some states due to its connection to abortion.
“There's so much confusion and overwhelm with managing such a dynamic fluctuating condition like inflammatory arthritis, that when you finally find through trial and error, a medication regimen that works for you, it's like striking gold,” says Cheryl Crow, founder of Arthritis Life. “So, to know that suddenly that's going to be taken away from you, it's really scary to a lot of patients.”
Among the highlights in this episode:
1:25: Listener comment
1:41: Rising COVID cases force some counties in Washington State to require masks
2:40: Aetna drops prior authorization for most cataract surgeries, allowing patients to bypass the pre-approval process
3:29: Progress for IBD patients as New York City plans to increase the number of public restrooms
5:36 What is methotrexate
5:55: Some pharmacists are nervous to fill methotrexate prescriptions because after Roe vs. Wade was overturned, the law states that it's a felony if you're dispensing this medication for an abortion
6:42: Cheryl describes why she started “Arthritis Life”
9:03: Cheryl talks about her advocacy for methotrexate
10:40: “I think it's really an example of insult to injury” for patients to be denied methotrexate, says Cheryl
13:25: Methotrexate improves people’s quality of life, says Zoe
15:15: Cheryl’s advice to help patients advocate for their medication
17:25: “We always say, having chronic illness is a full-time job. This is like adding another internship to that job. It's too much,” says Zoe
20:32: What our hosts Steven and Zoe learned from this episode
Learn more about Cheryl and her organization Arthritis Life
Contact Our Hosts
Steven Newmark, Director of Policy at GHLF: [email protected]
Zoe Rothblatt, Patient Advocate and Community Outreach Manager at GHLF: [email protected]
We want to hear what you think. Send your comments in the form of an email, video, or audio clip of yourself to [email protected]
Catch up on all our episodes on our website or on your favorite podcast channel.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
If you’re immunocompromised, you’re tired of having to fight for basic health care. But after the U.S. Supreme Court issued Dobbs vs. Jackson which overturned Roe vs. Wade, access to the drug methotrexate, which prolongs the lifespan of people with rheumatoid arthritis, is being denied in some states due to its connection to abortion.
“There's so much confusion and overwhelm with managing such a dynamic fluctuating condition like inflammatory arthritis, that when you finally find through trial and error, a medication regimen that works for you, it's like striking gold,” says Cheryl Crow, founder of Arthritis Life. “So, to know that suddenly that's going to be taken away from you, it's really scary to a lot of patients.”
Among the highlights in this episode:
1:25: Listener comment
1:41: Rising COVID cases force some counties in Washington State to require masks
2:40: Aetna drops prior authorization for most cataract surgeries, allowing patients to bypass the pre-approval process
3:29: Progress for IBD patients as New York City plans to increase the number of public restrooms
5:36 What is methotrexate
5:55: Some pharmacists are nervous to fill methotrexate prescriptions because after Roe vs. Wade was overturned, the law states that it's a felony if you're dispensing this medication for an abortion
6:42: Cheryl describes why she started “Arthritis Life”
9:03: Cheryl talks about her advocacy for methotrexate
10:40: “I think it's really an example of insult to injury” for patients to be denied methotrexate, says Cheryl
13:25: Methotrexate improves people’s quality of life, says Zoe
15:15: Cheryl’s advice to help patients advocate for their medication
17:25: “We always say, having chronic illness is a full-time job. This is like adding another internship to that job. It's too much,” says Zoe
20:32: What our hosts Steven and Zoe learned from this episode
Learn more about Cheryl and her organization Arthritis Life
Contact Our Hosts
Steven Newmark, Director of Policy at GHLF: [email protected]
Zoe Rothblatt, Patient Advocate and Community Outreach Manager at GHLF: [email protected]
We want to hear what you think. Send your comments in the form of an email, video, or audio clip of yourself to [email protected]
Catch up on all our episodes on our website or on your favorite podcast channel.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Previous Episode
S4, Ep 4- Advocating for BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ Health Care
Diseases don’t discriminate; anyone can get one or suffer from a chronic illness. But they do disproportionately affect BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ communities. In this episode, Sarah Shaw, BIPOC Outreach Manager at Global Healthy Living Foundation, describes what it’s like being a Queer, Black woman living with chronic migraine, endometriosis, and anxiety and how health care providers must improve interaction with these communities.
“Maybe if there have been more representation showing that Queer people get migraine. Black, Indigenous, and People of Color get migraine. Men, Women, Trans, and Non-Binary folks get migraine. If that representation had been there, maybe they would have jumped to a migraine conclusion diagnosis first, instead of what I was pushed on, which was, 'Oh, it's just anxiety or stress,' when I was seeking answers,” says Sarah.
Among the highlights in this episode:
1:25: Listener comment
1:49: A fifth shot for the immunocompromised is recommended by the CDC
3:47: The impact of overturning Roe v. Wade is having on the immunocompromised community
6:30: The importance of June being Pride Month, Migraine and Headache Awareness Month, and Juneteenth
7:28: Sarah describes being a Queer, Black woman living with chronic migraine, endometriosis, and anxiety
8:39: “Migraine is part of me, my queer identity is a part of me and they interchange,” says Sarah
9:04: Sarah describes how medical practitioners can help members of the BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ communities
9:41: “I think access to health care and treatment is still such a huge issue for folks in the LGBTQIA+ community,” says Sarah
11:49: Sarah discusses her appearance on the GHLF podcast “Talking Head Pain”
13:47: Sarah’s advice for others to speak up and advocate
15:08: What our hosts Steven and Zoe learned from this episode
Listen here to Sarah's appearance on Talking Head Pain
Contact Our Hosts
Steven Newmark, Director of Policy at GHLF: [email protected]
Zoe Rothblatt, Patient Advocate and Community Outreach Manager at GHLF: [email protected]
We want to hear what you think. Send your comments, or a video or audio clip of yourself, to [email protected]
Catch up on all our episodes on our website or on your favorite podcast channel.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Next Episode
S4, Ep 6- Patients Spark Action on Methotrexate
The recent abortion ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court created an unintended consequence for patients seeking methotrexate, a drug which prolongs the lifespan of people with rheumatoid arthritis and other inflammatory diseases. In this episode, learn how GHLF is championing the cause and advocating for these patients.
“Imagine what patients are going through...They're told that they're no longer able to fill that prescription because of a change in a law,” says Conner Mertens, Patient Advocate and Community Outreach Manager at Global Healthy Living Foundation. “It's really scary time for some of these patients.”
Among the highlights in this episode:
:46: Steven introduces Conner, who hosts his own GHLF podcast with Robert Popovian, Healthcare Matters
1:51: Listener comment
2:17: A new study, led by GHLF’s Dr. Popovian, finds that drug formularies often have exclusions that could harm consumers and cost more money
3:29: COVID cases on the rise
4:28: Some women fear losing access to methotrexate as a result of the Supreme Court ruling on abortion
6:47: As health advocates, GHLF has sent a letter to Texas Governor Greg Abbott, seeking clarification on patient access to methotrexate
7:09: The Biden Administration has taken steps to protect abortion rights
8:39: What our hosts Steven and Conner learned from this episode
Listen to Healthcare Matters podcast with Robert Popovian and Conner Mertens
Contact Our Hosts
Steven Newmark, Director of Policy at GHLF: [email protected]
Zoe Rothblatt, Patient Advocate and Community Outreach Manager at GHLF: [email protected]
We want to hear what you think. Send your comments in the form of an email, video, or audio clip of yourself to [email protected]
Catch up on all our episodes on our website or on your favorite podcast channel.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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