State Representative Michelle Mussman (D-Schaumburg) and Bleeding Disorders Alliance Illinois will host a community forum discussing the rising co-insurance costs for specialty medications, and how this impacts individuals with chronic and pain-related diseases. Complimentary healthy refreshments will be provided.

Prescription drug tiers are often labeled "generic," "preferred" and "non-preferred," and have predetermined costs associated with each tier. Many health plans have now instituted a fourth tier, called "specialty tier," that requires individuals to pay a percentage of the cost of the most expensive medications as opposed to a fixed amount.

Many of the drugs that treat these illnesses -- including cancer, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis and other chronic conditions -- do not have generic options, so patients must either pay hundreds, sometimes thousands, of dollars a month or stop taking a prescribed medication entirely due to the cost of specialty tier drugs.

This forum will provide caretakers, patients and local residents with an opportunity to learn more about these rising co-insurance costs and how to navigate the health system in order to maintain access to their medications.

For more information or to RSVP, contact Rep. Mussman's office at 630-484-7168.