Stopping Humira for financial reasons

I am currently very fortunate to be receiving Humira free of charge, but after 6 1/2 years on the ACA I need to rebalance my savings portfolio as I am now retired. I have decided I can’t play income suppression games any longer and would like to eventually see some securities to try and buy a house without $960 lot rent, increasing 4% a year. Any thoughts as to telling my dr. this at my 11 22 appt?
I was diagnosed with moderate pan colitis but my dr. thought the inflammation was almost negligible except at exit point. This was at my 10/20 colonoscopy. He forgot I was just finishing 8 weeks on budesonide. But then he insisted I start Humira 12/1/20 and refused to discuss me stopping at last appointment. Maybe I read literature wrong but I thought I read Humira has about an 18% efficacy rate at keeping UC in remission. I take mesalamine and have added medical cbd. I would appreciate any and all serious advice. I just have high anxiety and don’t want to worry about having to pay for Humira or any other biologic. Thanks in advance.

Thanks for the replies. Right now I’m receiving Humira for free but if my income increases ( by having to sell investments in savings for day to day expenses, or to rebalance retirement portfolio) I could lose my eligibility for Abbvie’s Patient Assistant Program.
I am in the U. S. so biosimilars are not available to us until at least 2023, and they will also be expensive. Our health care system is controlled by pharmaceutical companies lobbying our politicians.
The ACA is the program more often known as Obamacare, where, until you have to switch to Medicare at age 65, you can obtain a government subsidy based on income, that helps many uninsured to find health insurance at a more reasonable cost.
The consensus so far is clear: try to stay on a biologic to avoid worse consequences, and also because stopping and restarting a biologic may compromise its efficacy.
However….I’m still faced with daily (and difficult) anxiety on losing eligibility for free Humira and managing my savings. I turned 65 this year, so the answer may be to hire a certified financial planner if it all becomes too difficult for me.
I really appreciate this site for sincere responses and the realization I am not alone. Thanks all.

Thanks. Yes. I am currently on the Abbvie-Humira Patient Assistance Program. I was approved in July for the rest of this year based on my application and a 1040 tax return (just the basic 1040). I was told they would request more tax info if necessary. For 2022 I just had to certify there were no significant changes to my income.
However, they indicated they would require new tax info for 2023 eligibility. There are certain thresholds for income depending upon # in household. I’m on my own these days.
Thanks for the tips on infusion in hospital setting. I’m on Medicare Advantage but I can always explore those options if or when needed.
My gastro doc said he only prescribes Humira or Stellara (which starts with infusions but then injections.
The last I read about biosimilars, allowed now in Europe, was availability circa 7/2023, so maybe I can at least get that far. Thanks so much for resonding. 😊

There are currently biosimilars on the market for Remicade if you need a biosimilar.

I once stopped 6-mp because I hated it. 4 months later I was in the hospital and almost had surgery from that flare. I wasn’t able to work for a couple of months during that time.

I have a couple years to go until I have to deal with this. Not looking forward to it. I think I read something about plans that specifically cover that gap phase. Check with your broker about that. With how expensive meds are it doesn't take long to hit that gap. I never understood why they had that hole in coverage. How did they ever think people could pay that much?

Medicare prescription plans are a mess. So hard to understand and the pricing make no sense. IMHO it’s criminal to charge so much for insulin and other lifesaving drugs. And then to have no yearly expenses cap!

All mesalamines are crazy expensive too! Especially the enemas. Prices I just looked at ranged from $450 a month up to $1500! And on GoodRx you can get it for $155!!! It’s crazy!

UCNick I wish you luck. I do hope Congress or someone finally gets off their ass and does something to rein in prescription pricing. From what I’ve seen so far it looks like they’re giving drug companies free rein to raise prices through the roof for the next 3-4 years before limits set in. Won’t be much help by then I’m afraid.

Arrggghh.. health/prescription coverage.

It's ridiculous that we have people choosing whether to buy meds or foods. This is just wrong... And companies that are forecasting double digit growth/profits while some people are dying because of their greed is wrong.

Regular Medicare deductible for my Remicade every 6 weeks is about 1500 to 1600. Thank God I have a secondary insurance I was able to keep thru work retirement to pay for part of that. But... The drug company does not offer any discounts if Medicare pays anything on the medication. Its a catch 22. In the interm I have to pay out of pocket until I reach my catastrophe limit... Which I can't really pay for anyway.

But when I speak to family/friends in Canada and the UK..... Health care over there may not "break the bank" but gosh... The wait times and all the things they have to go thru to even get to take Remicade is alarming to me.

I don't know what the answer is.