A new low for health care consumers: ‘GoFund’ my prescriptions

Facing rising prices and few good options, Americans are turning to crowdfunding to pay for prescription drugs, according to a report by Business Insider.

Lonnie Cucinitti, a 76-year-old Texas man, said he turned to GoFundMe and Facebook earlier this year in a desperate attempt to raise enough money to pay for his 90-day prescriptions. He received a number of small donations, including from people he didn’t know or from friends he made while serving in the U.S. Navy 50 years ago.

“It makes me very emotional to think that people I met 50 years ago would care enough to send $50,” he told the Business Insider.

GoFundMe did not respond to the publication’s request for comment. A reporter searched for the word “prescription” on GoFundMe and found 13,600 results- — almost 6,000 were from people seeking help paying for insulin and insulin pumps.

Cucinitti is not the only one who can’t afford his prescriptions. An overwhelming majority of consumers who participated in a recent Voices for Affordable Health survey said rising prescription drug prices are a serious concern for them or someone they love.

Are high prescription drug costs affecting you? Share your tips and stories with Voices for Affordable Health.