When Debbie Rhodes was diagnosed nine years ago with a terminal blood and bone marrow cancer, an unlikely hero would ultimately come to the rescue: Shark Tank star and billionaire, Mark Cuban.
Rhodes, 50, was initially prescribed imatinib, a drug proven to manage chronic myeloid leukemia as a chronic condition and extend patients’ lives by a decade or more. To the relief of Rhodes, and her husband Randy, the drug was covered by their insurance plan. That relief was reinforced when their local pharmacist in Leawood, Kansas, told them out-of-pocket costs for the medication ranged from $13,000 to $15,000 each month.
