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Help with medication costs

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Ulcerative Colitis
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Posted 10/25/2016 2:01 AM (GMT 0)
Hi Everyone --

New here. I am dealing with my first UC flare in just under ten years (I'm lucky, I know!). I went to pick up my px's, Lialda and Canasa, and with the savings cards from both companies the drugs would have cost me $480 and $780 for a month's supply, respectively. Luckily, my GI's office was kind enough to give me month's supply of the Lialda, so at least I have that for now. Canasa has always worked for me in the past, and I'm sure was one of the main reasons I was flare free for so long. I stopped taking it two years ago because I couldn't afford the cost once we had a higher deductible insurance plan.

My doctor's office said they could call me in a script for Rowasa, which I have also used in the past, but from what I can find online it is also very expensive.

Does anyone have any suggestions? I'm at a loss here.
Posted 10/25/2016 5:05 AM (GMT 0)
I had the same issue buying mesalamine $500 after insurance. BOO! Unfortunately most of the discount cards don't work in conjunction with insurance. Now that I finally hit my deductible its like $90 a month.
I would try and look for prescription drug charities. Sorry i'm not much help but I feel your pain.
Posted 10/25/2016 1:19 PM (GMT 0)
Right?! A part of me wants to take my px and savings cards to a new pharmacy and say I don't have insurance to see what happens. But that feels too evil, so I won't. :)
Posted 10/25/2016 2:26 PM (GMT 0)
Asking your pharmacist to run the cost with and without insurance is reasonable - you don't have to go to another pharmacy and fib.

But the Lialda card works in conjunction with insurance and only pays upto $120 towards 30 days. Not sure about Canasa.

High deductible plans don't work too well for people with name brand chronic meds. You can try something more generic than the Lialda, but it may not work as well. balsalazide disodium, Colazal, might be a good choice.

You can also try Canadian pharmacy, but then you never reach your deductible.
Posted 10/25/2016 2:40 PM (GMT 0)
The anti-inflammatory mesalamine-based medications are very expensive as the majority of those medications are expensive brandname only within the USA. Your options are:

1.) There are some generic similar medications within the USA. There's balsalazide disodium (brand named Colazal), Olsalazine (Dipentum®), and Sulfasalazine which are much cheaper than the brandnamed Lialda, Delzicol, Apriso, etc. You can ask your doctor for a prescription and your pharmacy for a price.

2.) Order much cheaper generic-equivalents from Canada at a 100% out-of-pocket cost (as your health insurance only covers domestic pharmacies). Search the forum, there are many threads discussing which pharmacies are best and how to order.

3.)To use the available patient-assistance programs to help cope with the copay costs, here's the relevant patient assistance programs from our resources thread:

Patient Assistance Programs:

Patient assistance programs for drugs used to treat UC as well as information on free/reduced-cost clinics: www.needymeds.org

Coupons for medications: www.internetdrugcoupons.com/

If you are having trouble getting something approved www.patientadvocate.org/

Assistance with Cost of:

I agree the prices are crazy here. I have a slip from Riteaid pharmacy from my last 30 day supply of Rowasa and the list price is $667.99 for what is a generic medication.

Do you have a choice for a better insurance policy when yours comes up for renewal? High Deductable Health Insurance plans stink for those of us with chronic health conditions like ulcerative colitis. You're much better to be on an HMO or PPO, if you have a choice of those types of plans.
Posted 10/25/2016 3:22 PM (GMT 0)
Hi everyone -- many thanks. I will take a look at these links. And thanks for the reminder that the savings coupons only work along with insurance.

During my last flare I had a much lower deductible so the Canasa was down to $100 a month which was awesome. My husband just got a new job so we have a Cobra policy until the end of the month (which also just reset itself as of 10/1, just in time for this flare of course!), and then the new high deductible plan kicks in Nov. 1. I am giving some serious thought to purchasing a plan just for myself with a higher premium but lower deductible. I have to price it all out, but especially given my GI wants to do a colonoscopy and the price of these medications... it actually might save me more in the long run to pay more per month but actually meet the deductible so the insurance kicks in.

Thank you for the responses! I have been so lucky to not have had a flare in so long, but it is overwhelming to be back in the world of UC again. Very much appreciated.
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