If cost is an issue, you can always ask for Sulfasalazine (less than $100 a month if you had to pay 100% out-of-pocket) or Balsalazide Disodium (a few hundred if you had to pay 100%) as they are by far the cheapest UC meds.
Below is a writeup from our UC Resources Thread which talks about
your options.
One of the biggest headaches with health insurance is you might have to change medications to keep things affordable. Here's a basic survival guide to help you through it.
1.) Ask which UC medications are on the insurance's
formulary (preferred) list and which are on their
non-formulary (not preferred) list. For the lowest out-of-pocket cost, choose from the formulary list.
2.)
Generics are the most cost effective.
Brandnames are more expensive.
3.) Use the health insurance's price estimator tool (online insurance website, or call insurance, or ask a pharmacy) to learn what your copay will be. You will need to know which medications are applicable. The most common meds used are the anti-inflammatory, mesalamine-based medications that should be available in their price estimator:
- Apriso is brandnamed, comes in 375mg pills, a typical dose is 1,500 mgs or 4 pills daily. A copay assistance card is available from the manufacturer www.aprisorx.com/apriso/savings-card.
- Balsalazide Disodium is generic of Colazal, comes in 750mg pills, a typical dose is 6,750mgs or 9 pills daily.
- Colazal is brandnamed, comes in 750mg pills, a typical dose is 6,750mgs or 9 pills daily.
- Delzicol is brandnamed, comes in 400mg pills, a typical dose is 4,800 mgs or 12 pills daily. A copay assistance card is available from the manufacturer www.delzicol.com/resources/savings-card/
- Lialda/Mezavant is brandnamed, comes in 1,200mg pills, a typical dose is 4,800 mgs or 4 pills daily. A copay assistance card is NO LONGER available from the manufacturer, discontinued on 11/1/2017 and will not be renewed into the next year.
- Mesalamine DR is generic, comes in 800mg pills (generic Asacol HD) and 1200mg pills (generic Lialda), a typical dose is 4,800mgs. That's 8 of the 800mg pills or 4 of the 1,200mg pills daly.
- Pentasa is brandnamed, comes in 500mg pills, a typical dose is 4,000 mgs or 8 pills daily. A copay assistance card is available from the manufacturer /www.shire.com/patients/patient-services/shire-cares.
- Sulfasalazine is a generic,comes in 500mg pills, a typical dose is 4,000mgs or 8 pills daily.
4.) Once you've found a cost effective medication, call your gasteroenteroligist for a new prescript
ion.
5.) Mail order prescript
ions may have lower copays when you get a 90 day supply, instead of a 30 day supply. Check with your health insurance and ask about
mail order options.