Humira $ vs. Remicade $

Hi everyone! Just thought you may be interested in this info- as we all know, Remicade is usually from $10,000-$12,000 per infusion. I just checked my Humira script- I do have a copay with every order (once a month, 2 pens per order). This is after the initial Starter kit, which has 6 pens. But my copay is $30 per script, the insurance pays $4791.00 per script. So.... makes you wonder why so many insurers insist that we try Remicade first, when the cost is SO much higher!!!!! Just another prob with America's health care system/insurance companies. But, the Humira is scheduled to arrive today, & the home nurse is coming out tomorrow to show me how to use it. Yay!!!!!

Oh, and let us know how it goes. Good lucK!

I actually just saw my GI yesterday. Right now I'm pretty sure my inflammation is just in the rectum area, which is bizarre because it's normally throughout the colon. I had a Colonoscopy about five months ago. My life isn't miserable right now but the mornings and evenings are a little rough - lots of mucous, urgency and some blood. Added rectal meds several months ago but they don't seem to be helping at all. And I can't tell any difference after my infusions so I don't know if the Remicade doesn't work for my anymore or if I wasn't on it would my flare be much worse??? Don't know. So our game plan right now is to continue using the rectal meds and add liquid immodium, twice a day to see if I can slow things down and try to heal down there. I've used it before but just kind of off and on. I go back in a month and if I'm not doing better he's going to do a sigmoid and likely switch me to Humira. My husband is changing jobs soon and I don't want to go through the hassle of getting approved twice - although I was approved for it a couple of years ago. I'm willing to try anything at this point. Hope it works for you.

well, you figure you do a loading dose of 6 pens throut 2 weeks, then one pen every 2 weeks- so.... 32 pens per year??? And estimate $2000 per pen, there's a total of around roughly $65,000 per year. And Remicade, the basic dose of every 8 weeks comes out to about 7 infusions per year, if you add in the loading doses of 3 infusion, you get app. 10 per year. Figure around $10,000 per infusion, the total is $100,000. Pretty big difference. I know there's an  insurance protocol re. meds that are unapporved by the FDA for the specific condition you want to use it for- hence the prior authorizations & pre-approvals both these meds require. But, many people have been denied Humira based on FDA approval alone, regardless of what their doctors recommend. So, strictly from a cost effective standpoint it seems a little ridiculous. So personally, the Humira will run me about $1000 per year, due to copays, whereas I paid absolutely nothing for the past 3 years of Remicade infusions. For me, financially, I'd be better off sticking with Remicade! Scrapgirl, I've been the same- no change at all after my infusions. Maybe some small improvements for a week or 10 days. My GI & myslef figured the Remicade was doing *something*, but not much. And not enough to justify continuing with it.

I can't wait until Humira is approved, because it would be so much more convenient.

Yeah, it's pretty dumb that they won't cover it. I think my GI keeps trying with each patient who wants it. But she also observes that Remicade works better than Humira.

At my doc's infusion center, the infusions are $7K+, insurance discount reduces to $3K+. This first year I ended up paying about $400 each until I reached my out-of-pocket max.