Entyvio co-pay assistance

Since I got new insurance as of 1/1/18, I had to re-enroll for co-pay assistance. My dr faxed over the forms to Entyvio Connect on 1/8/18. My infusion is scheduled for tomorrow 1/19. I have made many many phone calls to try to get the new ID numbers so I can get them to the hospital for billing purposes and have been having no luck so far. Yesterday I was told that Entyvio Connect doesn't handle the co-pay assistance anymore -- it's now done through a 3rd party and I had to register online for it. That was the first time in all the phone calls to them starting on 1/9 that I was told that! I registered online right away and called back and was told it would take 3-5 days to get the number. When I explained that my infusion was tomorrow they said they would expedite it and I would probably get it today. So today I called again and was again told it would be 3-5 days and they asked if I got a confirmation email that the form had been submitted. I never got a confirmation email about the form, but did get a "Welcome" email from Takeda. I am now waiting on a manager to call me back so I can find out what is going on.

I got so much conflicting information including one man guaranteeing that my old ID number was still ok to use and then the next time I called a different person telling me that wasn't true. And then to find out only yesterday that the form that my dr faxed wasn't valid and it had to be done online! Heading into my infusion tomorrow I still don't know if I am going to be on the hook for $2500 (my max out of pocket) or not. So frustrating to say the least!

Getting my pre-authorization from my new insurance was a breeze and was done within a few days. This has been almost 2 weeks now to get the Entyvio ID numbers and I still don't have them.

Has anyone had any problems with co-pay assistance for 2018? I never had any problems with Entyvio Connect before.

Maybe put off the infusion for 3-5 days? Unless you are feeling you can't/shouldn't wait? I am on Entyvio but don't use the copay assistance because I'm on Medicare and THANK GOD! it's covered under medical since I go to the hospital (outpatient, but apparently Medicare doesn't care) for the infusions, so along with Medicare + my supplemental, I pay Zero. So happy. I'm waiting for it to get all messed up someday, though, by Medicare deciding it's not medical anymore but prescription cost. And unfortunately, Medicare prescription plan isn't all that great with the expensive medications, because there's no man out of pocket limit.

I do get my Apriso through their patient assistance program, and this year the application is going through a new company. Not sure if they sold the product, or if it's a 3rd party. Always more hoops to jump through, isn't there?

Flowers, I don't want to put off the infusion. I have been under extreme stress the past 2 months and have started seeing some blood in my stools again. It's fading since I upped my Asacol to the max (was on a low dose), started enemas, and started drinking nopal water again, but I think I need this infusion to keep a flare away.

Spring, if you haven't heard anything from Entyvio and it's been more than a week since the forms were faxed you should check. Seems to be a lot of confusion there since they made the change in how the assistance program is handled.

Oh good!

Actually, since insurance counts the amount I would have to pay no matter if I actually pay or Entyvio pays I am going to hit my out of pocket with just this infusion ... unless the hospital charges a whole lot less than retail for the Entyvio. So I will be paying $5 and the rest of the year will be free. Will be a nice change from having to pay so much oop each year.