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Ulcerative Colitis
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Posted 7/9/2018 3:24 PM (GMT 0)
My PPO insurance is being phased out and replaced by a High Deductible plan with an HSA. Which means I'm going to start paying for my Lialda out of pocket, so I've been trying to find a better price.

My mail order service currently says that 180 Lialda pills costs $1200 without insurance. GoodRx.com says they can get me a coupon to buy this for $551. But there's also a "GoodRX Gold" membership you can buy. Does anyone know if "GoodRX Gold" lowers the price of Lialda even further? If so, by how much?
Posted 7/9/2018 3:40 PM (GMT 0)
I use GoodRx all the time. I took them up on the free 30 day trial for Gold & promptly canceled it. The reason was for the monthly medications I take, Gold would not save me one penny, seriously. I called & talked to someone there & it depends on each medication that you use.

If they are still offering the Gold on a free 30 day trial you can sign up for it & check the price. If it saves you no more money, do as I did promptly cancel it & you will not be charged a monthly fee. I still have my email stating I canceled it too.
Posted 7/9/2018 7:38 PM (GMT 0)
Can you get another insurance plan? Meds for IBD are crazy expensive without good insurance or co-pay assistance through the Drug manufacturer. How high is your deductible? If you use Good RX to get your meds none of that will apply towards the deductible. Might be better off biting the bullet and paying the price through insurance and in a few months max out the deductible and then it would be free the rest of the year.

As long as you still have your PPO try to stock up on your Lialda .. reorder as soon as possible (usually you can reorder a 3 month mail script after 2 months) so you can have a little stockpile while you are deciding what to do.
Posted 7/9/2018 7:46 PM (GMT 0)
I'd switch to another 5-ASA/Mesalamine before I paid that much out of pocket, even with goodRX discounts. Apriso, Delzicol, and Pentasa all have patient copay assistance cards. There's also the older, generic balsalazide disodium or Sulfasalazine that are waaay cheaper then mesalamines are (maybe even than with the copay assistance cards).

At least get pricing on some alternatives:
  • 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.
  • 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/
  • 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.
Posted 7/10/2018 1:36 PM (GMT 0)

CCinPA said...
As long as you still have your PPO try to stock up on your Lialda .. reorder as soon as possible (usually you can reorder a 3 month mail script after 2 months) so you can have a little stockpile while you are deciding what to do.

Hah, I've been doing this for years. turn

Has anyone switched between Sulfasalazine and Lialda? I have never been on sulfasalazine and I've been without a flare on Lialda for the last three years so I'm afraid to switch. Is there a reason even generic Lialda costs 8x-10x more?
Posted 7/10/2018 1:51 PM (GMT 0)

straydog said...
If they are still offering the Gold on a free 30 day trial you can sign up for it & check the price. If it saves you no more money, do as I did promptly cancel it & you will not be charged a monthly fee. I still have my email stating I canceled it too.

I just signed up for the free trial, and not only did it not save me money, the GoodRX Gold price was MUCH higher than the regular GoodRX price!
Posted 7/10/2018 1:54 PM (GMT 0)
Scientific studies have NOT shown a statistically-significant efficacy improvement in taking the newer delayed-release MMX coatings of the various oral mesalamines (lialda/apriso/asacol/delzicol) versus the older proto-mesalamine meds (Sulfasalazine, Balsalazide Disodium, Olsalazine).

The proto-mesalamines are a different means of delivery but achieve the same goal. They're more complex molecules that gut bacterium cleave into mesalamine and a byproduct. Mesalamine is delivered to the large intestine, just as it is with lialda (whereas lialda uses a MMX-plastic, PH-dissolving coating to deliver to the large intestine).

about that byproduct:

1.) Sulfasalazine does have a higher incidence of side effects (sulfa can be an allergen to some) predominantly headaches. Not everyone gets them, you could try it and see. Worstcase is you switch to something else.

2.) Balsalazide Disodium does not have the headache risk or the sulfa component. Generally the safer bet of the two, but at a slight premium over the other.

Certainly there is some degree of risk in changing your medications, from something that's working to an unknown. Whether you're willing to accept that risk is something to ponder. Certainly something to discuss with your gasteronenteroligist, risks/benefits of switching. If the cost of Lialda is prohibitive due to your High Deductible Plan, then I'd strongly consider the proto-mesalamines. Something I know all too well is that money disappears waay too fast, as it is.

We have some regular posters who take Balsalazide Disodium or it's brand-named Colazal version. Many have been taking it a very long time (some a decade or more). There's some who take Sulfasalazine as well. Olsalazine/Dipentum is a rather uncommon one, rarely asked about here (but part of the same proto-mesalamine group).

Post Edited (iPoop) : 7/10/2018 8:02:10 AM (GMT-6)

Posted 7/10/2018 2:34 PM (GMT 0)
I'd probably try switching to a med that costs less, or order from canada. A lot of the manufacturers have programs to help with copays. Look at our resources thread and ask your GI for one of the meds with a program. I think delzicol has - apriso too, or of course a generic.
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