Before leaving for the weekend, I picked up my Entocort prescription and found out that at least in the Northeast if you have Blue Cross Blue Shield insurance, that for a 180 capsule supply the cost is now only eight dollars depending on your normal co-pay. I checked and these are the brand name version.
The pharmacist mentioned that the pricing structure with the manufacturer has been updated. This was with Hanafords Supermarket pharmacy, I'm not sure if other pharmacy chains have the same pricing structure.
Hopefully now that the generic versions are competing the pricing for this medicatin will be more reasonable.
Entocort Pricing
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Joefnh
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Entocort Pricing
Joe
Joe, I have BCBS and I can get a 3 month supply (270) for $20 thru mail-in. Yes it is generic but works the same. I will only be able to do this 2 more times before Medicare kicks in.
Ginny
Ginny
God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change those things I can, and WISDOM to know the difference
After spending weeks researching Medicare supplemental plans and drug plans, I discovered that neither Entocort nor the generic are covered in my drug plan. Thank goodness I can order it through Canada or India. It would cost $5,000 a year otherwise.
Gloria
Gloria
You never know what you can do until you have to do it.
Joe,
Now why are you taking Entocort? Or is it for possible relapses? I thought you were getting Remicade infusions and that negated the need for Entocort? Just curious as to the meds you are taking whilst on your GF, SF, DF eating plan.
Rich
Now why are you taking Entocort? Or is it for possible relapses? I thought you were getting Remicade infusions and that negated the need for Entocort? Just curious as to the meds you are taking whilst on your GF, SF, DF eating plan.
Rich
"It's not what I believe. It's what I can prove." - A Few Good Men
I have gotten generic Entocort (budesonide) thru CVS pharmacy for most of the last year with no problem. I currently have CIGNA insurance thru my husband's employer. I think I have heard from others on this board that even the generic is not inexpensive.
When my GI doc first prescribed brand name Entocort in March, 2011, I was told by the pharmacist that the month my doc first prescribed, at 9mg/day, would have been $1000 exclusive of my insurance, which at the time was Anthem BC/BS. I was stupefied, and thankful, that I had the insurance that I did, that covered most of it. Since then, I have been scaling down on it, so have not incurred as much cost. Am about to take my last two 3mg pills, so we'll see what we see over the next week or so before my next visit with my GI doc.
When I was first diagnosed, my GI doc (who I consider to be well above the curve on MC treatment) said to me, look, there are only about 3 pages in the GI diagnostic manual about MC; it doesn't apparently kill you, it doesn't apparently cause cancer, and virtually no research dollars are going to follow the disease under that scenario. So, I have to agree with her that I don't think we can expect any significant attention to it, research, pharmaceutical, or otherwise. Kudos to her that she was all about dietary modification, saving me much trouble.
That said, all the more reason to pay attention to what we learn from each other on this board. Nobody
else is going to do it for us. I am thankful to have everyone here.
I know I have probably digressed a bit from the thread, but I think what my GI doc said is worth keeping in mind.
When my GI doc first prescribed brand name Entocort in March, 2011, I was told by the pharmacist that the month my doc first prescribed, at 9mg/day, would have been $1000 exclusive of my insurance, which at the time was Anthem BC/BS. I was stupefied, and thankful, that I had the insurance that I did, that covered most of it. Since then, I have been scaling down on it, so have not incurred as much cost. Am about to take my last two 3mg pills, so we'll see what we see over the next week or so before my next visit with my GI doc.
When I was first diagnosed, my GI doc (who I consider to be well above the curve on MC treatment) said to me, look, there are only about 3 pages in the GI diagnostic manual about MC; it doesn't apparently kill you, it doesn't apparently cause cancer, and virtually no research dollars are going to follow the disease under that scenario. So, I have to agree with her that I don't think we can expect any significant attention to it, research, pharmaceutical, or otherwise. Kudos to her that she was all about dietary modification, saving me much trouble.
That said, all the more reason to pay attention to what we learn from each other on this board. Nobody
else is going to do it for us. I am thankful to have everyone here.
I know I have probably digressed a bit from the thread, but I think what my GI doc said is worth keeping in mind.
Suze
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mzh
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Gee, I picked some up a couple of months ago and it was still outrageous. I have Anthem BC BS. It may be a different plan. I have a 75 cent copay up to $500. After that - which happens instantly if Entocort is the first thing I get in the start of the year - Major Medical picks up 80% of the rest. I still have to it upfront though. Shocking to put $1200 on the credit card for a bottle of pills.
BTW, the generic and the real thing are exactly the same pills!
BTW, the generic and the real thing are exactly the same pills!
Also have sleep apnea
That's the one made by AstraZeneca. There's another generic brand in the U. S. that has different inactive ingredients.Marcia wrote:BTW, the generic and the real thing are exactly the same pills!
Tex
It is suspected that some of the hardest material known to science can be found in the skulls of GI specialists who insist that diet has nothing to do with the treatment of microscopic colitis.