ELiquis is $457. A month

[Salty0987]

Just curious .....I am in the US and my Eliquis is $457. Month which is horrid. I had to do without basics before I got on Medicare but it only pays for a certain number of months and now I am paying that again. This is a hardship. I was wondering if it is a lot cheaper in the UK and do you think I could get an American RX filled there?

[CDreamer]

I would have little or no idea how much meds cost as in the UK the NHS foots the bill. If you are under 60 you would pay a standard charge which I think is around £8-9 per item? - you would pick up a months supply. Many people think that is too much! If you are over 60 it is free. If you have a chronic condition you can pay a annual 'pass' which means you would get your items at a discounted rate.

This does mean that sometimes the GPs don't like prescribing certain meds because of cost - NOACs for instance when they were first introduced - sometimes because of the cost difference.

Our NHS however is a bit broken at the moment but still attempts to stick to the principle which is that all healthcare should be free at the point of delivery and universally available to all.

There is a private health service which runs in parallel with its own system and but I would say that most people would rely upon the NHS.

I am not sure how on earth you would go about getting prescription filled from the US in the Uk. Boots is the largest chain of chemist in the UK with a postal delivery service so maybe look at their site?

[Salty0987 in reply to CDreamer]

Wow...that is wonderful. We certainly have a healthcare problem here.

[PeterWh in reply to Salty0987]

Boots is owned by Walmart.

Check carefully because the USA has some very strict laws regarding the importing of drugs even if personal use.

[CDreamer in reply to PeterWh]

Good point, but I am not sure if an 'alien' script would be fulfilled unless in an emergency and in person.

[PeterWh in reply to CDreamer]

See below

[Oldcarol in reply to CDreamer]

I just tried to order eliquis form that pharmacy 2u in UK. They only deliver in UK. I am in US-KENTUCKY. Looks like we need to switch to warfarin. I can't afford it either.

[PeterWh in reply to PeterWh]

There are two options to look at. On line and delivery or coming in person either with an American prescription or seeing someone privately here and getting prescription. As it could be as little as $125 per month if you could get 6 or 12 months supply then off season flight would be cheaper.

[Goldfish_]

Eliquis. 5mg 56 tabs £76 as a private script from pharmacy2u . Maybe contact them to see if they can send to you ?pharmacy2u.co.uk/productdet...

I don't think most people appreciate how lucky they are to have the NHS, although it seems it is currently at breaking point unable to meet expectations and demand with a workforce that is stretched to its limit. Something radical has to happen soon!

[PeterWh in reply to Goldfish_]

I was thinking circa £85 for one month so that's half of what I thought!!!!!

[CDreamer in reply to Goldfish_]

Having lived outside the UK and travelled extensively, including the US, I REALLY appreciate it. As my parents, sister and brother, uncle and cousins have all worked in the NHS since its inception, it is very sad to see it's decline.

I am not sure how we can continue without paying a lot more for it and showing our appreciation to the staff. It is rather worrying, you don't know what you have until it's gone.

[Oldcarol in reply to Goldfish_]

I just tried to order eliquis from this company and "they only deliver in the UK. Not the US

[PeterWh]

Salty. What about Canada or Mexico?

[SRMGrandma Volunteer]

I am also in the US and I take Xarelto and for that drug, there is an online card on their web site that takes care of the co-pay, and then insurance pays the rest. Not sure how it works with Medicare, but worth a look, as maybe Eliquis has a similar deal...or maybe you could switch to Xarelto.

[Evefay in reply to SRMGrandma]

They won't let you do that on medicare. It's so unfair!

[Mazza23]

In Australia our scripts are not free but if on a pension they are $6.20 each until you have spent $620 then they are free the normal cost of Eliquis is $110.00 a month

[teach2learn]

I am on Medicare and on Eliquis also, getting it through "Express Scripts" which is mail delivery for drugs that are needed for chronic conditions. If you go to the pharmacy you will get charged full price. My copay is $20 for a 90-day supply. If my doctor were to prescribe double the needed mg, I could cut it in half and get it half as often, but the same price, though I'm betting there's something illegal about that. All that said, pharmaceuticals are covered by secondary insurance, as I'm pretty sure the free Medicare Part A doesn't include them. So it means you have to look really hard at what drugs are covered by your supplemental insurance, in my case my husband's military coverage, Tricare. I'm not aware of any time limit on that one, but maybe just because I haven't hit it yet. The real problem is the drug companies that seem to have no limit on what they can charge for essential medication, ie. the Epipen that is necessary for people with allergies to stay alive during an emergency! They've gone from $30/per injector to $300 simply because the jerk who bought the company can get away with it. The drug itself, epinephran, is actually quite cheap but needs a professional to use the old-fashioned needle. It's highway robbery to charge more than fair compensation just because they can.

[Oldcarol in reply to teach2learn]

Yesterday's update on CNN, epic pennies now $600.00US

[teach2learn in reply to Oldcarol]

I think that's for a set, though, of two or three. I heard the report, too, and it was kind of confusing as they reported different people's purchases.

[BobD Volunteer]

Maybe too simple and answer but what is wrong with warfarin? Until ten yeats ago that is all we had and for most people it is fine. It is also pence as opposed to pounds and I am sure similarly cheap in USA.

[EricR in reply to BobD]

BobD, Nothing is really wrong with warfarin other than it can cause dangerous hemorrhaging unless clotting levels are measured by weekly or regular blood draws. This can be difficult for those who either do not drive or live in rural areas of the US where a clinical lab is some distance away. I was on it for several months and suffered no ill effects, but my wife and I like to travel a bit by car and travel trailer. Locating a nationally affiliated lab was somewhat of pain, notwithstanding the fact that I had to go to my lab every week or so and wait in line. Being on Eliquis with no blood draws required and experiencing no side effects has been a welcomed improvement in my recovery.

[BobD Volunteer in reply to EricR]

Been on it for years. Work with engines and race cars , never bleed much longer than before and only test about every twelve weeks on average with 85% record of in limits. If one is worried about levels you can always self test. Until NOACS were available warfarin or nothing was what you got. How on earth did we manage? For the few people who have trouble staying in range NOACs are great but they are more expensive as they are so new and manufacturers need to amortize costs,

[Dodie117]

I agree with Bob. Look at warfarin and maybe getting the machine for self testing. Although I have moved from warfarin to eliquis, the warfarin was OK and easier to control with the machine. However not sure how the testing works in USA and the strips for self testing may be expensive to buy in USA. Worth looking into.

[Hidden]

I don't know the cost in the UK but I assume my GP does. And he said that the cost when taking into account the testing requirements for Warfarin were possibly similar (to Warfarin), maybe lower, so he was happy to prescribe it. My EP wanted me on Apixaban because of the lower risk of a bleed.

Koll

[Gracey23]

I'm also in the US and have experienced similar. I am taking Pradaxa which is only costing me a small co-pay. I am on Medicare and have a pharmaceutical supplement plan from United Healthcare. My Fkecanaide and Pradaxa are covered with a monthly cost of $55.00. United Healthcare wouldn't cover Eliquis unless Warfarin had failed because of cost. Pradaxa is working very well for me and I would suggest switching to it. There's no reason to pay for Eliquis when Pradaxa will do the job. I'm not sure how Obamacare has helped anyone, the costs for care are skyrocketing here in US . Good luck and good health, Gracey

[dave205]

GoodRx.com has it for $366. Different Medicare insurance companies have different price.

I have Humana Medicare advantage it is $131 for a 90 day supply.

Bristol-Myers Squibb Patient Assistance Foundation has for free if you qualify.

bmspaf.org/Pages/Home.aspx

[Salty0987 in reply to dave205]

I have Humana Medicare also and things were going well until I hit something they call the donut hole. My Eliquis cost reached that limit so now I am on my own.....thank you everyone for your good advice..

SAlty...

[rosyG in reply to Salty0987]

is it worth pointing out to them that it prevents you needing to claim much more from a possible stroke-

[djmnet]

You need to get on a Medicare supplement plan; zero additional premium to be paid, but it will cover Eliquis for a $45 month co-pay. Check it out at renewal time (starting in October).

[Mila30309 in reply to djmnet]

Which supplement plan do you have?

[djmnet]

It's a Medicare Advantage Plan that includes Plan D for drug coverage through United Healthcare. No extra premium. I think Anthem Blue Cross also offers a similar plan.

[irene75359]

To all my British fellow forum users - I think our National Health Service is wonderful too, and I am sorry that services are sorely depleted in many areas due to budgetary constraints. I wouldn't have minded paying significantly more all my working life so long as the money was ring fenced for the NHS. And I should like NHS Trusts to be less 'top heavy' - I never cease to be amazed when the director of one failed trust leaves with an incredible payoff and pops up again as the head of another trust within weeks - always with eye-watering salaries.

[Sebhel in reply to irene75359]

Yes, agree totally! We are so lucky to have the NHS with its dedicated staff! Unfortunately it's being exploited by some careerists!

Can anyone please explain how the revolving door system can be justified by its adherents... The only feeble excuse seems to be that they stick together with the "Scratch my back... " Policy!

A desperate strategy which is held onto by the "You need us - we need top wages" elitists

[Annekw]

When the NOAC's come off patent,they will be as cheap as chips! And far safer than Warfarin,that's why they have been developed.

[PeterWh in reply to Annekw]

Unless I am mistaken drug patents last for 25 years so we have 20 years or so to wait.

[EricR]

Most all senior Americans on Medicare know that it only pays for the cheapest medications, like warfarin and the for basic care for illnesses. It pays little or nothing for new generation medications such as Eliquis or Pradaxa. Unless older Americans can afford the monthly premiums for a Medicare supplement policy (my 74-year old wife and I pay a $72 a month premium for an HMO policy through UnitedHealthcare), the cost for medications would force me to stay on Warfarin. With our supplemental Medicare policy, I only pay $131 for a 3-month supply of Eliquis. Our supplemental policy has been an amazing blessing. The total cost of emergency treatment, hospitalization and outpatient rehabilitation following my full cardiac arrest including implantation surgery for my defribillator/pacemaker totaled nearly $450,000. If we had only Medicare, paying a large portion of these costs would have had a devastating impact on the quality of life in our retirement.

[Salty0987 in reply to EricR]

ERic, I am on Humana Medicare with plan D but after a certain amount of money the plan pays, I have to pay 100% of the drug. I was doing fine until last month then I reached the donut hole. Does your plan pay up to a certain amount and then it stops?

[EricR in reply to Salty0987]

Salty, I am fortunate to only be prescribed 3 medications for my afib - Carvedilol, Eliquis and Atovastatin. My health has improved to a level where my doctors took me off of most of my medications except the 3. Two of them are generic and cost practically nothing. I have Part D, but haven't

come anywhere near the "donut hole", where one has to pay a lion's share of the costs of medications.

[bear4ble]

May I suggest that you contact the Tahoma Clinic because they might be able to arrange an alternative for less.