Eliquis (apixaban) cost and dosing question - Pharm wants $480 a month!

[clemsonwebdesign]

My insurance lapsed after our premiums went sky high ($1600 month family of 4) and my Eliquis is no longer covered. I have Afib once every 6 or so months and have to get cardioverted back into sinus, so my Dr. put me on the blood thinner last year. I currently take two 5mg pills a day. If I slowly cut that down to 2.5mg a day and take half an aspirin. Will that still offer me some stroke prevention? How can I get cheaper Eliquis? I dont want to stroke out because I don't have a extra $500 a month =-(

[etheral]

I don't know where you live but in Maine that is approximately the full retail price. I am paying that for 3 months because of insurance. You could ask your doc to switch to coumadin which is cheap but requires blood test monitoring. Sorry I don't know of an inexpensive source but you could check the internet and talk with your doc and pharmacist. Good luck!

[clemsonwebdesign in reply to etheral]

I live in South Carolina. Ya, I'm currently checking online pharmacies, they all looking so sketchy tho. One in canada who sources from Turkey claims to do 90pills for $200. Seems like sketch tho, no way to tell if its just a sugarpill or if its actual eliquis. I might have to start hunting for some on the street with drug dealers. I have a prescription so I guess thats an option.

[Aprilbday in reply to clemsonwebdesign]

This makes me so sad. I’m so sorry. Consider moving further up East Coast to get Kaiser Insurance. So much cheaper.

[dar2drm]

I think you might discuss this with your doctor again. I was always just on a baby aspirin until my ablation surgery. And I only need to be on a blood thinner for two months. I think you might have more options. And yikes on the insurance cost! Sorry about that.

[CDreamer in reply to dar2drm]

Aspirin is not recommended for AF stroke protection - it’s an anti-platelet NOT an anticoagulant - and neither are ‘blood thinners’.

I have to say though that last time I looked the US version of the AFA was still saying aspirin and blood thinners - why?

[Buffafly]

Makes me think we should be queuing to pay a little more for the NHS?

[Finvola in reply to Buffafly]

Absolutely! And vehemently opposing any privatisation of its services.

[Kaz747]

Stories like this make me so glad I live in Australia. Drugs like this are on the pharmaceutical benefits scheme meaning we pay a maximum of

$39.50 if we are working or $6.40 if on a pension.

[Aprilbday]

Absolutely unacceptable and terribly awful to face such choices on important health care! Wonder if you can get the medicine from Canada or Mexico provided its legal and safe? I have been a life long Republican, then independent but with financial health care concerns such as you described makes me want to vote for that freaking socialist Bernie Sanders!!! 😫

[Aprilbday]

Also can you get Kaiser Insurance? You have to be on upper east or west coast of USA. It’s so much cheaper!!!!

Call them!!!

[Aprilbday]

The other issue with that is you don’t want to risk a bleed combining aspirin with it. Talk to the pharmacist!

[clemsonwebdesign]

We had ACA but my wife got a new job (Shes a RN) and we had to take her job insurance per ACA rules. This year our premiums went skyhigh and we just cant do it. So we dont qualify for ACA cuz her job offers insurance and we cant afford the ridiculous insurance, so we are effectively screwed. Not sure what I'm going to do. I have HCM (IHSS) with a ICD in my chest with medical bills piling up to the sky. Warifin is cheap but not something I want to be on. Going to call my EP, see if i cant get a cheaper alternative to eliquis. From what Google says tho, all the "new" blood thinners are ridiculously expensive.

[pottypete1 in reply to clemsonwebdesign]

Whilst some view Warfarin with fear because it was used as rat poison 😀, I have been taking it for 10years+. I am still here to tell the tale and I have had no issues whatsoever.

If it is a less expensive option maybe that should be considered as an option.

Pete

[kyoom in reply to pottypete1]

Well said.

I fully agree with you reasoning.

Warfarin works well and is very safe.

The newer anti coagulants are expensive and still to early to tell of the side effects.

What works well is the safest.

[perkman]

My brother was on warfarin for years and had no issues.

[wilsond]

My dad was on warfarin for 15 years and got used to the blood tests etc.Many feel it offers more of a personalised protection .Best wishes

[Chaddy44]

sorry to hear about your predicament . in the UK we get our medication free , my doctor told me that the tablets cost £1 each about 1.25 dollars so I don't know why you are charged such an extortionate price.

[kvmj]

I also live in SC. I used to take Eliquis, but am now n Xarelto. All of the newer anti-coagulants are very expensive. Next year, all costs will skyrocket (someone has to pay for those tax cuts). Eliquis does have a program where you can get one month free, then $10 per month for the next 24 months. Your doctor should have the coupons. If not, go here:

eliquis.bmscustomerconnect.... SC is one of the states that refused Medicaid expansion, so you won't get any help there.

Vote in November.

[Maggimunro]

Hi there

Living in the IK most of the time, and retired, I am lucky that my Apixiban is free.

However, I miscalculated and ran out of tablets whilst in France this week. I was charged €76 for one month’s supply from the pharmacy upon production of my script. Soooo, the question is, could you look on say Google.fr and see if you could get them shipped from France?

[Heart1234Wisconsin]

I was on Warfarin for awhile, redid my Medicare part D and transitioned to eliquis. Even with that the damned stuff is expensive. I thought trump was going to reduce costs for drugs....guess another forgotten promised.

Warfarin May be your best bet.

[hrplants in reply to Heart1234Wisconsin]

It's the ACA that's the $ killer, lucky I don't have to have it, I pay $50 for 3 month supply of Eliquis, with my insurance, Empire blue cross blue shield

[macasil]

You might try the drug manufacturer of eliquis-they have a patient assistance program but you have to income qualify and not have insurance- I think income is based on number in family

Google eliquis patient assistance

[rogerctyler]

I live in the UK & over 60 so like an earlier responder put I don’t have to pay anything for my drugs, we get them all free on the NHS (National health service), which is a good thing because I’m on 14 tablets per day + insulin twice a day.

[stevejen]

Go to the Eliquis website, there is a coupon that gives the med at $10

[Deadwoodmike]

Have you tried Xarelto? Or maybe get the good rx app. I was at the pharmacy last month to get omeprazole 40 mg capsules. My insurance doesn’t cover it any longer. It was gonna be about $120.00. The pharmacy tech told me to wait a minute. She got on her smart phone and went to Good RX. I’m not sure exactly what she did but the price dropped from $120.00 to $41.15! It may be worth a try.

[clemsonwebdesign in reply to Deadwoodmike]

Goodrx is showing xatelto at $436 with a coupon.

goodrx.com/xarelto

[clemsonwebdesign]

Just a update. My EP helped me apply for the BM assistance program. They approved me. Took quite a bit of pushing and phone calls to get them to actually send me some eliquis tho. Got the first shipment, They're suppose to send me monthly bottles (worth $480 ea) for the next year but its looking like I'm going to have to hassle them to follow thru. If you haven't tried the BM assistance program, give it a shot. I didnt think I'd qualify but did.

[Pancho35]

Look at PharmacyChecker online. I get Apixaban (generic Eliquis) 180 tablets for $138 from Pharmstore pharmacy in Winnipeg . That's about $0.77/tablet.