Good evening,
Several of you have mentioned that your transplant nephrologist shifted you from Tacrolymous to Envarsus. Medicare Part B covered anti-rejection meds (at 80% I beludd we be). Does that include Envarsus? Finally, was it difficult for your transplant center to get Medicare Part B to approve Envarsus for coverage?
Thank you,
Marj Bock
Envarsus is tacrolimus. There’s a $0 copay card if you have commercial insurance. It’s a brand name drug, so it’s going to be expensive. No issues here with Medicare coverage.
How does the price for Envarsus compare with that fir Tacrolymous?
Jayhawker
Ugh...I didn't see your query 'til now. My feed is quirky. Yes, Medicare Part B pays for either Tacrolimus or Envarsus. No issues with that for us. Our transplant center initiated the change. My hubby had intense tremors taking full dose Tacrolimus - so our transplant center quickly switched him to Envarsus, apparently it's a timed release version of Tac. We were new to all of this so we had no idea what to do or what to ask for. The transplant center made the change - got everything approved and the situation settled down. My hubby still has a slight tremor, but can write okay. In our opinion, Envarsus is a lot gentler on the body.
I’m not sure but suspect that envarsus would be easier on my intestinal tract. Now that I’m CMV “not detected” for 7 months (yeah) and am still experiencing frequent moderate to severe diarrhea it is clear that my intestinal tract is not handling this med well. I’m no longer taking Myfortic. I’m only taking Tacrolymous and prednisone. Of course the diarrhea is causing dehydration issues as well as low glucose levels (during the episodes). I’m hoping my transplant nephrologist will shift me to Envarsus to see if it helps with the diarrhea…
Jayhawker
I'm pretty sure it will help with your tummy and your diabetes. I would try it for sure...after all, nothing ventured, nothing gained! I need to correct my earlier statement - Medicare itself pays 100% for Envarsus, Part B doesn't enter the picture. My hubby, who I consulted, is a stickler for accuracy. Lol.
Does your husband have Medicare because of age or because of the transplant? I’m just curious about why some people’s envarsus is fully covered and others are not.
My hubby says kidney transplant recipients qualify for lifetime Medicare coverage of their immunosuppressive drugs, regardless of age. He has paid nothing at all to date. He notes that if there's a outstanding amount for some odd reason, which has never happened to him, your supplemental plan will pick that up. But you do have to be on Medicare, of course. He suspects some younger folks opted to stay on a company group plan, hence subject to that group plan prescription guidelines.
My husband is younger, so he only has Medicare because of the ESRD and now transplant. He also has group coverage, but they will not cover Envarsus. Everything related to the transplant flows through Medicare.
Yup.. insurance entities do coordinate with each other, yet outside coverages can be tricky. Usually, though, supplemental plans will cover it. Not sure how your hubby's group insurance formulary dictates things. Group plans may not mirror what a supplemental plan or Plan D do.
Extra Meds for Travel
Medicare coverage post transplant
