Xgeva

[Maludagui]

A pleasure to greet you 🌺 I want to know if any of you are receiving financial help to pay Xgeva Thank you. Can you explain to me how the help works?

[TNVol]

I live in the States and am on Medicare. I received Xgeva for several months before switching to Zometa. As long as Xgeva is administered in a physician's office, it was covered by standard Medicare as any other injection and I had no additional expense.

[Maludagui in reply to TNVol]

Oh nice. That is very good. I have United healthcare and only is covering 20%. I need to pay 852$ 🥲 it is too much for me

[Buffwright in reply to Maludagui]

That’s extraordinary! If you’re not yet on Medicare, I would appeal to United Healthcare about the cost. Is your shot delivered at a doctor’s office?

[Maludagui in reply to Buffwright]

Yes at hospital

[Bettybuckets in reply to Maludagui]

Remember that you qualify for Medicare after 2 years with MBC no matter your age

[survivedit in reply to Bettybuckets]

Is this true about Medicare? Can you provide any more information? That would be such a huge deal for me if I could get on Medicare.

[Maludagui in reply to Bettybuckets]

Really ??? I don’t know that

[ChrisVict in reply to Bettybuckets]

So you I get Medicare if I have MBC for 2years no matter my age

Because I have been thinking of going on SSDI and I was so concerned about being covered because I am not 65.

[Wintervt in reply to ChrisVict]

Yes, ChrisVict!

Here is the link: ssa.gov/disability/

[Bettybuckets in reply to ChrisVict]

Yes but you can give up your job for any reason.... Pain-too much for you/ anxiety around treatment/ need your energy to get to treatment... doesn’t matter... but then they make you wait 6 months... so quit ASAP and the SSDI application is easy but gather your dx snd path reports... and MBC never gets denied. Plus you will get the maximum amt you would get at full retirement age.... and not what you would get if retired now... like me I am 60. So I can get the monthly payment of a 67 year old... as that is my full retirement age. And then Medicare kicks in after 2 years. Hope that was helpful.

[ChrisVict in reply to Bettybuckets]

But I do have to wait 2years for Medicare

So I wouldn’t be covered I would have to on state insurance which I don’t think my providers take

[Pachira]

I’m also with Medicare/United health care advantage plan 2. I’m seen by an oncologist at providence hospital and I’m sent to the infusion clinic where a nurse administers the shot. They bill UHC thousands including for observation then my payment ends up at around $536. I started on Xgeva monthly but asked for EOM then every 3 months. Not because of the cost though it would have been hard to manage but because I believed that every 3 months would be enough. I didn’t like the sound of osteocrenosis of the jaw and I believe Xgeva also can affect the femur over time. Someone on this site posted a really good video of a doctor explaining how Xgeva works and I was happy to hear him say that every 3 months was fine. Now in saying that, it would be a conversation between you and your Oncologist. Are you eligible for Medicaid? Hopefully someone else will come up with other ideas for you but I would start with asking the person sending you the bill. They should know. Good luck Chris

[Jhshl512]

I am also on Xgeva shots. I have Medicare and blue cross. It is covered 100%. Maybe consider changing to blue cross. Good luck

[Maludagui in reply to Jhshl512]

Thanks. My insurance is from my work

[NShaft in reply to Jhshl512]

Is Blue Cross your supplement plan?

[Jhshl512 in reply to NShaft]

Yes. Medicare is my prime, but even when bc was my prime Xgeva was still covered

[PJBinMI]

I had no idea that some of us were charged so much for Xgeva! I am on Social Security now due to my age, so I have Medicare and an exceptionally good supplemental policy through my final employer. I pay more for insurance premiums than I do for all my other medical expenses.

Many cancer centers and some oncs' offices have a person on their staff who helps patients find out what insurance and other medical coverage they can apply for. Ask if your onc's office has someone like that.

If you have worked enough quarters, MB C makes us eligible for Social Security Disability but the difficulty for many with that is that we have to have quit our job to apply and then there is a five month wait to start receiving it. That wait stretches to be actually six months as we receive payment in the month after it is for. And when in the month we receive it depends on when our birthday falls in the month. I get my SS on the fourth Wed. of the month as I was born late in the month.

I have been on bone meds, first Zometa and now Xgeva for almost 17 years and have received them no more often than every 3 months after the first few months of treatment. The thing I liked the most about Zometa was that it got me a seat in the infusion room where I could talk with other cancer patients!

It is really important that we have good dental care before and while we are on these bone meds. Ideally, we go off them for a total of six months if we need any invasive dental work. I had to do that once about two years ago and have had no problems.

I hope you are able to find all the information that you need and will have resources to help you pay for one of these bone meds. It's crazy that they cost so much!

[Andibo]

My doctors office helped me apply for financial assistance directly with the company that makes Xgeva. I was approved and they cover my shots 100%. Talk to your doctor and see if they can help you deal with the company.

[Maludagui in reply to Andibo]

Yes thanks. I applied and first I need to pay and next (don’t know what time this take) they return. The problem right now is I can’t to pay first 🥲

[atoth17]

Contact Amgen directly (the manufacturer of the the drug). They have a few different programs, one is help with whatever your insurance doesn’t cover and the other is help when your insurance denies it. My insurance is refusing to cover it so I filled out the application and have to have my Oncologist fill out one sheet, the drug will be shipped to the office. 100% covered as long as we make under $130K/yr for a family of four. I’m so glad I called Amgen, the people I spoke with were so friendly and helpful.