Kentucky girl who cant get insurance

Is there some reason that I cant get insurance for being on Suboxone? Does ANYONE know of anything that helps with discounts other than the coupon from the Suboxone website?
I have called numerous pharmacies and found one where they are 7.20 a strip if you buy 30, they are 7.50 if you buy less than 30. That is cheaper than the 8 bucks a strip that I pay now but that pharmacy is 30 miles away. Something else, every pharmacy that I call says those free discount cards are not worth using. Does anyone have one that they know works? Do they just work for the big chain pharmacies? I called the bigger chain pharmacies and they want upwards of 9.50 a strip so by the time that the card takes anything off, they are gonna be the same price as the smaller pharmacies.
They declined me medical insurance because I am currently on Suboxone. They declined my husband insurance because he is overweight. Its a shame that you cant even get medical insurance.They have this insurance thing for Kentucky but its crazy expensive and it doesnt even say if it covers Suboxone or not.
I have called every doctor that I can think of in the state of KY, none of them prescribe Subutex. You have to be pregnant to get it. I even had one that told me Suboxone was cheaper than Subutex!!!! I told her you have that mixed up, she said no I dont. I said look lady, I am buying the stuff every month Subutex is 50 percent cheaper or more than Suboxone. She then proceeded to hang up on me.
I was on the Here to Help program, but my doctor told me that you cant reapply for that until you have been off of it a year. I dont think that is right either.
I like my doctor , he is nice but his lies are showing through at times. He said that the reason other doctors write Subutex is because they arent afraid of getting in trouble, but there is NO LAW ANYWHERE that states Subutex is for pregnant women only and that if a doctor prescribes it the DEA will beat their door down and arrest them.
I had one doctors office tell me that they wouldnt take me unless I had insurance and it would still be a four month wait and they "MIGHT" write it. I said well can you ask the doctor for me and get back to me? She said that she couldnt. I feel like Im stuck between a rock and a hard place. Its not that we cant afford it, but i would like to make it more affordable so I am not sucking our income.
My husband doesnt care regardless, he wants me better by any means. This is a flaw of mine, I constantly price shop. I am always looking for the cheaper prices. I do this in stores, I dont get hateful wtih him but if he spends more than I think he should I do get a little upset.
Right now, I am paying 300 a month for doctor visit and about 200~ for medication. I thought about calling my PCP doctor and seeing if he would write it for me as off label for pain. Even if I could get it that way, it would still be so much cheaper.
The visit would be 65 bucks and the medication wouldnt even be 100 bucks. I couldnt imagine if I could get that done, but my PCP doctor is really backwards acting.
The pain clinics around here are weird too, we have actually had one get busted back last year. If you ask anyone that knows about pain clinics in this state, which one is the best? They usually tell you, NONE go out of state.

If anyone has any advice, tips, links for websites, know a doctor....ANYTHING thank you so much.

Hi pittbullmomma,
I apologize for not responding to your post sooner, I have had some internet issues the past month or so and it makes it hard for me to get here.

So you were told that using a coupon wouldn't be worth it? I don't see how that could be, if you used the coupon from the manufacturer of Suboxone that would be saving you $50.00 of your prescription each month. $50 is $50 either way you look at it.
And not is it now just for the big chains. You should be able to use that discount card at any pharmacy that stocks Suboxone.
Also RXassist has one that I had to use before Suboxone came out with theirs, it saved me about $70 on my prescription and I used it every 2 weeks back then. Here is the link to RxAssist. http://www.rxassist.org/coupon/generic?type=index

Your right, there is no law anywhere that says a doctor cannot prescribe Subutex. Doctors are scared and they listen to what they are told by the pharmacuticle reps, and just like any other person they also hear a lot from other sources. Take patients for instance, they listen to what they read on the internet. The more they read the more they listen. Doctor's talk to other doctor's, the more they talk, the more they hear. And it goes on and on.

It is sad to be denied health insurance. What is going to happen to people who are denied when they actually have to have it in order to be compliant with Obama-care? Who's going to pay that fine? The insurance company that turned you down? NO.
Have you checked to see if there is a high risk plan that you can get in your area. Some states do have them. Let me see if I can find a link for your state and if so, I will post it for you.

The here to help program or patient assistance program that is offered by the manufacturer of Suboxone is only for a year. The reason being is that each doctor can only have up to 3 patients on the program at a time. The program was not meant to take the place of finding other help but to help people until they could obtain help or find work once in recovery so they could afford their medication. Having the limit on the length of time opens up space for other patients so they can get help as well.
In a perfect word there would be more resources out there for paying for medications. All medications not just Suboxone. My sister can't afford to pay for her heart medication so she goes without most days. It's a shame when people have to go without just because they can't afford their life saving medications.

It is good to have you here with us, we have some really great members on the forum and I am sure they will be here as soon as they can to say hello and welcome you to the forum as well.
It is good to meet you
Dee

Oh no hun, I must have wrote that wrong. The coupon helps dont get me wrong. But they said that the discount cards at my local pharmacy wasnt any count, because they jack the price up of the medication and then by the time the card comes off, its the same price as their cash price.
That is what I meant, sometimes I cant get across what I am trying to say by typing. I will print that card out at Mom's tomorrow. I am going to try a different pharmacy next month, just to see if the coupon and the card makes it any cheaper than my local pharmacy.
We are doing ok, but the more money that we save the better off that we will be.
I always try to save as much as I can, and I thank you for the information and the link for the card. I might do some calling tomorrow and see if they can give me a estimate. I know what your sister is going through, my mother in law went through it. They switched her liver medicine and it was over 600 a month and she was only bringing in 630. We got them to switch it back to what she previously had even though it took us a couple of months, she had to go without her liver medicine well her normal dosage for awhile there.
Sadly, my mother in law is gone now. She died of liver failure. She was on the list for a liver transplant but where her mental stability wasnt the best, she was not a good candidate. I dont understand how they can sleep at night when they decide things like that. I know that someone elses family thinks the same thing for a child, but its just hurtful to think how the meidcal community works these days.

Welcome! My name is Rae & you have definitely come to the right place! I've been posting and connecting with the wonderful people on this site since November. My feelings about this site is that it has proven to be a judgement-free zone. At times you may not agree or you may hear the truth even if it's not what you want to hear. But it's honest & it is always said with care and support. We all have our lives and views & sometimes they are not the same. But there is a high level of respect and I've built a few strong relationships. As a recovering addict we all face challenges and it just feels good to share with others that are facing the same issues.
I'm happy to hear that you have a great relationship with your hubby. He sounds very loving & supportive. I agree with him when he says, "everything happens for a reason" I am a strong believer in that phrase & I personally know that if my prayer doesn't get answered or I don't get what I am after. There is something else God had in mind for me. (I hope you don't mind me sharing my views )
Well, I've gotta run. I am the one who pops in every now & then but can't stay too long. I just wanted to welcome you & wish you well!
Take care,
-Rae

I thank you guys for welcoming me to the site. It is nice to be able to speak about what is going on and not be judged or scolded about it. The previous site that I used to speak with others about addiction did nothing but scold anyone who vented about Suboxone and its costs. I tried to make them understand that not everyone gets medical insurance, not everyone gets Subutex. They think that its absurd that I cant beg my current doctor for medicine when I already have, that I should be able to walk in there with a stack of papers and make it ok.
That might work for some, but around here it doesnt work. IF I walked in the office and said, there are no laws that say you cant write it now do it.. He is going to look at me and tell me find another doctor or get pregnant and I can write it.
There is a high risk insurance that I found but it doesnt cover addiction treatment or I dont think that it does, but I am about 90 percent sure that it wont cover the medicine because its brand name.
There was a news post on the Suboxzone website that I read that said the FDA denied the Citizens Petition that Reckitt Benckiser put in for, basically allowing other generic companies to make their alternatives of Suboxone at cheaper prices. FDA is going to allow those to come through now, if you search for it on Google and make the search tools show just stories about it in the past 24 hours or week it will show up.
That will help alot of people that are wanting generic alternatives like myself. If I can save say 35 percent off my medicine every month, that adds up over time. I think that is a wonderful thing, Ive done the math. I know how much it will save and how much that helps towards other bills every month.
I did apply for insurance through another company, Anthem. They want over 250 a month with a 500 deductible, not sure if the medicine is covered I will call them before I pay ANYTHING and find out.I do my homework before I pay a huge amount for something and then find out it covers nothing. My mother had a discount plan that was kinda like insurance but it basically made her doctor's appointments cheaper, and it knocked so much off her medicine every month. She cant remember who it was through because once she found out that it wasnt real insurance, she cancelled it. She paid over 450 a month for COBRA because she is high risk, she had a quadruple bypass back in 2006 and basically can have heart attacks at any given time. So they file her under high risk and charge her a fortune.
They said on the denial that was for BCBS. my husband was overweight and that I was currently taking addiction medication Suboxone and was uncoverable. That is insane to me, this world is so bent out of shape. How do these people sleep at night? I know we just have to get through the world the best way that we know how and then die,but its just upsetting to me how they deny people everyday because they know if they go and get high risk insurance, they will make double their money if not triple.
My doctors office doesnt take insurance, I can turn in the receipts I believe and get reimbursed for it? If this insurance company doesnt do that, then there is no way that it will pay off to have it even if it covers the medicine because the cost of the insurance is the same as the cost of the medcine LOL. It was supposed to be 135 dollars a month but after you put down your information somehow it doubles in cost.
Oh well, I can gripe and groan until I am blue in the face and nothing will change lol.
Hope that everyone's morning is a great one, I didnt get alot of sleep last night. Some nights are better than others, I wish that they would give me something other than Trazodone that helped me to sleep. I hate that stuff, it makes my face feel like its swelling or on fire and the next morning I feel like I have drank way too much the night before, I get a hang over feeling.
We are redying my hair this afternoon so I will be posting a new avatar as soon as its dry and rolled yada yada. Its going to have a purple bottom and pink on the top with purple fring around my face and bangs. I love changing my hair every so often, its therapeutic for me.
Well you guys have a lovely morning, I will check back in later today.

It is hard for people who have not gone through what you are going through to understand just how it is for you. In some states insurance is not an issue. Take my state for instance. I live in Vermont, one of the easiest states that I've ever lived in as far as insurance goes. A family with children does qualify for medicaid. A child under the age of 19 working or not qualifies for medicaid. Once your over the age of 19 and working you still qualify for insurance. That insurance changes to VHAP- VHAP is almost like medicaid expect in some cases you do have to pay a premium each month which is not costly at all. (up to $60 a month) depending on your income.

When I moved down south to Alabama for a few years I was used to the Vermont way of life so to speak. I applied for medicaid but was turned down. My son was only 6 at the time and I felt sure that since the only income I had was $547 per month we would qualify for insurance but we didn't- not even for my son. According to their rules we made too much money. Take away what I paid for rent and I had no money. I shared a place with my sister so I was lucky but still no insurance at all.

In Washington DC, addiction treatment such as methadone treatment is paid for. No cost to the patient. I'm not sure about Suboxone but I am going to check into it because I am curious as to how that one plays out.
Different places, different rules and regulations.

It is crazy out there. How can people survive?
The more health problems, the higher your insurance may be. If a company turned you down because of addiction it was wrong. It was discrimination. Addiction treatment is supposed to qualify as mental health treatment.

No of course you cannot just walk into a doctors office and tell them what to do and yes they will throw you out on your *arse* fast than anything.

One thing I want to make clear about this forum, my number one rule is no judgment, ridicule or making fun of someone because of what they say or what their beliefs are. We are all so different but alike as well. Why make fun of or judge someone just because of something they may have said or done in the past. Zero tolerance. You have to be careful with other forums. I am not just saying that because I am the admin of this one, I say it because I've been there. Before starting this forum, I was made fun of on another one because I had been on Suboxone for longer than some of the other patients. And I wanted a place where people could feel safe in discussing their problems and at the same time a place where everlasting friendships could be formed.

We have one moderator on the forum. Her name is Blue eyes. She is a gem, and I am sure that once you meet her you will see just how great she is.
If you ever have a problem on the forum please let her or I know and we will take care of it.
Blue is on a short vacation right now but should be back in town sometime later on. Give her a little time to get settled in and she will be by to say hello.

Thank you for the information on the news about Suboxone, I will go read it and if I can find the article you were talking about I will post it here on the forum for our other members to read as well. Before I forget I should introduce myself as I forgot to in my first post to you. My name is Dee/nannamom and I am the admin of the forum. Even though I try to be here as much as I can, Blue is the one who runs the place and I couldn't do it without her.
Take care and have a good day~

Hopefully with this FDA declining their petition, this might make it easier for the generic's to come out and help the ones of us who are plagued by this to save some money or for those to finally get help with their addictions.
I ran up on this site a few weeks ago, and I never thought to register. I was going through a time where I was steering clear of addiction sites because I had been hurt and disrespected by one of the major ones that was supposedly helping people.
One guy posted some negativity that he felt towards the company that makes Suboxone because of its costs and how he had troubles with his insurance scamming him, people including myself scolded him, I later apologized after I seen how they were doing not just one person but a handful of folks. Another person got scolded by releasing and venting how they were feeling bout the costs as well. I have been having some odd hormonal issues lately, well for the past 2 weeks. I am sad one minute, happy the next, angry and pissed and not on my period. Its been a couple weeks since that, posted on a medical board and a lady told me that I might be ovulating. Well after I went on this site to apologize if I had been huffy with anyone, I was basically told that I was insane for wanting to get pregnant while I was in recovery. That if I got pregnant, I apparently didnt care for the child that I would carry and that I would be an unfit parent in so many words. Yes I did fight back and tell the lady to back off, that I was having some issues that I was trying to just release.
This didnt matter, one of their more senior posters basically tried to put me in my place. I went into my hosts file and blocked the website. I see no wrong with just venting, I also see no wrong with revealing information about how others might take their Suboxone, but I was told that I was suggesting ill ways of taking medication and showing triggers.
The website has went downhill since I first joined it back two years ago, the person that runs it is not an addict, apparently has dealt with it because of friends or family not sure. She wont tell you her story, I have asked.
I am still upset but I am getting over that bull. My old doctor told me that I had a severe problem with letting things go and with worrying about everyone else's problems. I had to get rid of that doctor she felt like a revolving door handing out prescriptions. You could time each person in her office was usually in there no longer than 2 minutes. I was in there about 15, because i figure if I am going to pay them 280 a month, I am gonna talk to them. I dont understand how a doctor who charges that much wants you to go to someone else to talk to, when you are paying them the big bucks.
Thanks for welcoming me to the website, I appreciate it. I dont mean to sound so blunt and hateful at times, I wish that I could figure out what is wrong with my system. I get so frustrated so easily now. It would be nice if I could find out that I was preggo, LOL that would make me alot happier. Its just something that I have been wanting for so long now. i couldnt imagine finding out that I was pregnant, I would more than likely do flips in the floor. hehe.

Good morning,
I wanted to let you know that I did so some research about the FDA denial to RB. There are a couple of articles out there as of this morning announcing the approval of a generic suboxone tablet. Not made by RB of course but 2 other pharmacuticle companies.
RB petitioned to put a stop citing that using tablet form of suboxone/naloxone would not be in best interest due to the fact that it would be prescribed as a tablet and not in a childproof container as its strips are.
Forgive me if I am confusing here, I know what i want to type but it doesn't seem to be coming out right.
I am going to post both news articles in another area of the forum for our members to read.

According tho the articles the tablets are already on the market, although I am not sure if they are available in your area yet. I will make some phone calls to different regions to see who if anyone has it in their area yet.
Dee

Actavis is shipping immediately a generic Suboxone with NALOXONE in it so they cant write us just the Suboxone and give us the well it doenst have naloxone in it and can be abused. If you google Actavis Generic Suboxone, it will come up. When I found it I cried.

Hey Pitbullmamma !

I know exactly who you are talking about when you mention someone from that other forum !!
How can someone give advice when they have never been where WE HAVE BEEN ???
I never understood that !
She can't.
She can only assume she understands how we feel.

That's whats great about this place. We are addicts. We know what your going through !
We are going through it with you !!!!

I want to thank you guys for making me feel at home already. The other forum, I just kinda felt like an outsider. They seemed nice until you went to dogging the company that makes Suboxone OR if you griped about the costs, then they came out swinging.
Im sorry but I dont care if you make 100k a year, which I dont but even people who are well off still try to save money. I have seen people who are well off gripe about costs, so why is it so freaking crazy that someone like us who make about 12k a year (even though we feel rich), cant gripe about it?
I was basically shunned, made felt like I had no intelligence, accused of telling people how to use their medication illegally but I never actually did anything but post a link to a forum post about intranasal Suboxone. No it wasnt snorting it, it was mixed in a solution with and used in a Sinus Inhaler.
I am so glad that Im not the only one that felt this way about this lady. I thought she was nice at first, she had alot of information and she did get somethings done never for me but for other people. I begged for her to call my PCP and ask him if he could write my Subutex so it might make it easier for me to get treatment. She wouldnt do it, she would call other people at home, but I couldnt get her to do a thing for me.
I was done with that site after they threw me to the wolves. I literally went into the windows folder, opened the hosts file and blocked their site completely. If you go or try to go to the site, it will not load because I tested it.
On another topic, how excitiing is it that we are gonna have a generic coming out soon? The thing that was posted that stuck out for that, said "No physician should have any concerns about writing this low cost generic alternative." I am thinking about printing that out and taking it with me incase something happens.

You ARE welcome here !!
Like I said, we are all equal here. We have all been where you are.
All dealt with addiction.

As far as the generic subs, you should print out this information and bring it your Dr.
Knowledge is power they say !!!

Hope your doing good today !

Hello Pitbullmama!
I posted on your other thread but I'll post here too.

I just wanted to say welcome to our little forum family!
It is a great place to come for advice, support, or even just to vent.. Without having to worry a out being judged and nobody will treat you badly! We welcome you with open arms!

If you'd like to know more about me just ask.

I'm sorry about your problem with not being able to get insurance. Hopefully you can save some money with the new generic Suboxone!

Hope you're doing well!

Much love! Jasmine

Thanks so much guys, I appreciate all the kind words. I cant wait until the new generic drops that is going to make things so much better. I called my doctors office yesterday and they said that the new generic should be at pharmacies in a couple of weeks. That sounds about right, its a shame that you cant call the FDA or those companies that makes it and ask them. Im sure that they wouldnt tell anyone anyways, or they wouldnt have exact dates. Not sure myself.

I'm anxious myself to see what the cost difference would be, although I only have a co-pay
it should still be cheaper.

Hope everyone is doing well.