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Medical Forum / Diseases and Disorders / Diabetes / April 2006

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Byetta Prescription Coverage

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ksjayhawk@gmail.com - 06 Apr 2006 02:56 GMT
I have a friend who is considering trying Byetta.  Unfortunately, her
insurance company does not cover it -- supposedly, it will cost $218
USD according to the mail order company.

I was going to suggest that she write a letter asking for coverage
consideration of Byetta.  Has anyone here contacted their insurance
company to request drug coverage before with success at getting
coverage for a Rx?  Any tips on what she could point out by how Byetta
might reduce her future complications, therefore save the company money
in the long run?

The company is Caremark...
Paul_B - 06 Apr 2006 03:53 GMT
> I have a friend who is considering trying Byetta.  Unfortunately, her
> insurance company does not cover it -- supposedly, it will cost $218
[quoted text clipped - 8 lines]
>
> The company is Caremark...

A search for Caremark and Byetta shows that the drug is covered.
Do a page search on, for instance,
http://diabetes.blog.com/305513/ , which hails back from last
September.

Paul
ksjayhawk@gmail.com - 06 Apr 2006 03:56 GMT
Thanks, Paul.  A call to Caremark by her indicates that it isn't
covered -- so perhaps it's determined not by Caremark, but by the
company paying Caremark.  Thanks for the info, though -- I'll pass this
on to her, as she might need to contact someone other than Caremark
about the "lack of coverage."
Wooly - 06 Apr 2006 04:29 GMT
>A search for Caremark and Byetta shows that the drug is covered.
>Do a page search on, for instance,
>http://diabetes.blog.com/305513/ , which hails back from last
>September.
>
>Paul

Every contract's formulary is different.  My carrier (humana) farms
out pharmacy coverage to Caremark.  That formulary includes no
diabetes medication or supplies.  I have a separate rider on my
primary health coverage for diabetes stuff, at a different copay and
with no mail order requirement.

My pen needles weren't covered when they were first prescribed to me.
I made some phone calls and learned that until my prescription no one
on my plan (through my husband's employer) was using a cartridge
insulin delivery system, so while the insulin was already on the
formulary the pen needles were not.  It cost me half an hour of time,
and I did buy the first box at retail, but I've been reimbursed.

Suggest to your friend that she phone her primary health insurance
provider about the situation.

+++++++++++++

Reply to the list as I do not publish an email address to USENET.
This practice has cut my spam by more than 95%.  
Of course, I did have to abandon a perfectly good email account...
Susan - 06 Apr 2006 13:51 GMT
>>A search for Caremark and Byetta shows that the drug is covered.
>>Do a page search on, for instance,
[quoted text clipped - 8 lines]
> primary health coverage for diabetes stuff, at a different copay and
> with no mail order requirement.

I get my metformin through Caremark.  The carrier decides what's in the
formulary, not the supplier, as I understand it.

Susan
Paul_B - 06 Apr 2006 15:14 GMT
>>A search for Caremark and Byetta shows that the drug is covered.
>>Do a page search on, for instance,
[quoted text clipped - 4 lines]
>
> Every contract's formulary is different.  

I see. I have little experience with health plans, though I'm
learning much with the help of a good book, The Wellness
Revolution. So the problem here isn't CareMark, per se, but the
contract it's servicing.

Thanks,
Paul
sharppointy1 - 06 Apr 2006 14:22 GMT
I began Byetta last year and was one of the first for my insurance.
They required my doc to write a letter to thm explaining what
conventional therapy we had tried and what the results had been.  I was
unable to successfully use sulfonylureas and TZD's so after mulling our
request over in the pharmacy meeting, the insurance OK'd the Byetta.
My A1c had risen after I stopped the regular treatments because of side
effects.
I have to pay the highest tier co-pay, but it's only 45$.  I have to
get the Byetta at a hospital pharm, which is a nuisance, but do-able.
Hope this helps.
ted rosenberg - 06 Apr 2006 16:04 GMT
> I have a friend who is considering trying Byetta.  Unfortunately, her
> insurance company does not cover it -- supposedly, it will cost $218
[quoted text clipped - 8 lines]
>
> The company is Caremark...

wel, frst, you can get it for anout $170

Second, you can call Amlyn's insurance hel;p line.  They will help deal
with the insurance company.
 
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