lamotrigine extended release cost

Posted by heal33 @heal33, Mar 18, 2021

I am trying to find a more reasonable cost for the extended release form of lamotrigine. Walgreen's would charge about $437 for 3 months. My drug plan is Humana. I can't change drug plans until October because I'm on Medicare. I had the nurse contact Humana to see if they would lower the price but they said no. According to the Medicare site it seems like there is a wide diversity in the cost of the drug. Drugs these days are so expensive. I know other people probably pay a lot more for their conditions. Someone mentioned GoodRx and I have also thought of ordering from Canada which I did before Medicare. I'd like to try it to see if it is better than the immediate release which doctors usually prescribe.

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@heal33
I think you made a very wise move going to be extended release version. At least your blood level will remain more daddy on the extended release.
Just trying to take your meds at the same time every day. I take all my medicine in the morning because I can’t remember it at night. My neurologist refuses to give immediate relief if there is an extended version available, at least for Epilepsy patients.
You might contact the manufacturer, they often lower the price substantially although I’m not sure what they would do if they know you have a a drug plan. Of course Extended release meds are going to be quite a bit more expensive. Hopefully your not on a high dose. I have found Walgreens, CVS, Rite Aid & Target are generally more costly. Are you near a Costco?
Take care,
Jake

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@heal33
Humana is one of the most expensive insurance companies and it is good for you to change. Walgreens is also quite pricey. Whenever I need to pay for my drugs out-of-pocket I use Good Rx and the least expensive pharmacy. If there is a Wegman's near you I highly recommend going there. Online they are shown as having the lowest prescription prices. I get the lowest non-prescription drugs there. Walgreens costs twice as much for what I get!
Laurie

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Thanks, I'll have to look into that. I was going to try to use the GoodRx coupon at the Mariano's. Don't know if they will take it. Will try other pharmacies too with GoodRx. I'll also look into Wegman's online. Drugs are much cheaper in Canada and may use them. I did before Medicare. Someone else suggested Costco.

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If you go on to the manufacturers Website you may be able to find a coupon that lowers the cost.
You just need to sign up.
Check the fine print to see if it excludes Medicare as your primary insurer.

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I went to the er version and my insurance covered it so I didn't pay anything different. It was originally tried to limit the amount of times I take the med and to see if there were issues with the standard release troughs that can happen. It didn't help even when going twice a day to keep levels up. One thing to consider is lamotrigine has a half life of 36 hours and stays in your system for a while. I belive the price changes because it's viewed as more of a convenience. My neurologist said if my prices changed to reach out to them and they would work with the insurance company to why it should be covered as a regular prescription.

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Does Medicare cover the cost of lamotrigine ER of and Humana will not? If you were taking regular strength lamotrigine and then switched to lamotrigine ER and Humana is fighting to cover the change then you need to get a form from Humana for your doctor to complete. I guess it is an appeal . It states the medical necessity of the drug. Once Humana receives the form you should get a letter stating the drug will be covered. This is what occurred when I had to have the brand name Depakote approved.

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I didn't know that was how to go about it. Since my last post I went to the GoodRx site which someone suggested on this site. I've heard of it before but didn't pay close attention. I looked at their site and it said I could get a month's supply for $43. When I called Mariano's she said I could get 3 months for $109. She gave me a 30 day supply Saturday and said I can pick up the rest on Wednesday. I hope I'm not in for "sticker shock". She said I could pay for it on Wednesday. I just can't believe the disparity in the price. Walgreen's wanted $437 for a 3 month supply. Mariano's was the cheapest on the GoodRx site.

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I had no idea this was the way to do it myself. Somehow or other my doctor's office/the nurse found out through Humana that this appeal form was needed. (All insurances put up a fuss about covering medications today in covering certain medications and require this kind of thing these days). You can call Humana and ask for the department dealing with drug coverage and it will tell you how to get the forms. I wish you the best of luck in this. I hate to see others need to go through things like this.

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