Insurance nightmare

[LJS]

I have had UC for 25 years. During that time, I had one really bad flare. All other flares were fairly easily managed. Rowasa and Lialda is what I used most, and the last flare I had was 5+ years ago.

After losing both my parents and other stresses this year, the UC came back. Big difference this time: my insurance! I'm on an individual plan, not a big employer plan, and CIGNA is only approving cheap meds! No lialda. Did try apriso (didn't work). Have been on pred and balsalazide for a few months. Was doing great, decreasing pred from 40mg to 30mg to 20mg to 10mg. The last drop also coincided with me starting to eat more normally. Not sure what did it, but flare came back, bad. have been upping my pred until now I'm back to 40mg/day. Switched to sampls of lialda to see if that would work. Doc wants biologics but my insurance won't pay. What do you do? Get sicker? I cannot afford the meds adn at this point, I've been bleeding steadily (and a lot) for weeks. Yesterday I had virtually no blood, today is more..

I HATE our insurance industry and don't think it's right that people have to get sicker b/c of insurance denying meds.

any thoughts? suggestions? I will hopefully get on an employer plan feb/march but that means between now and then i'm hosed!

Lin

 

[FrozenGirl]

What about a mid level drug, like Imuran or Methotrexae. They are both pretty cheap so I'm sure your insurance would pay. They are a higher level drug in the overall pyramid of drugs than Lialda but a step down from biologics.

 

[my little penguin]

I know are insurance required you to fail all lower level drugs first
Have you tried een (formula only)?
DS is on adjunct therapy of partial en with the crohns exclusive diet

Good luck

 

[LJS]

No EEN.. I really, really don't want to do that. I still "go" even if I don't eat... I was doing great!! But once I got down to 10 mg pred (and then started wroking out and going more high-fiber/clean eating), I tumbled and cannot get back.. ugh!