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Post by ♪♫choppinbroccoli♫♪ on Nov 1, 2017 22:41:24 GMT -6
Hi, guys. I've been around the block a few times with IVF, but I have been fortunate to have insurance coverage. Until now after a job change! So, I'm a bit green at the best way to shop around.
My current need that I'm working on is PIO shots (sesame oil, 50mg/ml, 10ml vials). I used the fertilitydrugcalculator.com website to compare costs, and it's showing me Conception Pharmacy is the cheapest, at least for the quantity (looking at getting 10 vials). Can anyone comment on that?
Another one I need to look at is estradiol valerate (20mg/ml). I don't think this one is on that website, though. Has anyone taken this one and have advice on the best place to get it?
All suggestions are welcome, even if it's not about the above! Thanks in advance for any help.
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Post by hoosiermama76 on Nov 1, 2017 22:44:34 GMT -6
I have shopped around a little and recommend Avella. They also look for ways your doctor can write scripts so that you get the cheaper option. For example, my Lupron kit was $500, but they wrote it up as a Lupron trigger that I take a little bit of at a time, which was $80.
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Post by daisy818 on Nov 2, 2017 4:52:46 GMT -6
*** Grad Warning ***
Hi Broc!!
I actually found that for Lupron and PIO the best price was at my local Walgreens with the Good Rx coupon. The PIO was around $28/vial at the time. I didn't take estradiol, so no tips there. I got my main meds from Corner.stone pharmacy in Pennsylvania - they give a bulk discount for the overall bill that made them the cheapest.
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bonzo
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Post by bonzo on Nov 2, 2017 8:16:50 GMT -6
On my last cycle, I ended up ordering some of my meds from IVFMeds . Com. They're in the UK, where most of these are way cheaper. You do have to allow some processing time, more than the mail order pharmacies here, and they only take MasterCard or money order so that can be a drawback. Oh, and some of my instructions were in Czech because they sent me the Czech packaging for Menopur, but I still had some English instructions so it was fine.
It may also be worth having a pharmacy check your insurance coverage for meds. I don't have any IVF coverage, but somehow I had medication coverage for things like the estradiol. When I had called, insurance gave me a flat "no coverage" but the pharmacy must have known how to bill it so it doesn't get caught in the "no IVF" net.
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Post by ♪♫choppinbroccoli♫♪ on Nov 2, 2017 11:19:39 GMT -6
daisy818, would you be able to help me locate this goodrx discount for PIO? All I can find is progesterone pills. Thanks everyone for the notes. I am compiling right now. This is such a PITA.
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Post by ♪♫choppinbroccoli♫♪ on Nov 2, 2017 11:20:32 GMT -6
I had enough foresight to get a refill of Lupron done before losing my insurance. So luckily I am covered in that regard.
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Post by daisy818 on Nov 2, 2017 11:24:08 GMT -6
daisy818 , would you be able to help me locate this goodrx discount for PIO? All I can find is progesterone pills. Thanks everyone for the notes. I am compiling right now. This is such a PITA. GoodRx is a bit tricksy with it - after you search for progesterone, there is a bar that has "Prescription Settings" under the drug name. Use the drop down to change from "Capsule" to "Vial" and it pops up prices for the PIO. |
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Post by ♪♫choppinbroccoli♫♪ on Nov 2, 2017 11:26:57 GMT -6
daisy818 , would you be able to help me locate this goodrx discount for PIO? All I can find is progesterone pills. Thanks everyone for the notes. I am compiling right now. This is such a PITA. GoodRx is a bit tricksy with it - after you search for progesterone, there is a bar that has "Prescription Settings" under the drug name. Use the drop down to change from "Capsule" to "Vial" and it pops up prices for the PIO.  You and anyone else that has helped me! |
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lemonliz
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President of the Island of Misfit Ovaries
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Post by lemonliz on Nov 2, 2017 11:28:55 GMT -6
Sorry, I'm late to the convo but just remember to order just enough until you get to beta (I cannot remember how many vials this was, maybe 2?) and then when you get KU PIO will be covered! Once you get a positive beta the insurance coverage kicks in again.
Friend of mine always got hers OOP from an online Israeli pharmacy. I'll ask her for the link.
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Post by ♪♫choppinbroccoli♫♪ on Nov 2, 2017 11:39:04 GMT -6
Sorry, I'm late to the convo but just remember to order just enough until you get to beta (I cannot remember how many vials this was, maybe 2?) and then when you get KU PIO will be covered! Once you get a positive beta the insurance coverage kicks in again. Friend of mine always got hers OOP from an online Israeli pharmacy. I'll ask her for the link. Thank you! This is definitely a trick I JUST learned by a random convo with my RE office today! LOL. And thanks for reaching out to your friend! |
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lemonliz
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President of the Island of Misfit Ovaries
Posts: 172 Likes: 336
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Post by lemonliz on Nov 2, 2017 11:49:38 GMT -6
Sorry, I'm late to the convo but just remember to order just enough until you get to beta (I cannot remember how many vials this was, maybe 2?) and then when you get KU PIO will be covered! Once you get a positive beta the insurance coverage kicks in again. Friend of mine always got hers OOP from an online Israeli pharmacy. I'll ask her for the link. Thank you! This is definitely a trick I JUST learned by a random convo with my RE office today! LOL. And thanks for reaching out to your friend! Towne Drugs! Glad the RE's office let you know that! Not all of them do! |
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Post by fikafairy on Nov 2, 2017 17:20:19 GMT -6
I'm commenting JUST to find this thread later when I need it.  |
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Post by wilmaroo on Nov 2, 2017 17:51:47 GMT -6
Hey. I work at Walgreens and goodrx is probably your best bet if you want to go retail. Also You can check the price at like sams or Costco to see what the cost is. You do not need to be a member to use their pharmacy (at least here).
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Post by sunshiney on Nov 3, 2017 5:53:27 GMT -6
Like bonzo, my estradiol pills ended up covered even though I had no IVF coverage. Hope that works for you too! I'm glad you were able to stock up a bit on the Lupron.  |
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Post by ♪♫choppinbroccoli♫♪ on Nov 14, 2017 23:20:58 GMT -6
I thought I'd update for any future posters searching about this.
I found out that the estradiol valerate and the progesterone in oil shots both ended up being covered somehow!
It sounds like the EV got lumped in to the generic "estradiol" category for my insurance.
Not sure how I got lucky with the PIO shots.
And I went through Aetna Specialty Pharmacy because our insurance is through Aetna. They were awful to work with, though. If I had been new to all things IF, this would have broken me.
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Post by ♪♫choppinbroccoli♫♪ on Nov 14, 2017 23:22:51 GMT -6
Also, as an FYI, if the Aetna Specialty wasn't gonna come through, I had CVS Specialty on the backburner, and they were going to give me a deal for not going through insurance.
Walgreens Specialty was on the second backburner. They weren't as good about calling me back.
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Post by twohopes on Nov 15, 2017 19:58:21 GMT -6
I thought I'd update for any future posters searching about this. I found out that the estradiol valerate and the progesterone in oil shots both ended up being covered somehow! It sounds like the EV got lumped in to the generic "estradiol" category for my insurance. Not sure how I got lucky with the PIO shots. And I went through Aetna Specialty Pharmacy because our insurance is through Aetna. They were awful to work with, though. If I had been new to all things IF, this would have broken me. I also have Aetna and we have to go through specialty. Please do tell me all the horrific things about them so I can be ready ... |
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Post by hoosiermama76 on Nov 15, 2017 22:46:21 GMT -6
I have used Avella since I’ve been out of pocket. Great service, and they always inform me of short cuts on saving money. One example was when i compared prices with CVS speciality which was with my insurance. Same meds thousand dollars cheaper,
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Post by ♪♫choppinbroccoli♫♪ on Nov 16, 2017 11:04:35 GMT -6
I thought I'd update for any future posters searching about this. I found out that the estradiol valerate and the progesterone in oil shots both ended up being covered somehow! It sounds like the EV got lumped in to the generic "estradiol" category for my insurance. Not sure how I got lucky with the PIO shots. And I went through Aetna Specialty Pharmacy because our insurance is through Aetna. They were awful to work with, though. If I had been new to all things IF, this would have broken me. I also have Aetna and we have to go through specialty. Please do tell me all the horrific things about them so I can be ready ... This probably isn't limited to Aetna. I'm definitely a #trustnobitch about this stuff. Through this ordeal, it seemed I was the only one who knew 100% what was needed (between my RE office, me, and the pharmacy). So I had to do a lot of calling back and forth with both ends. Don't hesitate to call because you think they have it under control. Most of the people answering the phones at Aetna don't have the knowledge that the pharmacists have. Know what your meds are (brand name and generic), know the dosage, and be ready to verify everything. It's not done until the meds are in your hands. Give yourself plenty of time between having the meds and when you need to start taking them. |
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Post by ♪♫choppinbroccoli♫♪ on Nov 16, 2017 11:06:52 GMT -6
It's probably also important to note that this was for a FET, so the hard hitting $$ drugs weren't part of this purchase.
I'd have to research all over again for the best place to get Gonal-f and the equivalent, etc.
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Post by twohopes on Nov 16, 2017 11:17:22 GMT -6
♪♫choppinbroccoli♫♪, I think what you just described has been my entire experience with a genetic lab for PGS and Aetna and my RE's office ... Sigh. Good to know there is no end in sight.
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Post by happyin14 on Nov 17, 2017 8:43:13 GMT -6
This must be the only good part about paying OOP. I just go and get my drugs.
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adm11
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Post by adm11 on Jan 24, 2018 8:18:21 GMT -6
I need the best place for Gonal-F. This med total is making me want to vomit.
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adm11
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Post by adm11 on Jan 24, 2018 9:30:33 GMT -6
So I went on fastivf.com. Did anyone have your doctor give you flack for using an overseas pharmacy?
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bonzo
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Post by bonzo on Jan 24, 2018 11:49:49 GMT -6
So I went on fastivf.com. Did anyone have your doctor give you flack for using an overseas pharmacy? Mine actually recommended an overseas pharmacy (ivfmeds. com). They gave me a copy of my prescription so I could fax it to the pharmacy. I didn’t have any issues. |
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adm11
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Post by adm11 on Jan 24, 2018 11:53:04 GMT -6
So I went on fastivf.com. Did anyone have your doctor give you flack for using an overseas pharmacy? Mine actually recommended an overseas pharmacy (ivfmeds. com). They gave me a copy of my prescription so I could fax it to the pharmacy. I didn’t have any issues. This is so great to know! Thank you! |
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Post by jessgk on May 21, 2019 7:35:38 GMT -6
So I went on fastivf.com. Did anyone have your doctor give you flack for using an overseas pharmacy? Mine actually recommended an overseas pharmacy. They gave me a copy of my prescription so I could fax it to the pharmacy. I didn’t have any issues. |
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Post by jessgk on May 21, 2019 7:38:56 GMT -6
Mine also. I was recommended to use Canada drugs direct because Canada is well-known manufacturer of meds. I'm totally satisfied with the service and have no issues with the delivery or ordering. |
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