Copying the group on my reply, in case someone else finds the info helpful.
I'm not on Medicare but went thru something similar with my insurance
provider. I ended up on Nature-throid, which is a prescription natural
dessicated thyroid -- like Armour. A couple of years ago, Armour
changed the fillers they were using and I found (as did a few others)
that the effectiveness of the medicine was reduced. At the same time,
my insurance company moved Armour to the Tier 4, which meant they paid
nothing and I got a little discount for 90 days supply over 30. There
were also natural dessicated thyroid shortages and, so I switched to
Nature-throid, which my doctor had on hand. When production resumed, I
just stayed on Nature-throid. Have been on it ever since, and turns out
it was the "generic" for Armour on my health care insurance's formulary
anyway, so my co-pay went from about $60/3 months to $10/3 months. Yay.
You could find out if your insurance has a generic natural dessicated
thyroid on the formulary and ask your doctor to write for generic. Of
course, you and your doctor may need to watch for any changes in your
thyroid status as the result of any change.
If you are unsuccessful with getting the insurance to cover the generic
form, you could try getting your prescription from a local pharmacy and
ask about their *cash* price, which is normally much better than
regular. Most natural dessicated thyroid meds aren't terribly expensive
on their own, so you might find that a reasonable option. Of course, as
always, your mileage may vary.
Best of luck in getting what you need from your insurance.
- Kevran, Hashi's Hypo
PS. I originally responded by using your email address. Since this
list is moderated, there can be a delay in responses to the list.
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