Renvela YIKE$$$$

[kickingandscreaming]

How do you all afford Renvela?  I am now forced to take that instead of cheap Tums as my calcium level is too high for tums anymore.  I called my insurance (Medicare Preferred HMO) and was told that my copay would be about $300 for 3 months and that for only 30 pills/month, not enough to cover any phosphorus food.  I'm in shock and have no idea how I can afford that over time on my limited income. What do the rest of you do about phosph. binders?

[Michael Murphy]

No doubt about it renvela is expensive, check and see if your doctor has free samples. Second there is a app called Good RX I use on my iPad that gives you a coupon and a list of pharmacies with prices. Using that  I found Walgreens $427 for 270 pills  more money but 3 times the pills.check and see if your policy has a maximum limit my policy has a 1500 dollar limit, any thing over the limit is fully covered.  Make sure to speak to the social worker they may know of other help.  Tums won't cut it, more then likely a high phosphorous level is raising your calcium. Good luck.

[Zach]

If you have Medicare Part D and have a low income, you might qualify for their Part D Assistance Program (PDAP):

* Eligible applicants must be enrolled in a Medicare Part D Plan or MA-PD Plan and must not have any other prescription drug coverage for Renvela®.
* Applicants who earn up to 300% of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL) are eligible.
* Applicants who earn below 150% of the FPL must show proof of Low-Income Subsidy (Extra Help) denial.[/li][/list]


For more information:
https://www.renassist.com/Patient-Assistance-Programs/Part-D-Assistance-Program

Other Programs:
Renassist Patient Assistance Program (RPAP)
https://www.renassist.com/Patient-Assistance-Programs/Renal-Patient-Assistance-Program

RenValue
https://www.renassist.com/Patient-Assistance-Programs/RenValue

[nursey66]

My husband was on Renvella , took 10 pills a day ! Co - pay was  around 550 a month on Medicare part D , because he was in the donut hole quickly due to the Renvella. He got a 50% paid by the drug company in the donut hole because it was a Brand, no generic available , and still it was 550.00 dollars month ! He refused to buy anymore and phosphorus went sky high.  The his neph started him on a newer binder called Fosrenal. It is a 1 chewable taken 3 times a day. He ordered up the higher dose so it could be cut in half. Worked wonders, levels were normal . AND. The co-pay was around 189.00 per month. Way cheaper, worked better and not that big stock of pills to take !   Hope that helps , by the way, we tried those discount coupons , can't use them with any Medicare stuff, so we found them not to be helpful for us. We also couldn't fit in for any low income discounts either, even though we are both on SS, me retired, him SSDI, and his medical stuff, drugs, insurance costs co pays etc used up his whole check.

[Charlie B53]

How high is your calcium?

Mine historically ran near, and often over the 10.2 limit.  Last year I was up to 11.7  Dr's tried three different kinds of Vitamin D, none worked.  It was only when they also noticed my uric acid was rising that they ordered low dose prednisone. 5MG three times a day for the first month. Two times daily the second month.  Once a day for the last year, so far.   I was very surprised that it worked.  Desolved the crystals in most all my joints, no more joint pain.

About 6 months ago they added fexobine (Sp?) hoping to prevent a re-occurance of the uric acid rise. One pill twice a week.  So far all is good.

Yesterday Dr told me to cut back on the prednisone to every other day.  Will have to wait and see if all stays steady.

Blood calcium now runs low high 9''s so far.

Are you seeing an endocrinologist as well as your Neph?

[kickingandscreaming]

Thank you for the information. This means it's time for hospice for me.  I can't afford to live if I need these drugs to do so. Because I rent out part of my house, it looks like I have more income than I do (after mortgage, high RE taxes and all the expenses of running a house).  It looks like my drug provider (Caremark) will no longer be covering Fosrenal as of 2016 so there's that. and I thought I recalled reading that Lanthanum wasn't such a great thing to put in your body--but I could be wrong on that.  Walgreens prescription club which has excellent prices doesn't cover Renvela or Fosrenal.  This is so depressing. GoodRX charges in the mid-$800 for a 90 day supply of Fosrenol which makes Renvela look good at $150/ 90 tablets.  Although as I recall from something I read on IHD (maybe from Zach), one Renvela tablet doesn't cover very much phosphorus. This is awful.

I'm not seeing an endocrinologist at this point.  My calcium was 10.5 on 11/15 and I don't have anything more recent.  There was talk (but no action yet) of reducing my calcitriol.

[Charlie B53]

Calclitrol I think is the same as Sensipar that I take.  My Calcium most often is in the low 10's.  Sometimes things wack out and it begins climbing, I'm been up to 11.7 for months.  I think it was the calcium crystallizing in all my joints, but my PCP never would stick a needle into a joint to draw a sample for the lab to look at.  I felt bad enough I was ready to pull the sample myself.

Dr's decided my uric acid was high enough and called it gout.   Gave me something for that.

My Neph increased my Sensipar to daily, to be taken in the evenings instead of mornings.  My calcium started falling.  Got as low as the high 9's but came back and stabilized at about 10.3 now.

All the joint crystals have dissolved, Thankfully.  That was Hell.  Over 4 months of agony.

I am learning to take my Renvula.  Fortunately what little remaining kidney function has been very helpful lin keeping my Phos near 3.5 for three years.  I must be Blessed.