Posted by drummer (209.105.134.92) on December 14, 1999 at 07:37:11:
In Reply to: Insurance Co. limits on Imitrex - posted by gary g on December 14, 1999 at 01:03:57:
Hi Gary,
I received your E-mail and I'll try answering it on the message board. Most Health Insurance companies limit medicines based on FDA findings or lack of findings proving the safeness of taking a medicine on long term useage.
Using Imitrex as an example: Who knows what the long term affects of Imitrex injections are? I don't. I've been using Imitrex injections for 5 months. So far so good. My EKG is normal.
So far BC/BS in New York has set no limits on my Imitrex. My doctor, however, won't prescribe more than 1 kit per day for me. SO. I told my doctor to write me a prescription for 8 kits. I take them to my pharmacy and they fill them. I pay $20. I may not use all these kits. I go back every 8 days and keep stockpiling Imitrex.
BC/BS will probably change the way they pay for Imitrex some day. BC/BS will change because "joe consumer" seems to want the VERY best drug that they see on television. This causes the price of medication to go through the roof.
"joe consumer" doesn't like to settle for generic medicine. "joe consumer" seems to always want the BEST medicine that they see on television.
It's the old supply and demand routine. This makes my premium with BC/BS go up.
If people start dropping dead from taking too much Imitrex and the FDA finds out then I may be limited to the amount of Imitrex that BC/BS pays for. Untill this happens I will continue grabbing my Imitrex injections.
I hope this helps.