insurance denied nuvigil

[orionforstar]

Well, no surprise that the insurance denied the nuvigil for my fatigue. Now I have to decide if I should appeal it,do a sleep study and hope I have apnea, or go back to amantadine. It didn't really help much. With the nuvigil I was able to get out of bed and do some things. Maybe I can try to hold out until the Provigil becomes generic.
I'm just hummed.

[its2much]

What reason did the insurance

company give? Have you contacted your doctor about the denial?

[calas]

get your dr. involved. many times the ins just needs more information. when the dr's office resubmits the prescription it will be approved. this has happened to me several times and the dr. provides additional infomation the script goes thru.

[orionforstar]

I left a message for my neuron to see what we do now with the appeals process. I'll see what they have to say about it and keep you posted.

[truckin]

Insurance approved generic?

2 Questions:

When Nuvigil & Provigil go generic next month, won't I still have to get insurance approval? My insurance won't cover either of them, and I've been waiting 3 years.

If I order generic overseas, do I still need doc approval?

Thanks for any info, this can get confusing.

[WALKINGHORSEWOMAN]

me too

my insurance originally denied the nuvigil too. I had gotten a 30 day supply free and was completely devestated that I wouldn't be able to have this medicine for my arsenal. For me it is the difference between getting through the day and actually living.

my doctor contacted the insurance company and in less than 24 hours I got a phone call from the pharmacy that the insurance company would authorize it.

Don't be afraid to ask your doctor for help on this. And if anyone else is dealing with really bad fatigue and you haven't tried it, ask your doctor- it has really helped my quality of life!

[Redwings]

When Nuvigil & Provigil go generic next month ...
If I order generic overseas, do I still need doc approval?

Nuvigil is NOT going generic next month. Only Provigil is going generic. How an insurance company handles generic drugs is up to that company. Usually, though, generics don't require prior approval because they're relatively cheap and no cost-savings will be realized by a prior approval.

In the US, ordering a generic overseas is illegal. A doctor can't "approve" an act that's illegal.

Further, if by "approval" you mean a prescription, a US doctor's license isn't recognized for filling prescriptions outside the US medical system, and isn't applicable to a foreign prescription or generic online/phone/mail order. A foreign supplier might say that they need a doctor's Rx to make them happy, but a doctor's approval applies only to the laws of their own country. If the prescribing doctor isn't licensed in their country, the prescription is meaningless. And a meaningless prescription can't be filled legally anyway, which brings the story back to the beginning. A doctor can't "approve" an act that's illegal.

[its2much]

Provigil Assistance

Provigil has a patient assistance program BUT you must have NO prescription drug coverage and meet income guidelines - looks to be about three times the poverty guidelines.
There's information regarding it on the www.pparx.org website.

[duckfan]

My husband was just prescribed Nuvigil and it helped him so much. He had a few days sample but when I checked with the pharmacy they said the cost was $500 without insurance. My husband has VA (doesn't cover Nuvigil) and Medicare plus Blue Cross as a supplement. I emailed Blue Cross and this was their reply. Thought it may be of interest to some of you. I guess we'll get a prescription for one of the ones listed and see if they will help his fatigue.

Thank you for your e-mail. I am sorry to say prescription Nuvigil is not on the Medicare Part D formulary. The following medications are considered to be possible alternatives to ask your doctor about:
· Methylphenidate – Tier 1 preferred generic - $7.50 co-pay per 30 day supply
· Dextroamphetamine – Tier 1 preferred generic - $7.50 co-pay per 30 day supply
· Amphetamine/dextroamphetamine – Tier 1 preferred generic - $7.50 co-pay per 30 day supply

[Shashi]

You might want to consider trying 1,000 to 2,000 mg of acetyl L-carnitine and 200 to 400 mg of alpha lipoic acid instead. These anti-oxidant supplements cost much less than Provigil or Nuvigil and are natural substance which your body needs anyway, not an unnatural stimulant with all kinds of side effects. (Provigil gave me horrible chest pain!)

Both have been proven in university studies to be effective in relieving the fatigue of MS, chronic fatigue syndrome, cancer, aging, etc. Many folks here have had good results from them, including me. They basically gave me my life back.

Seriously, what do you have to lose?

[jessica77]

Nuvigil copay program

My insurance company pretty much approves anything, but my copay for Nuvigil would have been $50/month as a non-preferred. When my doctor prescribed it to me, he gave me a discount card - my first month was free, all subsequent months are going to be $5, good until 12/31/2013. Yes, 2013! Ask your doctor if he has any of those cards.

[knuckle]

I'd suggest you give the following a try:

600mg Malic Acid w/magnesium before each meal.

In clinical studies with Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome patients the combination was found very effective at reducing fatigue as well as pain. They should do the same for MS.

Malic Acid can be found in any vitamin store for about $3 a bottle. Malic Acid is principly found in fruits, especially apples, and is good for skin complexion and tooth enamel.

Another combo is Acetyl L Carnitine (ALCAR) and Alpha Lipoic Acid (ALA). The two have been shown clinically more effective against MS-fatigue than Amantadine.

Take 300mg ALA and 500mg ALCAR twice daily before meals. They are frequently sold together in a tablet.

Lastly, there is accumulating research that indicates all these supplements may contribute to slowing MS disease progression.

[its2much]

Provigil and Nuvigil

are made by the same drug company! Is that crazy or what?

[Tapdancer]

knuckle,

I have been looking into Malic acid. Does it come in combination with the appropriate dosage of magnesium? Are you concerned about its possible effect on kidney function?

[inmoni5]

[QUOTE=Shashi;1354549]You might want to consider trying 1,000 to 2,000 mg of acetyl L-carnitine and 200 to 400 mg of alpha lipoic acid instead.
[QUOTE]

I think that just like all other meds and supplements some things work for some people while for others they don't. ALC and ALA didn't work for me. But it is definately an option for people that can't tolerate/afford the prescription meds for sure!