Hi, I am on 5th week of hep c treatment of pegasus and ribiviron and had to recieve two units of blood recently. My question is there a cheaper drug that one can use besides epogen or procret? 600.00 to 900.00 is not something I can do everymonth. Doc recently put me on ferrex also. My health insurance consider's the procret and epogen specialty drugs which they do not cover. Any suggestions? thanks

Hello,

Your health insurance considers Procrit (epogen) a "specialty drug" and so they won't cover it???? I'll bet every "specialty drug" on there "not-covered" list just happens also to be an expensive drug. (What a funny coincidence, eh?) This is yet another problem with the health care system in this country. You are ill with hepatitis C and undergoing a very difficult combination-treatment regimen of ribavirin plus pegylated interferon (Pegasus) that is well known to induce anemia. You become anemic and require a two-unit blood transfusion. Blood transfusions are far costlier than Procrit (epogen); yet, the insurance company certainly cannot deny coverage for that treatment! This all makes no sense what-so-ever. It's another reason we need to elect Obama and the Democrats to completely revise the heath care system in this country to make more available and more equitable so that insurance companies can't deny a physician's recommended therapy simply by labeling a necessary medication a "specialty drug!" What does "specialty drug" even mean???? I would advise you ask your doctor to write a very strong letter to your health insurance company pointing out your absolute need for Procrit (epogen). (He can point out that repeated blood transfusions are far more expensive!) In addition, you should contact the Procrit patient reimbursement helpline (1-800-553-3851). (See below.)

Good luck.

Dr. Bob

help for payment for procrit Sep 15, 2007

does the manufacturer of procrit help people on very very limited income with alot of medical cost?

Response from Dr. Frascino

Hello,

Yes. See below.

Dr. Bob

Procrit and what are you wearing? Mar 24, 2005

Hey Dr. Bob,

1)How do I go about getting Procrit if I can't afford to buy it?

2)What are you wearing?

3)Why are you so concerned about George Bush?

Jeffy Lube

Response from Dr. Frascino

Hi Jeffy Lube,

Cute name!

1. For assistance with reimbursement and patient assistance programs, call the PROCRITline at 1-800-553-3851.

2. What am I wearing??? Mr. Lube, this is Dr. Bob at the Fatigue/Anemia forum, not Dr. Bode at the phone-sex hookup line. But, since you asked, Diesel Jeans, 2xist briefs and Puma running shoes, no shirt. I just took my pooch for a run in the park. And no, you cannot write back, asking "What's your sign?" "What are you into?" or "Do you come here often?" OK?

3. Why am I concerned about Dubya? Oh, I don't know . . . maybe: massive budget deficits, threats to social security/Medicare/education and social services, destruction of the environment, loss of reproductive rights of women, denying federal funding to international family planning organizations that provide reproductive health counseling to poor women in underdeveloped countries, commingling of Church and State, rampant cronyism . . . . I could go on and on and on, but instead, I think I'll go take a yoga class.

Stay well, Jeffy Pop, I mean Jeffy Lube.

Dr. Bob