My DH takes clonazepam and I consider it absolutely essential for his well-being. His insurance is changing Jan. 1 to a BCBS Medicare Advantage plan. Yesterday, I was checking the drug formulary for all his meds to see what the co-pays are going to be (some are better than what we have now, surprisingly), and clonazepam (generic Klonopin) is NOT COVERED. Anyone have any idea why? We have a different BCBS plan now and clonazepam was covered and only cost us $13.87 for a 3-month supply. I just wondered if anyone else had run across the same problem.
Each insurance company has their own ideas as to what drugs they will cover. Can you stay with the old insurance or do you have to change? If you have to change, get his doctor to write a letter to the insurance company stating that clonazepam is essential for him and that no other drug will work as well. This way they will cover it, but the co-pay might be higher. The other possibility would be to have his doctor try a different, but related drug, to see if that will work.
No, he can't stay with what he has now - part of GM's cuts to retirees. I will look into dr. writing a letter. Clonazepam is considered a panic disorder drug. Anyone's spouse on another one of that type? And thanks for responding, marsh.
My DW has been on clonasapam for over a year but I now give her 2-4 a day to keep her calm. Without it she gets real antsy. This is on top of 2 sertralin each morhing and 1 resperidol at bedtime to help her wake up in a better mood. but sometimes only a clonasapam calms her enough I would sure have my jDr try another medication. We need the capability of clonasapam.
I have a prescription as yet unfilled for clonazepam. I had some left from my Mom and have been giving him the last of those before filling the prescription. I don't yet know if Humana covers it or not.
My husband takes it for REM sleep behavior disorder. I know it is the drug of choice for that problem (acting out bad dreams). Perhaps if the doctor dignosed your husband with that the argument would be stronger.
Pamsc, My husband takes Clonazepam for REM sleep disorder as well. It was his sleep specialist who referred us to the University of WA when I brought him my concerns about his cognitive behavior after his GP insisted he didn't really think he had dementia (hello?). He was tested and also had a SPECT scan which showed shrinkage in his brain. Without the Clonazepam, he attacked me in the night thinking I was a dog, or an intruder, etc. From the research that both his sleep specialist and I have done, some 80% of REM disorder patients go on to have other neurological disorders such as Alz, Parkinsons, Lewy Body Dementia, etc. How long was it from the time his REM disorder was diagnosed until he was diagnosed with AD?
It was for sleep disturbances that my DH was prescribed it as well. He has appt. on Dec. 17th and I will talk to the dr. about making a plea to the insurance co. to pay for it. Otherwise, I think I will have to pay the $80 a month for it myself. They don't cover any of the meds in that class of drugs.
My kids and I are casualties of Government Motors (GM) retiree/survivor benefit changes too. I don't understand how GM is getting away with it, but we have to live with it I guess.
I was wondering if you've looked into the Walmart, or Walgreen, or Fred Meyer $4 prescription programs. I have not checked, but if I find that any of my daughters meds are no longer covered I will probably seek to find a solution like the $4 scrips.
Looks like a lot of the companies are doing this now. Allstate has been covering us for over 50 years and they are no longer covering retirees. They did supply us with a company to work with us is getting a new policy. I have never had to worry with financial matters and now to know that all of that stuff is now my job is scary. At least it is making me use my brain and forcing me to learn new things. We are never too old to learn. By the way, the premium is more than doubled. Ain't life grand....
New Realm, I have already transferred all of our generic prescriptions to Walmart but Clonazepam is not one that they offer for $4. I will check with them, though, to see what their price is without insurance. It may still be cheaper than anywhere else. My DH is so upset about all the GM cuts that I now hide GM envelopes when I bring the mail in.
The RSBD is part of the reason my husband got the Lewy Body Dementia early; he wasn't diagnosed with it separately. I would say the RSBD was clear for a few years before the Parkinson's symptoms started, but not more than that. He has Attention Deficit Disorder so it is particularly hart to say when the executive function issues started--he has always had problems with memory and organization. The doctor said that my husband's 30 point gap between verbal IQ and performance IQ was a sign of Lewy Body Dementia, but our 19 year old son with ADHD has that gap too.