Cash Price of Epipen ... INSANITY!!!!!

[my3guys]

So...I went to get my kids' epipens refilled for school. Wow have things changed!

1) I'm told there's still a shortage, and the pharmacist said all the ones they get in are dated within the year now. None that he's seen last longer than a year!!!? I picked up a generic epipen yesterday with an expiration date of APRIL. They only place orders for them when they get a prescription, and he said they don't always get them when they order them???

2) I was told that my insurance company no longer covers the name brand, so I received generic. We have Cigna. I will be calling my insurance company next.

WTH??? Why is it still hard to get epipens and why are the dates so short and since when did insurance companies stop covering name brand of this?

[MaryM]

I have Cigna & it's no name brand anymore.  We asked for the Mylan generic.  Originally the pharmacy gave us the Adrenaclick (?) but it was too different.  The Mylan generic Is exactly the same but it does not say Epi-Pen.

[my3guys]

Thanks MaryM. I'm so glad you told me you got the Adrenaclick! You made me open the boxes and it looks like I did too. The pharmacist was so nice and offered to take them back. He put in an order for the generic Mylan, like you suggested.

I also called Cigna, and they said we can get brand name, it requires prior authorization from a doctor, but they can get it. I'm told the difference is $80 give or take. Assuming I can get the generic Mylan, that's what I will do.

This is so frustrating!

[MaryM]

Glad I could help & that the pharmacist was able to order the Mylan generic for you.  My DD was very upset to not have an Epi-Pen until I let her compare the Mylan generic to the name brand. It's ridiculous.

[SilverLining]

What is the cost of the Mylan generic?

[MaryM]

I believe w/o insurance its $300  but with my insurance I think I pay $30 for a twin pack. 

[SilverLining]

That's for generic?

[SilverLining]

The reason I was asking, there is a post on Facebook that people are sharing regarding generic epipens. I did point out the info is American (being shared by Canadians). But I also thought the price was inaccurate. It says it costs under $10.

[hedgehog]

It costs under $10 to manufacture. Or it could, I guess, cost under $10 for a copay with really good insurance.

[gvmom]

$284.45 per twin pack for generic pi-pen.

Ask me how I know.  With 3 FA kids.

[hezzier]

Well this is interesting...

http://www.kmov.com/story/36490815/missouri-to-get-3-million-in-epipen-settlement

[nyguy]

The reason I was asking, there is a post on Facebook that people are sharing regarding generic epipens. I did point out the info is American (being shared by Canadians). But I also thought the price was inaccurate. It says it costs under $10.

Generic EpiPen made by Mylan (AB rated to the EpiPen brand) is $300 list. Copay assistance is here, currently only $25 and only valid for patients with commercial insurance.

At one point Impax Pharmaceuticals was discounting their generic epinephrine auto-injector during the whole EpiPen debacle being big in the news to $109.99 list - $100.00 coupon (max value) = $9.99 cash price for people without commercial insurance (TIME article), but now the coupon (here) is only $50, so that's $60 cash price. You also have to get the prescription written for Adrenaclick instead of the EpiPen in most states, as Adrenaclick and EpiPen brand are not AB rated and pharmacists in most states cannot substitute one for the other.

At this point it seems like generic Epi is probably the cheapest for Medicaid/Medicare/Tricare (although somebody on those programs would have to tell me if I'm wrong and the price is more than $60) and Auvi-Q is probably the cheapest if you either have commercial insurance (Kaleo gets it to zero out of pocket regardless of whether or not your insurer covers it) or if you don't have commercial insurance and make less than $100,000 a year (patient assistance program gets it to $0).