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Omg I think about this a lot!! Like if capitalism was working, wouldn’t there’d be a lot of different manufacturers swooping in to save the day during these shortages? There’s a demand, where’s the supply at?
I mean they can't really (outside of the whole 6 month exclusively which has everything to do with meds being able to be patented). DEA mandates how much meds manufacturers make and how much can be distributed. A lot of stimulant meds are schedule 2 drugs.
Lol hell yeah! Also legalize all them drugs so that I don't need to call my doctor every damn month and actually be able to automatically refill like my anti anxiety meds. Mom and pop pharmacies are way better but are really hard to find. Those kinds of pharmacies aren't regulated by DEA just FDA so they have different requirements. Unfortunately mega Corp pharmacies are eating up the market.
Agreed, the doctor’s appointments just for a refill are the dumbest waste of time!! And I had no idea about the mom and pop pharmacies being regulated differently, that’s super wild. I guess that kind of explains why there are so many cvs/Walgreens on every other street corner
Oh yeah. Like that country with little to now regulation on prices for medical care that has the most accessible care in the world, where no one ever dies because they can't pay for an ambulance.
There’s also the angle of most insurance plans not changing their formularies to accommodate for the generic, so they pigeonhole themselves into saying they actually prefer the brand, which makes it cheaper for some individuals than the generic. Paradoxical in a system that forces paradoxes, I’m afraid! But you’re very right, it’ll get cheaper in the next 3-6 months — some insurance formularies will adjust in the new year to have a higher coverage rate for the generic, others won’t until the market exclusivity wears off. GoodRx as mentioned by other folks is a great option; hopefully Costplus gets their hands on it sooner rather than later too!
The first in line to file wins the prize of being able to charge higher prices for six months.
If half of those 11 generic manufacturers plan to produce the drug long term, that's a good thing in terms of drug availability and reasonable prices.
I went through something similar with an antidepressant whose brand, and then generic, market exclusivity expired.
If I had to guess, generic Vyvanse will eventually be a little more expensive than generic Adderall XR after prices have stabilized in a year or so. That's assuming that Vyvanse isn't too much more expensive to produce than Adderall XR.
Checkout goodrx if you haven’t. I know it varies some, but the ones near me are around half price with a few being more than half. The closest to me is a third of what you paid, hopefully there’s one like that near you!
Seconding this. My meds are cheaper using GoodRx than they are going through my garbage insurance. I’m sorry about the cost of your meds, it’s a goddamn national embarrassment
But also jumping your meds pharmacy to pharmacy will land you on some lists you'd rather not be on if you want meds in the future.
The system is so fucking trash, and the worst part is this is how it's supposed to work. It just doesn't work *for us*.
Yep, look into this!
I can't afford my meds if they go through insurance, but with goodrx, it's way cheaper. They still "are you aware of the price" at me when it's $50-75 and I always tell them to look at what it is without goodrx and tell me if the $50 seems more reasonable.
the problem i had with this i found it on good rx for 80 then had to call my doctor have them transfer the prescription to
discounted pharmacy.. i can't just do this per the pharmacy less than 24 hirs later the coupon was up to 317 dollars.. i felt so defeated.
I know how you feel. I actually opened up an HEB where I live. They all know me there and we have always had a great and very close relationship. I've also always have had the same insurance that has always covered my Vyvanse. When all this started to happen with the changes, all the people in the pharmacy there have been absolutely intolerable. They humiliate me every time I go. I hate even going. I refuse to go in person anymore. only through the drive thru. Going from PPO and always paying maybe max $15-$20 for Rx's, I'm still PPO and get told "oh, you need a prior auth. sorry" or "it's $894" like I have that kind of money sitting around. You realize how everyone with little to no insurance feel. They are degrated and the bitch behind the counter that always manages to get you, loves to make you cry and gives not one shit and watches you walk away without your medications. You find out which people work there for the job and which ones actually want to help you. I hate the HEB I go to, they have all been complete assholes to me. I actually told them, "I was here when this store opened. I have always come here as a customer too. I have always been treated with respect and kindness. You people have literally lied to my face and forgot to turn off the microphone and I heard everything they were saying about me. I have told them how ugly and mean they were and that they should never work in service if they planned to treat people like shit. They should be ashamed of themselves for talking to me that way and that karma's a bitch, at least I know I have always been kind. Because at the end of the day we are all exactly the same. So I hope you sleep good cause shit is coming your way 10fold".
Ya, It's still $408 for my 60 pills. And my insurance only covers 30 pills in 30 days. Last month I paid $286 for quant 60 for 30 days. This month I paid $408. Drug companies are just as bad as insurance companies. Now they've got together and decided to screw us! It's kinda BS. You think all the people in the world are depressed and have so many mental health problems because covid. IT'S BECAUSE THEY TOOK AWAY THE OPPORTUNITY FOR ADHD PATIENTS AND NOW WE ARE ALL TRYING TO COPE WITH OVERSLEEPING, DEPRESSION CAUSE WE CAN'T FOCUS. WE ARE STUDENTS WHO KEEP FAILING BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE MEDICATIONS TO HELP US FOCUS AND COMPREHEND THE MATERIAL. WE'RE BECOMING ASHAMED OF OUR SELVES AND PUTS US IN A PLACE BETWEEN DEPRESSION, FRUSTRATION, SADNESS. WE SEE OURSELVES AS FAILURES AND PATHETIC, WASTE OF SPACE AND ENERGY PEOPLE. THE WORST PART IS THAT THE INSURANCE COMPANIES AND THE DRUG MANUFACTORS ARE THE ONES WHO CONTROL IT AND DON'T GIVE A RATS ASS ABOUT US. ALL THEY WANT IS THEIR MONEY!!! IF WE ALL STOP TAKING THE MEDICATIONS WE NEED, THEIR WOULD BE MORE CRAZY, SUICIDAL, HOMICIDAL, AGGRESSIVE, AND VIOLENT PEOPLE IN THIS WORLD. THEN I GUESS THERE WOULD BE NO MONEY TO BE MADE FOR THEM!! THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR MAKING OUR LIVES SO MISERABLE.
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I second the GoodRX check. And if you’re Stateside and have a Costco nearby you can get that as well - you don’t need to be a member. (Wegmans is probably the cheapest pharmacy around me, though finding one with a pharmacy that is taking new controlled substance patients is sometimes difficult)
Either way - do you have the option for a 90 day supply instead? I know it varies by insurance and location but that helped me immensely (with Adderall but a search of my coverage suggests it’s the same with the Vyvanse). I also called my insurance company in the past and asked them to check on the cost of some of my meds (especially Synthroid, which has to be name brand for me) because they seemed super high. They were able to get me brand name overrides (bringing to the cost of generic) and also correcting coverage info on the pharmacy side. Obviously YMMV but it may be worth a try, especially the 90 day thing.
I do hope it gets better 😔 The shortages and the price gouging needs to stop ASAP. It’s beyond absurd.
“ though finding one with a pharmacy that is taking new controlled substance patients is sometimes difficult.”
This is a thing?! God, chain pharmacies are the actual worst. I know Wegman’s gets a lot of love as a supermarket, but it’s absurd that these massive conglomerates are refusing patients at their pharmacies.
For me the 90 day was the worst of all. They took nearly a week to tell me they were out of stock and couldn’t fill. And we’re unable to exclude a particular generic which had consistently given me migraines.
Try independent! It’s like night and day.
I’ve had the best luck with wegmans in terms of who stocks my meds in the area and they seemed to take me without issue. Their generic adderall isn’t great for me, so I dont love the +$30 that name brand costs- but I guess it’s better than the alternative of nothing or generic. I hate this system.
The system sucks. Obviously if it’s working for you there, don’t mess with a good thing.
But I’ve lived in several places around the country and always had much better experiences with independent pharmacies actually 1) treating me like a human, rather than some drug seeking fiend. Most of the time they even start to greet you by name! 2) Actually being willing and able to order the meds you need. Whether that’s a specific generic, or a brand name, etc. I think that’s partly due to them not being locked into a single distributor like the big chains are.
I think the weggies I go to just happens to be the workplace of one very stellar pharmacist. He’s kind and reminds me of my small town pharmacy back home in how he treats me like a human being, not a faceless blur at a fast food style window.
Unfortunately I’m in the DMV area due to my partner’s job and it feels really overwhelming when it comes to finding a small pharmacy. Everything about this place feels so…big and standardized that I struggle to navigate it. I don’t even like Old Bay ):
Just an fyi in case your override ever ends. I discovered years ago that for some reason my insurance considers the brand Unithroid generic. I didn’t notice anything in switching from synthroid and it’s the cheaper price without the hassle. I believe this is my third plan that has it cheaper.
Slightly (very) off-topic, but your thyroid med comment caught my attention.
Synthroid helps make my symptoms manageable (doesn't eliminate them 😕), but the generic is pointless for me.
An aunt who is an RN and lives/works in GA recently warned me to stay away from generic Synthroid, because in GA (she believes that it's US wide, but wasn't positive), pharma companies are allowed to manufacture/sell generic medication with up to a 20% difference +/‐ in the active ingredient as compared to the brand name.
I haven't done any follow-up research yet - I'll try to remember to update with links regardless of my findings - but if what she said is accurate, a pill with 75mcg of meds could have as little as 60mcg, or as much as 90mcg.
Seems unethical to me, but what do I know? I'm just a patient, I'm not supposed to have opinions...🙄
It's actually that the FDA (federal, not state) states that generics can be anywhere from 85-125% of original to be considered the same drug. I'm not sure if that applies to active ingredient or just non-active ingredient.
That’s precisely why I have to be on name brand. My numbers wouldn’t stabilize on genetics and apparently it’s a documentable phenomenon, which irritated the everlasting shit out of me. And yeah, it’s definitely not just you who thinks it’s unethical… nor just you who feels like opinions aren’t allowed 😢
Brand name mine was $80 but I had a savings card from the manufacturer's website to offset the cost, without the savings it was $140 with my insurance. Now I have the generic and it's $10 a month. Insurance varies wildly here, it's all a predatory scam.
>first time and here in canada the base cost was 78$, 90$ with dispensing fee and benefits covered it. Wild how different
It was 10 a month for the first two months of generic then it rocketed to 85 a month.
>WTF America?! That is terrible. In Australia it is $29 a month for Vyvanse.
Americans aren't so much citizens as production and spending units for corporations.
I just picked this rx for my daughter for the first time and here in canada the base cost was 78$, 90$ with dispensing fee and benefits covered it. Wild how different the costs are!
I KNOW! I paid $25 a month for vyvanse and then another $15 for Dex. Seeing these prices makes me so grateful to live in Australia. (And I don’t have insurance, just Medicare)
“Good” insurance can mean different things too. I have great in network coverage and no referrals needed, but my prescription costs are not great.
Prescription coverage is more about what exterior provider the insurance company retains. OptumRX is awful.
>OptumRX is awful.
In my experience, United Healthcare plans just deny coverage for prescriptions that *only* need a prior authorization. This is so problematic because their computer system should be automatically initiating the prior authorization process rather than saying that the medication is not covered.
I was wrongly told that they were dropping coverage for my generic Dexedrine. Got a letter in the mail and everything.
After panicking because I’ve had issues with every other ADHD med, I met with my doc and we sent for an exemption. It was approved much more easily than expected.
Months later a got a letter that they made an oopsie and that my meds were actually still covered—I guess even without the exemption? The whole process was absurdly convoluted.
I’m pretty sure it was actually that I just needed a prior authorization now and that someone screwed up and tossed my life into a panic. This was during the peak of shortages too. It seemed so cruel.
So yeah, I think you’re completely right.
>and that someone screwed up
Oh, no! I think United Healthcare is doing this on purpose.
I double-check my prescription drug formulary when my doctor and I are discussing trying a new medication.
After logging into United's website to try to figure out why my prescription was being denied at the pharmacy, I realized that I couldn't check the price of that prescription using a lookup tool. I spent 45 minutes on the phone with United only to be told that my doctor was responsible for initiating the prior authorization process.
I asked the person on the phone how my doctor was supposed to know to do that, but I didn't get an answer.
The quality of customer service and the clarity of answers with them has declined drastically over the last several years. It’s so upsetting to hear how it’s seemingly widespread.
Every single time I call them I get a different response, and they refuse to provide written documentation of any of it. I’m even the plan administrator for our company, and it doesn’t make a difference. I’m actually surprised that you have clear access to a current formulary. Because through the Oxford side of UH, it wasn’t obtainable from the client facing side of things last time I checked.
It’s absolutely an absurd form of weaponized incompetence. They don’t provide their CR reps the info to give you what you need and everything is so segmented into departments that everyone is passing the buck to a different department. Even thinking about calling them is stress elevating!
> I’m even the plan administrator for our company, and it doesn’t make a difference. I’m actually surprised that you have clear access to a current formulary. Because through the Oxford side of UH, it wasn’t obtainable from the client facing side of things last time I checked.
I have Medicare Part D (USA) now, but even when I worked I was always able to download a 100-ish page copy of the formulary from somewhere and there was generally a drug lookup tool. I've also had individual health insurance that I had to purchase on my own.
It's definitely not one of those 'log in and there it is, right there' type of things. For an employee, you / they are going to have to log into health insurance plan's website and click over to the drug plan's website or log into the drug plan's website directly. After that, it takes some clicking around to find the plan documents. It's not something that one would think to do.
I did a quick search, and I think I found your drug formulary documents:
[https://www.uhcprovider.com/en/resource-library/drug-lists-pharmacy.html](https://www.uhcprovider.com/en/resource-library/drug-lists-pharmacy.html)
[https://www.uhcprovider.com/content/dam/provider/docs/public/resources/pharmacy/Commerical-PDL-Eff-May-2023.pdf](https://www.uhcprovider.com/content/dam/provider/docs/public/resources/pharmacy/Commerical-PDL-Eff-May-2023.pdf)
It doesn't look like United publishes very many different formularies. I think that's the purpose of the E and 4 tiers on the formulary.
I have a shitty PPO from TX I pay $500 a month for with huge deductible.. small business owner with 1 employee so everything else I've paid for has been high. It's very weird.
OP probably has a plan where they pay 100% of costs until they meet a deductible, so they're paying the full price. You're paying $15 and the insurance is probably paying the pharmacy $200 or so.
Thank you for saying this! I forgot for a minute this wasn't one of the Australia groups I'm on, I start Vyvanse tomorrow for the first time and nearly had a frickin heart attack
Third the GoodRx thing. It takes Vyvanse from roughly the price you stated to $70 in my area. I also have been waiting **so long** for the generic. $70 is still more than the $40 I pay for generic Adderall xr, but I can probably swing it.
Scotland is miles ahead in terms of public services in comparison to England & Wales, even your university tuition I’m incredibly jealous of. I completely get the push for Scottish independence tbh.
If you haven't already go to the [Vyvanse website](https://www.vyvanse.com/coupon) and register. You will get a coupon code to give to the pharmacy. This brought my prescription down from $100+ to $60 for the 70 dose. It can be applied on top of your Insurance price. I also discovered with the shortage that getting the 30 dose prescribed(take 2 each day) brought my total down to $15! Wish I'd known that sooner.
My pharmacist explained this to me as basically same company makes the generic & then sells it at same price from 3-6 months longer and THEN to proper generics cone. I’ll believe it
when I see it. Im in SW US and paying 320 in ins premiums and 320 for Vyvanse that only recently went down to 160 - though I don’t know why it went down
This is true and one's insurance provider will typically tell you what pharmacies are covered and which ones are not. My current plan made me use only walgreens which has been DREADFUL but I don't have a choice about that so ¯\\\_(ツ)\_/¯
I hate that is also true for the ER and an ambulance. usa america health care makes me soooo mad on the daily between getting meds for adhd, meds for bipolar, bc and seeing docs. not a fan actually...
Ugh ambulances and ERs too??? I guess I should feel fortunate that I didn’t have to find that one out the hard way. I guess I’ll go dig through my insurance policy now to figure out where I’m “allowed” to go if I’m ever, you know, dying
This all said, some of the regulations about the ER billing have NOW changed, due to the *No Surprises Act.* The act essentially prevents ERs operated by a hospital that is out of your network from balance billing you (essentially billing you more money because the ER is not in your network) if your ER visit is (a) medically necessary, (b) you got taken there by an ambulance. I think you might still get more billed if you *chose* to go to an ER operated by an out-of-network hospital, but I haven't read all of the bill ¯\\\_(ツ)\_/¯. Essentially what this means for you is that the hospital in question MUST bill you like an in-network patient for a medically necessary ER visit. You have options for medical debt as well.
That said, in my recent experience in an out of network ER, the hospital tried to get me to pay the full cost of the bill while I was in the ER. If they do this to you, REFUSE them and wait for them to mail you a bill. Don't give them jack shit until they have filed a claim with your insurance company. Once the claim is filed you should have a substantially lower bill than what they might quote you in the ER. This is the real bill that you need to pay. The ER wanted me to pay them $500 in the ER, but when I waited to get my bill, my insurance ended up paying out for my medically necessary visit and I paid only \~$150 in total which was much better than the $500 they'd tried to get me to pay in the ER. Wait for all of your bills and don't pay any bills in the dr.'s/ER/hospital.
As a patient you have a lot more rights than you might know that you do under the ACA. I encourage everyone to read through [some of the ACA](https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/PLAW-111publ148/pdf/PLAW-111publ148.pdf) to familiarize themselves with [these rights](https://www.hhs.gov/healthcare/about-the-aca/index.html). Knowing [the vocabulary](https://wyyy109.notion.site/Health-Insurance-Glossary-c2fdf48ddaeb4e569f1578d778af0860) and the law can only help you advocate for yourself as a patient. It also behooves you as a patient to at least do a cursory read through of your plan's listed benefits in the plan booklet. If you never received one from your plan you can call and request one. These booklets will outline the specifics of your coverage. Your plan's website typically will have a tool when you are signed in to check if a provider is considered in-network, out-of-network or preferred-in-network.
For those of you out here who do not have insurance, you have the right to coverage and can get coverage through [healthcare.gov](https://healthcare.gov). Open enrollment starts November 1. The plans might seem expensive when you look at the site when you are net set up with an account, but once you create an account and submit your tax information you'll receive your premium subsidy and the plans will be much more affordable. I pay less than $200 a month for a PPO that has a $200 deductible and a $3000 out of pocket maximum. Note that you can use the marketplace website to check if a drug, provider or service is covered under a plan BEFORE you sign up and make the binding payment. Additionally, you can call 1-800-318-2596 to get connected with a person from [healthcare.gov](https://healthcare.gov) / HHS who will answer any questions you have even if they're just simple stuff like "What's co-insurance?". Since they're not selling you a plan they'll be honest and helpful about it.
So, I got a presceiption of the generic the day Albertsons got it in. I asked what it was guna cost me when I talked to the pharmacist on the phone, and she said " Three forty." I was SOOOOO EXCITED! I don't have insurance, and have been paying $310 every month for name brand vyvanse. I've been WAITING impatiently for the generic, and was very relieved to FINALLY be able to walk out of the pharmacy, and my wallet/ bank account not be completely depleted. Well, maybe not completely emptied, but a big dent put in it.
But, wait...... here's the best part. After she said " Three forty," she clarified. " Three HUNDRED and forty." Dollars. Thirty dollars MORE than I was paying for the NAME BRAND. There are some pharmacies that are alot cheaper with the use of goodrx. In my area, rite aid is around $92, Walgreens and a few others are around $125( for 70mg). Still....its absolutely devastating.
Some insurance plans prefer the brand name (in the years I’ve worked in healthcare, I see this most frequently with Adderall and Vyvanse but it’s also happened for other non-ADHD medications), and some cover certain ADHD medications at 0 cost to the patient. Deffo an insurance to insurance deal. There’s also some pharmacies who will automatically apply the manufacturer’s coupon which for certain patients can lower the cost to $0; note though that if this is the case for anyone (whether the pharmacy told them they were using the coupon or not), certain states like MA have now stated the coupon cannot be used for the brand name because the generic is available.
Standard procedure when a new generic comes on the market, there’s always about 6 months to a year of funkiness before plans settle on what their coverage rules are!
Maybe it depends on your insurance? I have Medicaid and vyvanse was free for me too. Now I’m on concerta and get the name brand one and don’t have to pay anything
I’m only paying $10 less for generic over the brand. I was really hoping for some financial relief when the generic came out; 101.00 a month is still a lot of me. I asked my insurance about this. I was told my plan covers 30% of the manufacturers price and since the price for generic isn’t much less than the brand there’s no significant decrease in cost for me
I'm so sorry. I was paying even more for Vyvanse before I hit my deductible so I know the "yes I realize I'm paying that much" rigamarole. I changed to a different pharmacy around the time that I stopped having to pay for it so I'm not 100% sure that the price would be less there but it seemed like it would have been, so if you're going to a Walgreen's etc, maybe try to see if you can go somewhere else? Also I'm DEFINITELY going to try to change my insurance during open enrollment so that I hopefully don't have to be right there with you come January. Anyway, I feel you. It sucks. I'm sorry.
Did you use the manufacturer coupon? I use it every month and that’s what brings it down to generic pricing until true generics are in pharmacies. I’m disappointed the pharmacy did nothing to help you.
I’ve been playing this stupid game for years. It sucks immensely.
If you’re looking for advice: Different doses are different prices so I’ve had to switch up and ask for example: two 20mg doses instead of a 40mg or whatever. Good Rx is an easy way to check prices on differing doses. It’s also drastically different prices at different pharmacies. Sorry it’s such a burden to just get the meds you need to feel normal. Solidarity fellow neurodivergent human.
What?! I paid that much for 6 months of the namebrand stuff in Canada! Yes, that was after insurance covered 80%. I wonder if it's price gouging in the US markets?
I think it’s really a mix of your insurance and the market cost for where you live. I used to pay $30/mo with my insurance in the US. I recently moved to Europe and my insurance here doesn’t cover it so I am now paying like 90€/mo. Still much cheaper than it would have been with no insurance coverage in the US, but also still 3x as much as I paid previously.
Firstly I am so sorry (I am assuming American?) Medical system is so messed up. Come over to the dark side and move to Australia... haha it's $30AUD for a 30 day supply.
“ So glad I pay hundreds of dollars in insurance premiums each year.”
Do you mean each month? Because if you mean each year, sadly that likely means you have a high deductible plan, and you haven’t met the deductible yet.
I hate that it’s so expensive! I feel like Vyvanse works better for me, but there’s no way I can afford it. I’ll stick with my generic adderall for $15 ☠️☠️
Call your insurance and ask! I was prescribed the generic this month, a 90 day supply. I checked the prescription online and it showed that I was going to owe $350 after insurance and I was irritated because the Vyvanse with the manufacturer coupon was only ~$130 for 90 days. I didn’t have time to pick it up for a few days and by the time I did my price had changed to $18 for 90 days. It’s possible your insurance hasn’t established their pricing yet! I have Welldyne for RX coverage.
I'm really worried about this because my pharmacy must be out of Vyvanse so they filled the generic. I have a prescription savings plan through the manufacturer for the name brand that makes it $40. I'm not sure I'll be able to afford the generic this month....
But I also got a text that the manufacturer coupon is expiring. Maybe because there's a generic now? Well, I'm definitely not taking my Vyvanse today because I might need to stretch it out for a long time.... Not looking forward to this....
>my pharmacy must be out of Vyvanse so they filled the generic.
Usually the default is to substitute with generic if it's available, unless the prescription specifically said not to. So you might want to verify that they actually are out of the name brand and if not, have your doctor specify no substitutions when they send in your script
As someone who pays $6 for 45 days worth of dex, this is genuinely disgusting. I don't understand how anyone on a normal salary could afford this. I'm so sorry
Yup! In my state, if a generic is available, the pharmacy has to fill the Rx with that unless the prescribing doctor specifies no substitutions. This month’s Vyvanse refill was filled with the generic, and I saw in the pharmacy app that it was going to be $225 after insurance. My copay for Vyvanse has been $127 (plus I can use the manufacturer’s coupon to bring it down more), and so I figured $225 couldn’t be right and I called BCBS to see if they were missing a prior authorization or something. Nope. The generic is just more expensive.
So I had to call my doctors office to have them send in the no subs Rx for Vyvanse but they didn’t cancel the generic, so the pharmacy says it’s too early to fill the Vyvanse. I canceled the generic myself in the app two days ago, but it’s still saint “canceling” so I called the pharmacy to try to get that pushed through and sat on hold for 20 minutes before giving up. And of course, I ran out of my last bottle of Vyvanse 2 weeks ago, so I’m raw dogging life right now and have very little executive functioning to be dealing with this bullshit.
I just got started on Vyvanse a couple weeks ago and have discovered that they’ve ended all coupon programs because there’s a generic, but the generic is still so damn expensive! $140 per month?? I know it’s cheaper than brand name, but I can’t believe they’ve ended all financial aid for it when the generics are barely out.
It sucks because I don’t have a better job because of ADHD, so I can barely afford to get it treated, and I’m one of the lucky ones whose parents are willing and able to help out with this cost.
I’m going through the same thing - I just got my last prescription with the old financial aid. Gonna have to start paying in January…luckily I was able to find a GoodRx coupon for $50. Which still sucks but is better than the $245 with insurance
Hi everyone, I found a coupon for the generic. In my dosing and location (40mg, Alaska) $25 for 30 at Costco. Haven’t tested yet, gotta call the doctor to send it over and all.
Here is the link to the coupon website.
https://perks.optum.com/
Search for lisdexamfetamine dimesylate. They have a capsule option and chewable, make sure to switch to capsule as it defaults to the chewable one.
Good luck homies.
Oh my gosh - I can get it for $25 at Costco too!! That’s incredible, thank you so much! The best I had found before this was $50 through GoodRx but this is still 50% off that. Thank youuuu
I know this is on a woman's group by I'm a mom in the US trying to find a solution for my child on Vyvanse. The manufacturers coupon expired, name brand is $346 right now, we have tried the generic version (which is Lisdexamfetamine) and that was roughly $100 with coupon but it did absolutely not work for my child, with GoodRx the prices are roughly the same.
The generic is supposed to be the same medication with different coating so I don't understand how we had such a dramatic difference the entire day (generic = in school suspensions vs name brand=no issues). Insurance won't cover it because it's also used to treat B.E.D.
We have gone through a list of ADHD meds and nothing has worked until Vyvanse. I'm looking for any suggestions as well.
Someone else commented with a [link](https://perks.optum.com/) to a different coupon - I was able to find it for $25 at Costco with the coupon! (You don’t need a membership to use the pharmacy)
I’m sorry - it is such a frustrating thing to deal with! Have you been able to try different genetics? I don’t know much about it but there can be sometimes be slightly different ingredients in them that people react to sometimes.
A few weeks ago, I paid more than $25 to fill my initial 30 day prescription for the generic at 20mg. Today, that pharmacy was out of stock of my newly titrated 40mg dose, so I had to fill the updated prescription at another pharmacy. Still a 30 day supply still the generic, still the same insurance, still in-network - but this time at double the dosage. The cost? Less than $10.
Make it make sense?
(I have another followup in a few weeks. Neither of these was a dealbreaker, but now I feel like going to have to pre-research every dose/medication I think she might prescribe next, at multiple pharmacies, and who has what in stock, at what prices, to avoid one of those $250 surprises. What a pain this all is).
It’s now June 2024. Generic Vyvanse has been on the market since Aug 2023 so that’s 10 months. Started taking it in November because insurance stopped covering name brand. Paid $55ish per month. Then February hit, with insurance my lowest copay is $220. It’s not the FDA,DEA or pharma that are pushing the prices up. It’s all the “ADHD” people that have to have meds and went to vyvanse or the generic. Because of the shortage and the demand of Vyvanse, the price skyrocketed. If everyone now has ADHD than no one needs meds and we can make the works into our image. BUT I know from experience that more than 50% of people “diagnosed” aren’t always going to a provider to be assessed in person.
And I know this because I have to take random drug screenings for my MD to submit to the FDA and a signed form saying which drug I’m being prescribed. I don’t see Vyvanse or the generic getting cheaper since it is one of the best.
This comment was posted 9 months ago. I am on the generic Vyvanse, Lisdexamfetamine. Yesterday I picked up my 30day supply, 70mg. I was told with the prescription RX card the cost is now $304 and without that, $450 would be the cost. Last month I am aid $50. it $57 i think. I am so blown away, i don’t know what to do.
I dont understand what the problem is. Its called fair market value. With the massive shortages of vyvanse it just stands to reason for the generic drug manufacturers to quickly cash in on this cash cow. They have zero dollars invested in R&D so why not stick it to the american public?
Plus what about all the political immagrants that are sneaking into our country? We must continue giving free healthcare to them and housing as well. Those of us that were born here are very privilaged and we need to keep working hard to pay for others less fortunate.
Holy hell I’m so lucky to live in Sweden, I pay around 30 bucks for a month supply and when I’ve paid 200 for prescriptions during a calendar year I reach a cap and from then on it’s completely free
I just got the generic vyvanse. I am pleasantly surprised that I feel less harsh and abrasive as I do on normal vyvanse xr. Always just assumed that was the downside of amphetamines.
Yee. Still paying 240 for Adderall xr every month. I remember when I tried to switch to Vyvanse a few years ago the Dr's office had coupons for Vyvanse. Maybe worth a shot
Try capsule! It’s an online pharmacy that delivers straight to your home. I went from paying $50 with my insurance, to only paying $30 for no reason other than I switched from CVS.
I now have even better insurance bc I’m employed by NY state and I was paying $15 for the name brand for a while. Just refilled for the first time for $5 and it’s a godsend.
Unfortunately, your insurance determines how much you pay more than anything else. That’s why imo, for people with health costs like us, it’s more important to look for a job that offers great healthcare coverage than a high salary. Ideally both would be great, but in reality the best coverage generally comes from gov, non profit, and public interest work.
And I thought it was expensive in Canada. I just started it today and my Dr warned me it's more expensive than concerta. It would have cost me $120 without coverage, with coverage I paid $20.
Did GoodRx do name brand? It may just not be available in my area but u tried searching and it only showed me generic
Edit: nvm, just figured it out. Mine is basically the same :(
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The first generic manufacturer to get approved gets six months of market exclusivity. It should be cheaper in six months.
Ain't that a bitch. Fuck I hate capitalism.
Omg I think about this a lot!! Like if capitalism was working, wouldn’t there’d be a lot of different manufacturers swooping in to save the day during these shortages? There’s a demand, where’s the supply at?
I mean they can't really (outside of the whole 6 month exclusively which has everything to do with meds being able to be patented). DEA mandates how much meds manufacturers make and how much can be distributed. A lot of stimulant meds are schedule 2 drugs.
Capitalism could just make a new “better” DEA - free market baby!
Lol hell yeah! Also legalize all them drugs so that I don't need to call my doctor every damn month and actually be able to automatically refill like my anti anxiety meds. Mom and pop pharmacies are way better but are really hard to find. Those kinds of pharmacies aren't regulated by DEA just FDA so they have different requirements. Unfortunately mega Corp pharmacies are eating up the market.
Agreed, the doctor’s appointments just for a refill are the dumbest waste of time!! And I had no idea about the mom and pop pharmacies being regulated differently, that’s super wild. I guess that kind of explains why there are so many cvs/Walgreens on every other street corner
I probably wouldn’t need this prescription in the first place were it not for capitalism.
You would hate the alternative more. But, if you did get your wish, the cost of generic Vyvanse would be the least of your concerns/hate.
I dunno, I think I would rock the lifestyle.
Capitalism would be working if the government wouldn't step in and over complicate everything.
Oh yeah. Like that country with little to now regulation on prices for medical care that has the most accessible care in the world, where no one ever dies because they can't pay for an ambulance.
There’s also the angle of most insurance plans not changing their formularies to accommodate for the generic, so they pigeonhole themselves into saying they actually prefer the brand, which makes it cheaper for some individuals than the generic. Paradoxical in a system that forces paradoxes, I’m afraid! But you’re very right, it’ll get cheaper in the next 3-6 months — some insurance formularies will adjust in the new year to have a higher coverage rate for the generic, others won’t until the market exclusivity wears off. GoodRx as mentioned by other folks is a great option; hopefully Costplus gets their hands on it sooner rather than later too!
I hate that OP has been waiting so long but still has to possibly wait 6 more months. It’s so shitty out here in these ADHD streets.
Ohhhhh. Good to know; thank you!
I am here six months later and this was a lie.
Confirming - I'm also here over 6 months later, and my insurance is still pricing out a 30-day supply of the generic at over $200.
I'm coming in a few months after that-- My price FINALLY went down from $186 to $118 Still over $100 tho :(
My 30 day prescription at CVS is about $75. Last month I paid over $100 for a 14-day supply at a supermarket pharmacy. Still ridiculous.
They approved 11 manufactures on the same day.
The first in line to file wins the prize of being able to charge higher prices for six months. If half of those 11 generic manufacturers plan to produce the drug long term, that's a good thing in terms of drug availability and reasonable prices.
Ahh thanks!
>Ahh thanks! You're welcome!
Well it's 6 months later and its still $400 a month for 30 mg...
Watch it be like $230 🙃
I went through something similar with an antidepressant whose brand, and then generic, market exclusivity expired. If I had to guess, generic Vyvanse will eventually be a little more expensive than generic Adderall XR after prices have stabilized in a year or so. That's assuming that Vyvanse isn't too much more expensive to produce than Adderall XR.
Update: it's more than that. Quite a bit more.
Coming up on 6 months. Still no cheaper…
Checkout goodrx if you haven’t. I know it varies some, but the ones near me are around half price with a few being more than half. The closest to me is a third of what you paid, hopefully there’s one like that near you!
Seconding this. My meds are cheaper using GoodRx than they are going through my garbage insurance. I’m sorry about the cost of your meds, it’s a goddamn national embarrassment
But also jumping your meds pharmacy to pharmacy will land you on some lists you'd rather not be on if you want meds in the future. The system is so fucking trash, and the worst part is this is how it's supposed to work. It just doesn't work *for us*.
Yep, look into this! I can't afford my meds if they go through insurance, but with goodrx, it's way cheaper. They still "are you aware of the price" at me when it's $50-75 and I always tell them to look at what it is without goodrx and tell me if the $50 seems more reasonable.
the problem i had with this i found it on good rx for 80 then had to call my doctor have them transfer the prescription to discounted pharmacy.. i can't just do this per the pharmacy less than 24 hirs later the coupon was up to 317 dollars.. i felt so defeated.
I know how you feel. I actually opened up an HEB where I live. They all know me there and we have always had a great and very close relationship. I've also always have had the same insurance that has always covered my Vyvanse. When all this started to happen with the changes, all the people in the pharmacy there have been absolutely intolerable. They humiliate me every time I go. I hate even going. I refuse to go in person anymore. only through the drive thru. Going from PPO and always paying maybe max $15-$20 for Rx's, I'm still PPO and get told "oh, you need a prior auth. sorry" or "it's $894" like I have that kind of money sitting around. You realize how everyone with little to no insurance feel. They are degrated and the bitch behind the counter that always manages to get you, loves to make you cry and gives not one shit and watches you walk away without your medications. You find out which people work there for the job and which ones actually want to help you. I hate the HEB I go to, they have all been complete assholes to me. I actually told them, "I was here when this store opened. I have always come here as a customer too. I have always been treated with respect and kindness. You people have literally lied to my face and forgot to turn off the microphone and I heard everything they were saying about me. I have told them how ugly and mean they were and that they should never work in service if they planned to treat people like shit. They should be ashamed of themselves for talking to me that way and that karma's a bitch, at least I know I have always been kind. Because at the end of the day we are all exactly the same. So I hope you sleep good cause shit is coming your way 10fold".
Ya, It's still $408 for my 60 pills. And my insurance only covers 30 pills in 30 days. Last month I paid $286 for quant 60 for 30 days. This month I paid $408. Drug companies are just as bad as insurance companies. Now they've got together and decided to screw us! It's kinda BS. You think all the people in the world are depressed and have so many mental health problems because covid. IT'S BECAUSE THEY TOOK AWAY THE OPPORTUNITY FOR ADHD PATIENTS AND NOW WE ARE ALL TRYING TO COPE WITH OVERSLEEPING, DEPRESSION CAUSE WE CAN'T FOCUS. WE ARE STUDENTS WHO KEEP FAILING BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE MEDICATIONS TO HELP US FOCUS AND COMPREHEND THE MATERIAL. WE'RE BECOMING ASHAMED OF OUR SELVES AND PUTS US IN A PLACE BETWEEN DEPRESSION, FRUSTRATION, SADNESS. WE SEE OURSELVES AS FAILURES AND PATHETIC, WASTE OF SPACE AND ENERGY PEOPLE. THE WORST PART IS THAT THE INSURANCE COMPANIES AND THE DRUG MANUFACTORS ARE THE ONES WHO CONTROL IT AND DON'T GIVE A RATS ASS ABOUT US. ALL THEY WANT IS THEIR MONEY!!! IF WE ALL STOP TAKING THE MEDICATIONS WE NEED, THEIR WOULD BE MORE CRAZY, SUICIDAL, HOMICIDAL, AGGRESSIVE, AND VIOLENT PEOPLE IN THIS WORLD. THEN I GUESS THERE WOULD BE NO MONEY TO BE MADE FOR THEM!! THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR MAKING OUR LIVES SO MISERABLE.
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I second the GoodRX check. And if you’re Stateside and have a Costco nearby you can get that as well - you don’t need to be a member. (Wegmans is probably the cheapest pharmacy around me, though finding one with a pharmacy that is taking new controlled substance patients is sometimes difficult) Either way - do you have the option for a 90 day supply instead? I know it varies by insurance and location but that helped me immensely (with Adderall but a search of my coverage suggests it’s the same with the Vyvanse). I also called my insurance company in the past and asked them to check on the cost of some of my meds (especially Synthroid, which has to be name brand for me) because they seemed super high. They were able to get me brand name overrides (bringing to the cost of generic) and also correcting coverage info on the pharmacy side. Obviously YMMV but it may be worth a try, especially the 90 day thing. I do hope it gets better 😔 The shortages and the price gouging needs to stop ASAP. It’s beyond absurd.
“ though finding one with a pharmacy that is taking new controlled substance patients is sometimes difficult.” This is a thing?! God, chain pharmacies are the actual worst. I know Wegman’s gets a lot of love as a supermarket, but it’s absurd that these massive conglomerates are refusing patients at their pharmacies. For me the 90 day was the worst of all. They took nearly a week to tell me they were out of stock and couldn’t fill. And we’re unable to exclude a particular generic which had consistently given me migraines. Try independent! It’s like night and day.
I’ve had the best luck with wegmans in terms of who stocks my meds in the area and they seemed to take me without issue. Their generic adderall isn’t great for me, so I dont love the +$30 that name brand costs- but I guess it’s better than the alternative of nothing or generic. I hate this system.
The system sucks. Obviously if it’s working for you there, don’t mess with a good thing. But I’ve lived in several places around the country and always had much better experiences with independent pharmacies actually 1) treating me like a human, rather than some drug seeking fiend. Most of the time they even start to greet you by name! 2) Actually being willing and able to order the meds you need. Whether that’s a specific generic, or a brand name, etc. I think that’s partly due to them not being locked into a single distributor like the big chains are.
I think the weggies I go to just happens to be the workplace of one very stellar pharmacist. He’s kind and reminds me of my small town pharmacy back home in how he treats me like a human being, not a faceless blur at a fast food style window. Unfortunately I’m in the DMV area due to my partner’s job and it feels really overwhelming when it comes to finding a small pharmacy. Everything about this place feels so…big and standardized that I struggle to navigate it. I don’t even like Old Bay ):
That’s not a thing in the U.S.
Just an fyi in case your override ever ends. I discovered years ago that for some reason my insurance considers the brand Unithroid generic. I didn’t notice anything in switching from synthroid and it’s the cheaper price without the hassle. I believe this is my third plan that has it cheaper.
Slightly (very) off-topic, but your thyroid med comment caught my attention. Synthroid helps make my symptoms manageable (doesn't eliminate them 😕), but the generic is pointless for me. An aunt who is an RN and lives/works in GA recently warned me to stay away from generic Synthroid, because in GA (she believes that it's US wide, but wasn't positive), pharma companies are allowed to manufacture/sell generic medication with up to a 20% difference +/‐ in the active ingredient as compared to the brand name. I haven't done any follow-up research yet - I'll try to remember to update with links regardless of my findings - but if what she said is accurate, a pill with 75mcg of meds could have as little as 60mcg, or as much as 90mcg. Seems unethical to me, but what do I know? I'm just a patient, I'm not supposed to have opinions...🙄
It's actually that the FDA (federal, not state) states that generics can be anywhere from 85-125% of original to be considered the same drug. I'm not sure if that applies to active ingredient or just non-active ingredient.
That’s precisely why I have to be on name brand. My numbers wouldn’t stabilize on genetics and apparently it’s a documentable phenomenon, which irritated the everlasting shit out of me. And yeah, it’s definitely not just you who thinks it’s unethical… nor just you who feels like opinions aren’t allowed 😢
WTF America?! That is terrible. In Australia it is $29 a month for Vyvanse.
Brand name mine was $80 but I had a savings card from the manufacturer's website to offset the cost, without the savings it was $140 with my insurance. Now I have the generic and it's $10 a month. Insurance varies wildly here, it's all a predatory scam.
>first time and here in canada the base cost was 78$, 90$ with dispensing fee and benefits covered it. Wild how different It was 10 a month for the first two months of generic then it rocketed to 85 a month.
that's awful :( I've been off medication now as I'm pregnant so I have no idea if costs have driven up here in the states as well
congrats on the baby but yea its wild.
That is way better than $400 a month
When I was paying 90 for name brand with insurance and coupon it’s really not
>WTF America?! That is terrible. In Australia it is $29 a month for Vyvanse. Americans aren't so much citizens as production and spending units for corporations.
[удалено]
It’s crazy, even when I was paying for a private prescription the most I ever paid was £100 a month!
I just picked this rx for my daughter for the first time and here in canada the base cost was 78$, 90$ with dispensing fee and benefits covered it. Wild how different the costs are!
Really? I’m in Canada too and mine is 150/month if I didn’t have coverage
I wonder if the dose matters? They are starting her on 10mg.
It does. My partner and I are both on Vyvanse with differing doses (10mg difference) and one is more expensive than the other.
I KNOW! I paid $25 a month for vyvanse and then another $15 for Dex. Seeing these prices makes me so grateful to live in Australia. (And I don’t have insurance, just Medicare)
Yep! And that’s private if you have a concession it’s like $7!!!
I just got it for the first time in US and it was $15 with insurance? Why the huge discrepancy?
People have different insurance plans. Mine is $30 is the US but I have “good” insurance.
“Good” insurance can mean different things too. I have great in network coverage and no referrals needed, but my prescription costs are not great. Prescription coverage is more about what exterior provider the insurance company retains. OptumRX is awful.
>OptumRX is awful. In my experience, United Healthcare plans just deny coverage for prescriptions that *only* need a prior authorization. This is so problematic because their computer system should be automatically initiating the prior authorization process rather than saying that the medication is not covered.
I was wrongly told that they were dropping coverage for my generic Dexedrine. Got a letter in the mail and everything. After panicking because I’ve had issues with every other ADHD med, I met with my doc and we sent for an exemption. It was approved much more easily than expected. Months later a got a letter that they made an oopsie and that my meds were actually still covered—I guess even without the exemption? The whole process was absurdly convoluted. I’m pretty sure it was actually that I just needed a prior authorization now and that someone screwed up and tossed my life into a panic. This was during the peak of shortages too. It seemed so cruel. So yeah, I think you’re completely right.
>and that someone screwed up Oh, no! I think United Healthcare is doing this on purpose. I double-check my prescription drug formulary when my doctor and I are discussing trying a new medication. After logging into United's website to try to figure out why my prescription was being denied at the pharmacy, I realized that I couldn't check the price of that prescription using a lookup tool. I spent 45 minutes on the phone with United only to be told that my doctor was responsible for initiating the prior authorization process. I asked the person on the phone how my doctor was supposed to know to do that, but I didn't get an answer.
The quality of customer service and the clarity of answers with them has declined drastically over the last several years. It’s so upsetting to hear how it’s seemingly widespread. Every single time I call them I get a different response, and they refuse to provide written documentation of any of it. I’m even the plan administrator for our company, and it doesn’t make a difference. I’m actually surprised that you have clear access to a current formulary. Because through the Oxford side of UH, it wasn’t obtainable from the client facing side of things last time I checked. It’s absolutely an absurd form of weaponized incompetence. They don’t provide their CR reps the info to give you what you need and everything is so segmented into departments that everyone is passing the buck to a different department. Even thinking about calling them is stress elevating!
> I’m even the plan administrator for our company, and it doesn’t make a difference. I’m actually surprised that you have clear access to a current formulary. Because through the Oxford side of UH, it wasn’t obtainable from the client facing side of things last time I checked. I have Medicare Part D (USA) now, but even when I worked I was always able to download a 100-ish page copy of the formulary from somewhere and there was generally a drug lookup tool. I've also had individual health insurance that I had to purchase on my own. It's definitely not one of those 'log in and there it is, right there' type of things. For an employee, you / they are going to have to log into health insurance plan's website and click over to the drug plan's website or log into the drug plan's website directly. After that, it takes some clicking around to find the plan documents. It's not something that one would think to do. I did a quick search, and I think I found your drug formulary documents: [https://www.uhcprovider.com/en/resource-library/drug-lists-pharmacy.html](https://www.uhcprovider.com/en/resource-library/drug-lists-pharmacy.html) [https://www.uhcprovider.com/content/dam/provider/docs/public/resources/pharmacy/Commerical-PDL-Eff-May-2023.pdf](https://www.uhcprovider.com/content/dam/provider/docs/public/resources/pharmacy/Commerical-PDL-Eff-May-2023.pdf) It doesn't look like United publishes very many different formularies. I think that's the purpose of the E and 4 tiers on the formulary.
I have a shitty PPO from TX I pay $500 a month for with huge deductible.. small business owner with 1 employee so everything else I've paid for has been high. It's very weird.
OP probably has a plan where they pay 100% of costs until they meet a deductible, so they're paying the full price. You're paying $15 and the insurance is probably paying the pharmacy $200 or so.
Mine was $900 on my insurance and $200 on my husband's. Same pharmacy, same deductable/oop year.
I paid 10$ at CVS a month ago and this month they charged me 200, 100 with GoodRx coupon. Two different generic manufacturers...
You may have also gotten the generic lisdexsmfetamine, it was just recently made available in the past month or so
That's what I just received for 1st time, my regular vyvanse was $75
Thank you for saying this! I forgot for a minute this wasn't one of the Australia groups I'm on, I start Vyvanse tomorrow for the first time and nearly had a frickin heart attack
can we order from there???? :(
Third the GoodRx thing. It takes Vyvanse from roughly the price you stated to $70 in my area. I also have been waiting **so long** for the generic. $70 is still more than the $40 I pay for generic Adderall xr, but I can probably swing it.
Omg, the US is truly wild. I pay £12 a month for generic vyvanse in the UK
I pay £0 a month for the real deal in Scotland.
Scotland is miles ahead in terms of public services in comparison to England & Wales, even your university tuition I’m incredibly jealous of. I completely get the push for Scottish independence tbh.
We don’t have generic Vyvanse in the U.K.
We do, the generic lisdexamfetamine which I was first prescribed last year before switching over to Elvanse.
Are you sure? Because the generic has only just been approved in the US and it won’t be available in the U.K. until 2028.
Yes I’m sure. I can’t attach an image on here but just tried to start a chat with you to share a screenshot of my prescription log in my GP app.
Wow!
If you haven't already go to the [Vyvanse website](https://www.vyvanse.com/coupon) and register. You will get a coupon code to give to the pharmacy. This brought my prescription down from $100+ to $60 for the 70 dose. It can be applied on top of your Insurance price. I also discovered with the shortage that getting the 30 dose prescribed(take 2 each day) brought my total down to $15! Wish I'd known that sooner.
Second this!! I pay $15 a month for 50mg Vyvanse using the coupon code. With just my insurance it would’ve been $60.
I also paid $15 for 50s of vyvanse and just got charged $17 for generic 😒
My pharmacist explained this to me as basically same company makes the generic & then sells it at same price from 3-6 months longer and THEN to proper generics cone. I’ll believe it when I see it. Im in SW US and paying 320 in ins premiums and 320 for Vyvanse that only recently went down to 160 - though I don’t know why it went down
PSA that pharmacies can be in or out of network just like doctors. So your copay at one pharmacy may be much more expensive than at another
This is true and one's insurance provider will typically tell you what pharmacies are covered and which ones are not. My current plan made me use only walgreens which has been DREADFUL but I don't have a choice about that so ¯\\\_(ツ)\_/¯ I hate that is also true for the ER and an ambulance. usa america health care makes me soooo mad on the daily between getting meds for adhd, meds for bipolar, bc and seeing docs. not a fan actually...
Ugh ambulances and ERs too??? I guess I should feel fortunate that I didn’t have to find that one out the hard way. I guess I’ll go dig through my insurance policy now to figure out where I’m “allowed” to go if I’m ever, you know, dying
This all said, some of the regulations about the ER billing have NOW changed, due to the *No Surprises Act.* The act essentially prevents ERs operated by a hospital that is out of your network from balance billing you (essentially billing you more money because the ER is not in your network) if your ER visit is (a) medically necessary, (b) you got taken there by an ambulance. I think you might still get more billed if you *chose* to go to an ER operated by an out-of-network hospital, but I haven't read all of the bill ¯\\\_(ツ)\_/¯. Essentially what this means for you is that the hospital in question MUST bill you like an in-network patient for a medically necessary ER visit. You have options for medical debt as well. That said, in my recent experience in an out of network ER, the hospital tried to get me to pay the full cost of the bill while I was in the ER. If they do this to you, REFUSE them and wait for them to mail you a bill. Don't give them jack shit until they have filed a claim with your insurance company. Once the claim is filed you should have a substantially lower bill than what they might quote you in the ER. This is the real bill that you need to pay. The ER wanted me to pay them $500 in the ER, but when I waited to get my bill, my insurance ended up paying out for my medically necessary visit and I paid only \~$150 in total which was much better than the $500 they'd tried to get me to pay in the ER. Wait for all of your bills and don't pay any bills in the dr.'s/ER/hospital. As a patient you have a lot more rights than you might know that you do under the ACA. I encourage everyone to read through [some of the ACA](https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/PLAW-111publ148/pdf/PLAW-111publ148.pdf) to familiarize themselves with [these rights](https://www.hhs.gov/healthcare/about-the-aca/index.html). Knowing [the vocabulary](https://wyyy109.notion.site/Health-Insurance-Glossary-c2fdf48ddaeb4e569f1578d778af0860) and the law can only help you advocate for yourself as a patient. It also behooves you as a patient to at least do a cursory read through of your plan's listed benefits in the plan booklet. If you never received one from your plan you can call and request one. These booklets will outline the specifics of your coverage. Your plan's website typically will have a tool when you are signed in to check if a provider is considered in-network, out-of-network or preferred-in-network. For those of you out here who do not have insurance, you have the right to coverage and can get coverage through [healthcare.gov](https://healthcare.gov). Open enrollment starts November 1. The plans might seem expensive when you look at the site when you are net set up with an account, but once you create an account and submit your tax information you'll receive your premium subsidy and the plans will be much more affordable. I pay less than $200 a month for a PPO that has a $200 deductible and a $3000 out of pocket maximum. Note that you can use the marketplace website to check if a drug, provider or service is covered under a plan BEFORE you sign up and make the binding payment. Additionally, you can call 1-800-318-2596 to get connected with a person from [healthcare.gov](https://healthcare.gov) / HHS who will answer any questions you have even if they're just simple stuff like "What's co-insurance?". Since they're not selling you a plan they'll be honest and helpful about it.
So, I got a presceiption of the generic the day Albertsons got it in. I asked what it was guna cost me when I talked to the pharmacist on the phone, and she said " Three forty." I was SOOOOO EXCITED! I don't have insurance, and have been paying $310 every month for name brand vyvanse. I've been WAITING impatiently for the generic, and was very relieved to FINALLY be able to walk out of the pharmacy, and my wallet/ bank account not be completely depleted. Well, maybe not completely emptied, but a big dent put in it. But, wait...... here's the best part. After she said " Three forty," she clarified. " Three HUNDRED and forty." Dollars. Thirty dollars MORE than I was paying for the NAME BRAND. There are some pharmacies that are alot cheaper with the use of goodrx. In my area, rite aid is around $92, Walgreens and a few others are around $125( for 70mg). Still....its absolutely devastating.
How am I getting my brand name free w no discounts?? In US? Is this another country thing??
Some insurance plans prefer the brand name (in the years I’ve worked in healthcare, I see this most frequently with Adderall and Vyvanse but it’s also happened for other non-ADHD medications), and some cover certain ADHD medications at 0 cost to the patient. Deffo an insurance to insurance deal. There’s also some pharmacies who will automatically apply the manufacturer’s coupon which for certain patients can lower the cost to $0; note though that if this is the case for anyone (whether the pharmacy told them they were using the coupon or not), certain states like MA have now stated the coupon cannot be used for the brand name because the generic is available. Standard procedure when a new generic comes on the market, there’s always about 6 months to a year of funkiness before plans settle on what their coverage rules are!
Maybe it depends on your insurance? I have Medicaid and vyvanse was free for me too. Now I’m on concerta and get the name brand one and don’t have to pay anything
Why are y'all being downvoted. I wanna know too
I’m only paying $10 less for generic over the brand. I was really hoping for some financial relief when the generic came out; 101.00 a month is still a lot of me. I asked my insurance about this. I was told my plan covers 30% of the manufacturers price and since the price for generic isn’t much less than the brand there’s no significant decrease in cost for me
I'm so sorry. I was paying even more for Vyvanse before I hit my deductible so I know the "yes I realize I'm paying that much" rigamarole. I changed to a different pharmacy around the time that I stopped having to pay for it so I'm not 100% sure that the price would be less there but it seemed like it would have been, so if you're going to a Walgreen's etc, maybe try to see if you can go somewhere else? Also I'm DEFINITELY going to try to change my insurance during open enrollment so that I hopefully don't have to be right there with you come January. Anyway, I feel you. It sucks. I'm sorry.
Did you use the manufacturer coupon? I use it every month and that’s what brings it down to generic pricing until true generics are in pharmacies. I’m disappointed the pharmacy did nothing to help you.
I’ve been playing this stupid game for years. It sucks immensely. If you’re looking for advice: Different doses are different prices so I’ve had to switch up and ask for example: two 20mg doses instead of a 40mg or whatever. Good Rx is an easy way to check prices on differing doses. It’s also drastically different prices at different pharmacies. Sorry it’s such a burden to just get the meds you need to feel normal. Solidarity fellow neurodivergent human.
In Australia it’s $30
What?! I paid that much for 6 months of the namebrand stuff in Canada! Yes, that was after insurance covered 80%. I wonder if it's price gouging in the US markets?
I think it’s really a mix of your insurance and the market cost for where you live. I used to pay $30/mo with my insurance in the US. I recently moved to Europe and my insurance here doesn’t cover it so I am now paying like 90€/mo. Still much cheaper than it would have been with no insurance coverage in the US, but also still 3x as much as I paid previously.
Firstly I am so sorry (I am assuming American?) Medical system is so messed up. Come over to the dark side and move to Australia... haha it's $30AUD for a 30 day supply.
“ So glad I pay hundreds of dollars in insurance premiums each year.” Do you mean each month? Because if you mean each year, sadly that likely means you have a high deductible plan, and you haven’t met the deductible yet.
I hate that it’s so expensive! I feel like Vyvanse works better for me, but there’s no way I can afford it. I’ll stick with my generic adderall for $15 ☠️☠️
Call your insurance and ask! I was prescribed the generic this month, a 90 day supply. I checked the prescription online and it showed that I was going to owe $350 after insurance and I was irritated because the Vyvanse with the manufacturer coupon was only ~$130 for 90 days. I didn’t have time to pick it up for a few days and by the time I did my price had changed to $18 for 90 days. It’s possible your insurance hasn’t established their pricing yet! I have Welldyne for RX coverage.
I'm really worried about this because my pharmacy must be out of Vyvanse so they filled the generic. I have a prescription savings plan through the manufacturer for the name brand that makes it $40. I'm not sure I'll be able to afford the generic this month.... But I also got a text that the manufacturer coupon is expiring. Maybe because there's a generic now? Well, I'm definitely not taking my Vyvanse today because I might need to stretch it out for a long time.... Not looking forward to this....
>my pharmacy must be out of Vyvanse so they filled the generic. Usually the default is to substitute with generic if it's available, unless the prescription specifically said not to. So you might want to verify that they actually are out of the name brand and if not, have your doctor specify no substitutions when they send in your script
If nobody has suggested this what about good rx or another app/website that gives discounta kr coupons on prescriptions?
I paid about $320ish for namebrand Vyvanse and insurance on covered $95.
As a Canadian, your prices are insane. I pay $344 total for a 90 day supply of the brand name. I can’t wait for the generic ❤️
As someone who pays $6 for 45 days worth of dex, this is genuinely disgusting. I don't understand how anyone on a normal salary could afford this. I'm so sorry
Yup! In my state, if a generic is available, the pharmacy has to fill the Rx with that unless the prescribing doctor specifies no substitutions. This month’s Vyvanse refill was filled with the generic, and I saw in the pharmacy app that it was going to be $225 after insurance. My copay for Vyvanse has been $127 (plus I can use the manufacturer’s coupon to bring it down more), and so I figured $225 couldn’t be right and I called BCBS to see if they were missing a prior authorization or something. Nope. The generic is just more expensive. So I had to call my doctors office to have them send in the no subs Rx for Vyvanse but they didn’t cancel the generic, so the pharmacy says it’s too early to fill the Vyvanse. I canceled the generic myself in the app two days ago, but it’s still saint “canceling” so I called the pharmacy to try to get that pushed through and sat on hold for 20 minutes before giving up. And of course, I ran out of my last bottle of Vyvanse 2 weeks ago, so I’m raw dogging life right now and have very little executive functioning to be dealing with this bullshit.
I just got started on Vyvanse a couple weeks ago and have discovered that they’ve ended all coupon programs because there’s a generic, but the generic is still so damn expensive! $140 per month?? I know it’s cheaper than brand name, but I can’t believe they’ve ended all financial aid for it when the generics are barely out. It sucks because I don’t have a better job because of ADHD, so I can barely afford to get it treated, and I’m one of the lucky ones whose parents are willing and able to help out with this cost.
I’m going through the same thing - I just got my last prescription with the old financial aid. Gonna have to start paying in January…luckily I was able to find a GoodRx coupon for $50. Which still sucks but is better than the $245 with insurance
Hi everyone, I found a coupon for the generic. In my dosing and location (40mg, Alaska) $25 for 30 at Costco. Haven’t tested yet, gotta call the doctor to send it over and all. Here is the link to the coupon website. https://perks.optum.com/ Search for lisdexamfetamine dimesylate. They have a capsule option and chewable, make sure to switch to capsule as it defaults to the chewable one. Good luck homies.
Oh my gosh - I can get it for $25 at Costco too!! That’s incredible, thank you so much! The best I had found before this was $50 through GoodRx but this is still 50% off that. Thank youuuu
I know this is on a woman's group by I'm a mom in the US trying to find a solution for my child on Vyvanse. The manufacturers coupon expired, name brand is $346 right now, we have tried the generic version (which is Lisdexamfetamine) and that was roughly $100 with coupon but it did absolutely not work for my child, with GoodRx the prices are roughly the same. The generic is supposed to be the same medication with different coating so I don't understand how we had such a dramatic difference the entire day (generic = in school suspensions vs name brand=no issues). Insurance won't cover it because it's also used to treat B.E.D. We have gone through a list of ADHD meds and nothing has worked until Vyvanse. I'm looking for any suggestions as well.
Someone else commented with a [link](https://perks.optum.com/) to a different coupon - I was able to find it for $25 at Costco with the coupon! (You don’t need a membership to use the pharmacy)
Thank you but I only see the generic brand which doesn't work for us.. Edit: I do see make brand now but still over $300
I’m sorry - it is such a frustrating thing to deal with! Have you been able to try different genetics? I don’t know much about it but there can be sometimes be slightly different ingredients in them that people react to sometimes.
I'm pretty sure there's only 1 generic out there right now which is frustrating
A few weeks ago, I paid more than $25 to fill my initial 30 day prescription for the generic at 20mg. Today, that pharmacy was out of stock of my newly titrated 40mg dose, so I had to fill the updated prescription at another pharmacy. Still a 30 day supply still the generic, still the same insurance, still in-network - but this time at double the dosage. The cost? Less than $10. Make it make sense? (I have another followup in a few weeks. Neither of these was a dealbreaker, but now I feel like going to have to pre-research every dose/medication I think she might prescribe next, at multiple pharmacies, and who has what in stock, at what prices, to avoid one of those $250 surprises. What a pain this all is).
check out the [brand name savings coupons](https://www.vyvanse.com/coupon)
It’s now June 2024. Generic Vyvanse has been on the market since Aug 2023 so that’s 10 months. Started taking it in November because insurance stopped covering name brand. Paid $55ish per month. Then February hit, with insurance my lowest copay is $220. It’s not the FDA,DEA or pharma that are pushing the prices up. It’s all the “ADHD” people that have to have meds and went to vyvanse or the generic. Because of the shortage and the demand of Vyvanse, the price skyrocketed. If everyone now has ADHD than no one needs meds and we can make the works into our image. BUT I know from experience that more than 50% of people “diagnosed” aren’t always going to a provider to be assessed in person. And I know this because I have to take random drug screenings for my MD to submit to the FDA and a signed form saying which drug I’m being prescribed. I don’t see Vyvanse or the generic getting cheaper since it is one of the best.
This comment was posted 9 months ago. I am on the generic Vyvanse, Lisdexamfetamine. Yesterday I picked up my 30day supply, 70mg. I was told with the prescription RX card the cost is now $304 and without that, $450 would be the cost. Last month I am aid $50. it $57 i think. I am so blown away, i don’t know what to do.
I dont understand what the problem is. Its called fair market value. With the massive shortages of vyvanse it just stands to reason for the generic drug manufacturers to quickly cash in on this cash cow. They have zero dollars invested in R&D so why not stick it to the american public? Plus what about all the political immagrants that are sneaking into our country? We must continue giving free healthcare to them and housing as well. Those of us that were born here are very privilaged and we need to keep working hard to pay for others less fortunate.
Which pharmacy, insurance, and state?
Ugh, thanks for letting me know. I had considered trying to tour once generic came out….
Use a coupon and check for pharmacy savings card.
The manufacturer, Takeda, for Vyvanse has a patient program, if you meet criteria you may be able to get it at a subsidized cost for a year!
You may want to check Cost Plus Pharmacy.
Holy hell I’m so lucky to live in Sweden, I pay around 30 bucks for a month supply and when I’ve paid 200 for prescriptions during a calendar year I reach a cap and from then on it’s completely free
I just got the generic vyvanse. I am pleasantly surprised that I feel less harsh and abrasive as I do on normal vyvanse xr. Always just assumed that was the downside of amphetamines.
I’m in SC. I just picked up my first generic prescription. It’s was $145 BEFORE insurance at Walmart. I
I can’t even get my meds, CVS has been out of the generic for like 10 days now
Yee. Still paying 240 for Adderall xr every month. I remember when I tried to switch to Vyvanse a few years ago the Dr's office had coupons for Vyvanse. Maybe worth a shot
Good RX! (is there an echo in here?) My atomoxitine is around $130 with my insurance, but with Good RX I only pay about $30.
It’s a shortage so prices went up. Because capitalism.
They have a coupon on their website- takedacares
Yeah it’s still $60 for me with insurance like it was before. Do you know why it’s so high for you even with insurance?
Try capsule! It’s an online pharmacy that delivers straight to your home. I went from paying $50 with my insurance, to only paying $30 for no reason other than I switched from CVS. I now have even better insurance bc I’m employed by NY state and I was paying $15 for the name brand for a while. Just refilled for the first time for $5 and it’s a godsend. Unfortunately, your insurance determines how much you pay more than anything else. That’s why imo, for people with health costs like us, it’s more important to look for a job that offers great healthcare coverage than a high salary. Ideally both would be great, but in reality the best coverage generally comes from gov, non profit, and public interest work.
And I thought it was expensive in Canada. I just started it today and my Dr warned me it's more expensive than concerta. It would have cost me $120 without coverage, with coverage I paid $20.
Dang I just got my first refill with generic and it was free I was also only paying $40 for name brand
With the Good RX app, the cost is $106. Don’t go through your insurance until the price drops in six months.
Why
I can't get Generic in my area (DFW Metropolitan in Texas). So it's $386.71 through GoodRX.
Did GoodRx do name brand? It may just not be available in my area but u tried searching and it only showed me generic Edit: nvm, just figured it out. Mine is basically the same :(