Susan's Place Transgender Resources

Hi, my doctor has prescribed finasteride and my insurance is, so far, refusing to cover it. At $71 at Walgreens, it's more than I'm willing to spend. Have any of you found better deals without the insurance? If so, would you mind sharing the where and the how?

Thanks!!!!

Since you have a valid Rx, maybe try an online pharmacy.

I know that insurance will cover 5mg finasteride for prostate problems(proscar) but will not cover 1mg of it for hair growth....Maybe talk this over with your doctor and get creative.

Does your health insurance have exclusions for Sex Change or Gender Reassignment (I use the terms simply because that's what the insurance says), because if your American, and it doesn't, they are essentially ignoring the law. Everything to do with HRT for trans-people should be covered, as well as GRS- as it was deemed a necessary treatment for trans people by the US Supreme court.

So it might be worth going to a free legal advice centre and having them look over your policy to see whether or not they are in fact allowed to not cover finasteride for that purpose. If they're not you might find that they start covering it very quickly, and if worse comes to worse you could sue them and end up with back-pay for any money already spent.

It completely depends on your policy though

Quote from: JadeFla on August 30, 2014, 11:19:46 AM
Since you have a valid Rx, maybe try an online pharmacy.

I know that insurance will cover 5mg finasteride for prostate problems(proscar) but will not cover 1mg of it for hair growth....Maybe talk this over with your doctor and get creative.

Jane,
    Jade's idea holds a lot of merit as it could be covered by insurance if your MD would put his x in the prostate box on the insurance form. Other than that I'll PM you.

I have the same problem i got a prescription for finastride but my insurance wont cover it either and i cant after the $80 a month for that although I'm not out yet or on hrt. I just waiting to meet with an endo and hopefully i can figure all that out. but for the mean time I'm been using shampoos that contain ketoconazole for about 3 months first few months. i used nizoral then switched to Regenepure. ketoconazole has been shown to have a potential effect on blocking dht. It hasn't been FDA approved for hair loss but since using it I have noticed quite a bit of regrowth around my hairline. It may or may not work for everyone but for $20 a bottle its worth trying out for a few month and its at least better then not doing anything.

Thank to all of you for your health. I'm not sure my doctor will call this a prostate problem. She's a little letter of the law sometimes (Even though insurance companies use every loophole possible to deny coverage). I'll keep trying.

Is dutasteride less expensive? It's what I asked for, but she didn't quite hear.

Love you gals.

There are two doses available (can't be specific due to forum rules):

• Male Pattern Baldness Dose - more expensive and many insurance companies will not pay as they consider it cosmetic
• Prostate Shrinking Dose - 5 times amount per pill than the MPB amount and it's cheaper

I found both cheapest as Costco with a discount code they gave me. I was on the MPB dosage and it was $28 for a 90 day supply without insurance. My HRT doctor switched my to a higher dose and it was cheaper at $13 for a 90 day supply without insurance.

I would either look at Costco or get your doctor to change it to the higher dose (can only help transitioning) and you doctor can write it up as a prostate thing and they will most like cover it.

I've been having a long fight to get it covered as part of the treatment. Right now it is given to me by a dermathologist.

I'd need to talk with the health inspector to try and get it covered, or at least enable it.

Dutasteride/Avodart is way more expensive, because there isn't a generic yet.  But $70 for finasteride is too much.  I learned recently that I'm paying too much at $30/mo.  So I'm looking into the prices at different pharmacies. 

Some have also suggested getting a prescription for 5mg finasteride and splitting it up using a pill splitter and only taking 1mg per day.  Apparently it'll save money if the doc agrees to it.

Forgive an intrusion from one of the boys, but I, too, went to Costco. My doc wrote scrip for the prostate dosage, and I chopped the pills into the size he recommended for hair loss. Although Costco had a habit of wildly fluctuating prices on all things, the finasteride was still insanely cheap. I didn't even need membership; whenever questioned, I simply stated that I was going to the pharmacy.

Quote from: Arch on August 30, 2014, 01:52:43 PM
Forgive an intrusion from one of the boys, but I, too, went to Costco. My doc wrote scrip for the prostate dosage, and I chopped the pills into the size he recommended for hair loss. Although Costco had a habit of wildly fluctuating prices on all things, the finasteride was still insanely cheap. I didn't even need membership; whenever questioned, I simply stated that I was going to the pharmacy.

I was just going to tell that. The 5 mg pills are intented for prostate, but cutting them can do the trick.


Too bad dutasteride is liquid. I have 10 days to figure out how to get my next box.

Image removed; sorry, but it conveyed a specific dosage.

InHouse Pharmacy is easy, they ship quick. You can go on line to check their prices. They support transgender people all over the planet.

Good luck.

Thanks for the specifics!!! I'm not near a costco (nor am I a member). But Walmart is is advertising 9$ for a thirty-day supply. I'll call my dr. on Monday and see if I can get it there. I'm totally willing to circumvent insurance altogether. I wonder if I'm paying too much for estradiol and spire even with insurance at walgreens. I'll keep you all posted.

Thanks. and Thanks. Again.

Jane

I was told that there isn't a generic form of Avodart yet, but InHouse has three of them -- Dutas, Dutagen, and Duprost.  I assume they're foreign generics, which is why I can't get them in the US.  Has anyone tried them? 

Just buy it from Walmart, Sam's, Costco, or Target, etc. They all have good prices on 90 day supplies, without insurance generic proscar will be about $24 for 90 days... I cannot say dosages, but yes cutting the pills is typical, to stretch that 90 day supply to 180 days, or longer.

I recall overhearing a conversation by two chemists who personally knew the team that originally developed Minoxadil, it was reputed to be so strong that it could grow hair on a brass doorknob. The FDA made them water and cut it way down before it was finally marketed. It's now off patent so I have no idea if it's still being marketed in its weakened form. As it is it has to be used daily for any ongoing results which are not long lasting.

coupons at GoodRX.com also cut the price by a LOT if youre in the US..  i got  half off the Spiro cash price at WM with their texted coupon.. 

this link is for the higher of the two levels, generic, for the middle of the US, (picked a zip code mid continent), 90 day, and its still only abt $25..

http://www.goodrx.com/finasteride/price#/?distance=3&filter-location=&coords=&label=finasteride&form=tablet&strength=5mg&quantity=90.0&qty-custom=&language=&store-chain=

A 30-day supply of Finasteride without insurance is $9 from pretty much any major retailer - Wal Mart, CVS, Target etc.

Explain the situation to your doc, and have him or her rewrite the script for 5mg per day instead of whatever dose you've been given.  Any good doc will have no trouble with this whatsoever.  Cutting these pills is common, and the smaller pills are a frickin' drug company scam.  Countless patients cut the 5mg pills.

Most medications relating to basic transition (MtF) are available generic and cheap: Spiro, Estradiol, Finasteride, they're all common and easily affordable (I know that's a relative term, but still...) without insurance.  Nobody should be paying ten times what the meds cost out of pocket because of a stubborn doctor who doesn't care about whether his or her patients can actually afford the medication.  If your doc doesn't play along, it's time to change docs.  Transition using medication alone does not have to be expensive, and many times it's far easier to just bypass the insurance scam system altogether.

I've been on the generic Finasteride for a while now - my actual dose is less than the 5mg pill and both my endo and my family doc have been happy to prescribe it and have me cut it.  (It's hardly a drug that is subject to abuse, so the only reason for a doc not allowing this is because he or she is in the pocket of Big Pharma.)  I've got a mountain of the stuff now; each month I use far less than I get from the pharmacy.  Gotta stockpile for the zombie apocalypse...

To be on the safe side, please refrain from discussing dosages.

Quote from: Brenda E on August 30, 2014, 09:15:27 PM
A 30-day supply of Finasteride without insurance is $9 from pretty much any major retailer - Wal Mart, CVS, Target etc.

Explain the situation to your doc, and have him or her rewrite the script for 5mg per day instead of whatever dose you've been given.  Any good doc will have no trouble with this whatsoever.  Cutting these pills is common, and the smaller pills are a frickin' drug company scam.  Countless patients cut the 5mg pills.

Most medications relating to basic transition (MtF) are available generic and cheap: Spiro, Estradiol, Finasteride, they're all common and easily affordable (I know that's a relative term, but still...) without insurance.  Nobody should be paying ten times what the meds cost out of pocket because of a stubborn doctor who doesn't care about whether his or her patients can actually afford the medication.  If your doc doesn't play along, it's time to change docs.  Transition using medication alone does not have to be expensive, and many times it's far easier to just bypass the insurance scam system altogether.

Great advice!

This is also why duasteride has not been approved for hair loss. It will be on the market in the US for hair loss when Merck's exclusive rights to "Propecia" aka finasteride 1mg run out. Doctor's who will not help you find loophole's within the insurance plan to get you on affordable meds are not worth keeping. The one's who claim to be by the book and sticklers to the law are often nothing but shills or quacks in my opinion.

The Propecia patent ran out some time ago, that's why generic versions of Finasteride are available in the US.  It's Avodart (Dutasteride) that isn't available in generic form in the US yet.  It looks like their patent expires in Nov 2015.

Avodart has been shown to be more affective for MPB, because it blocks both kinds of DHT instead of just one kind like Finasteride. So I'm definitely interested in the generic versions available from InHouse.

Quote from: Jane's Sweet Refrain on August 30, 2014, 10:49:00 AM
Hi, my doctor has prescribed finasteride and my insurance is, so far, refusing to cover it. At $71 at Walgreens, it's more than I'm willing to spend. Have any of you found better deals without the insurance? If so, would you mind sharing the where and the how?
Not sure how it works but with my insurance it's $36 a month and it's not covered so I'm sure you can do better.
Thanks!!!!

checkout goodrx.com I finally decided to pick of my prescription for it. It was originally $89 for mine at Rite Aid! but i got it for $40 with a goodrx coupon. Still seems way too expensive but its better then paying almost $100 for it. my insurance also refused to approve it as well so thats the price without insurance but with the coupon.  just print out the coupon or download the app and show it to them.

Quote from: QuestioningEverything on August 31, 2014, 03:58:21 PM
checkout goodrx.com I finally decided to pick of my prescription for it. It was originally $89 for mine at Rite Aid! but i got it for $40 with a goodrx coupon.

Huh? ???

Nobody need ever spend more than $9 for a legit, available-everywhere-in-the-US 30-day supply of Finasteride with a proper prescription and WITHOUT INSURANCE.  EVER!

Here's the link to the Wal-Mart $9 meds:

http://i.walmart.com/i/if/hmp/fusion/genericdruglist.pdf

(Finasteride is right on there).

Am I missing something?

Quote from: Brenda E on August 31, 2014, 06:30:21 PM
Huh? ???

Nobody need ever spend more than $9 for a legit, available-everywhere-in-the-US 30-day supply of Finasteride with a proper prescription and WITHOUT INSURANCE.  EVER!

Here's the link to the Wal-Mart $9 meds:

http://i.walmart.com/i/if/hmp/fusion/genericdruglist.pdf

(Finasteride is right on there).

Am I missing something?

What I'm gathering now is that how the doctor orders the prescription dosage makes all the difference. The MPB prescription has smaller, doses that cost around 50 times as much (without prescription) as the larger (and dividable) dosage for prostate problems. It should be illegal to gouge people this way. Should be.   

For those who wanted resolution . . .  I just picked up my 9$ finasteride at Walmart with 8 pills pills I can split 4 or five ways. It's not the easily divisible kind shown in the illustrations, but I don't care. Thank you for your help. You saved me money and helped me get something I've been wanting.

Loving hugs to you

Quote from: Jane's Sweet Refrain on September 02, 2014, 08:16:04 PM
For those who wanted resolution . . .  I just picked up my 9$ finasteride at Walmart with 8 pills pills I can split 4 or five ways. It's not the easily divisible kind shown in the illustrations, but I don't care. Thank you for your help. You saved me money and helped me get something I've been wanting.

Loving hugs to you

Cool, atta girl! Careful though, they are reputed to cause boobs on genetically born males.

Quote from: Shantel on September 02, 2014, 08:51:42 PM
Cool, atta girl! Careful though, they are reputed to cause boobs on genetically born males.

At least I'll know where to go for support(!) if that should occur.  ;D

I'm glad you got it worked out.  (:

I had the same issue. I was paying $78/month. I found on another thread on here where someone recommended getting the larger finasteride dosage, (brand: proscar instead of propecia). My endo agreed to let me take that medication instead and just halve the pill. (: I'm now paying $4/mo instead, for a slightly higher dosage of finasteride.

It's silly how much more they're charging for propecia prescriptions..

Quote from: Jill E on September 03, 2014, 01:56:43 AM
I'm now paying $4/mo instead, for a slightly higher dosage of finasteride.

It's silly how much more they're charging for propecia prescriptions..

First of all, Holy Crap!  That's quite a difference.

It really comes down to this...Propecia is prescribed for cosmetic reasons, and Proscar is for medical reasons.

Quote from: Jane's Sweet Refrain on September 02, 2014, 08:16:04 PM
For those who wanted resolution . . .  I just picked up my 9$ finasteride at Walmart with 8 pills pills I can split 4 or five ways. It's not the easily divisible kind shown in the illustrations, but I don't care. Thank you for your help. You saved me money and helped me get something I've been wanting.

That's great news, Jane.

Just out of interest, and trying not to breach any of the "don't talk about dose" rules, was it the pharmacy or your doc who solved this by giving you eight big pills that can be cut to your smaller dose?

Quote from: Brenda E on September 03, 2014, 09:36:39 PM
That's great news, Jane.

Just out of interest, and trying not to breach any of the "don't talk about dose" rules, was it the pharmacy or your doc who solved this by giving you eight big pills that can be cut to your smaller dose?

Thanks! It was my Doc at my suggestion, which was a suggestion that I got here. I actually switched pharmacies because I was not using insurance. (BTW, Walmart where I live took hours to fill the prescription. I was not in a hurry, but I would be really hesitant about switching pharmacies all around. At least Walgreens is fast).

"Those aren't rabbit ears in the profile pic. They're donkey ears."

I wouldn't have noticed until you brought it up, are you sure that you've never been a Playboy Bunny? I mean you are pretty enough! Have you been fooling us all along Jane?  >:-) :icon_hahano:  Ok, my baaaad!