Suboxone

About 3 years ago I was treated with suboxone with great results, however the doctor I had to see was not in my HMO plan, and the prescription was very hard to fill because it was very rare and still a "new" drug in the U.S.  At about $600 a month, I couldnt afford to hae treatment any longer. I tapered off, and stayed clean for about 8 months. I have since relapsed, and am back to the percoset addiction that got me there in the 1st place. I have done a little research, and it seems suboxone has really taken flight in the past few years, with many more docotors in San Diego prescribing it. Im wondering if anyone knows if iunsurance companies have started to cover the costs? I have the best plan available at my work through Health Net HMO, and my insurance is $500 a month, so without coverage I dont think I can afford it. If anyone has this insurance, or any information, I would appreciate it! Thank you!

[mcray]

My friends recently got prescribed and I think they pay somewhere between 200-300 a month. Obviously this may not be the same, but that is down greatly from 600 a month that you had to pay. Hopefully you can afford it. It's a true lifesaver. Best of luck sarah.

[ILoveLukey]

Hi.  I  live in PA and have been seeing an addiction psychiatrist for a month and a half. I have Blue Cross Insurance.  It does not cover the doctor visits which cost me $100.00 but it cover the Sub. I only pay my $5.00 co-pay every month.  I think it is different for different states.  I ran short of the Subs because my doc only prescribed me 13 for 15 days for some reason and he was in Aruba.  So I called the Pharmacy and they sold me 2 for $13.99..that is without insurance coverage.  I heard that 30 pills were over $400.00 without insurance but mine were only  $7.00/each.

[K Todd]

Well, I can relate with you, and also your finacial situation...

Remember, He is our Great Physician on High......and His thoughts for you are more than the sand of the sea...

Lean on Him, and He is the Perfect source, direction and strength!

Plus we all know He will never leave us, nor forsake us...and is faithful to provide for our true needs...and that's a Promise that He made Himself to us !!!

You will find He has the Perfect plan for you....just trust Him.
God Bless You,
Todd

[flmagi]

I have heard of peoples insurance covering the Doctor and the script...all or part, I'm not sure. Call your insurance company and find out and then find a doctor thats accepts the insurance.  Good luck.

[FLaddict]

Its not so much about insurance not covering it, many doctors that are certified for the treatment will not take insurance for it. I had great health care coverage when I did it for a 10 day outpatient detox, but still had to pay cash for it. I paid about 300 hundred for two doctor visits,  8 pills of Subutex, 50 clonidine, 6 Lunesta, and 16 Phenergan. All the meds were included in the cost of the visit. Worked great for me, Been clean since mid-June.

Good Luck

[lisalou52]

My son wanted to start suboxone treatment and we are having a terrible time finding a physician who will see him. He is clean but is having a terrible time staying clean. Can anyone recommend a doc in this area? And, is it true, he has to have some opiate in his system before they will treat him??
Thank you for the help.

[IBKleen]

this post is nearly 3 years old. You can start your own post by going to the top of this page and hitting the green Post A Question button.

In the meantime, go to Suboxone.com to find a doctor in your area. Yes, he will need to be in withdrawal to go on the program. I DO NOT recommend it for those who are already clean. If he got clean, there are other ways to stay clean. He will need to withdrawal from the Suboxone when he finishes the program and then where will he be?

I hope you talk with us, or he talks with us, before making the decision.

[bmdad]

He doesn't have to be in withdrawal to start a sub unless he is currently using. I read a post on here once where someone was gonna do what your son is thinking about doing. They started using again after having over a month clean because they thought they had to be in physical withdrawal in order to start it. As an example you can't take an pill such as vicodin and then two hours later start sub. If you do it will throw you into precipitated withdrawal. I had a friend who would constantly relapse. He had two weeks clean and decided to find a doctor so he could start the suboxone program. He explained his past drug use to the doctor and was started on a very low dose of sub. He stayed on sub for about 6 months, tapered off and has been clean for almost two years. Not all doctors will start someone on sub if they already have a decent amount of clean time but most will.
Like IBKleen said above, if he is already clean, why start the sub? Is he attending NA meetings? Does he see an addiction counselor? If not, that's what he needs to be doing. There are other ways to stay clean besides starting sub. If he starts sub most doctors make it mandatory to attend NA so why not try attending for awhile without having to turn to sub?
If he is currently doing these things and thinks relapse is imminent then sub may be a okay idea as long as he works the program and figures out why he needs to use to enjoy life. Sub is not some magic pill to keep you from using. It is a program to work on your addictive behaviors so you can live a drug free life.
Best of luck to you and your son.

Brian