Need help selecting pharmacy for ivf meds

[Helen72]

Hi guys,
since my health insurance does not cover ANYTHING related to infertility, we will be paying for all expenses out of pocket.  I am looking for an affordable source to buy ivf meds from.  Can you give me any suggestions / advice?  Have you tried ivfmeds or ivpcare?  Any information about good sources to buy from or providers to avoid would be very helpful.
Thank you ahead for your responses.

[Min71]

Thanks guys for all the great information.  I've just been using whomever my doctor recommended and didn't bother to check elsewhere.  My meds for my IUI cost about $2500, IVF cost about $5000 and w/ FET, about $500.  We're thinking of doing one more IVF cycle so I will definitely check different pharmacies before ordering.

[Azwoman]

this is an old post, but my RE refers patients to IVFMEDSdotcom.. they are out of the UK and their generic Gonal F (fostimon) is $30 a vial, and their generic Menopur (Repronex) is 19.00. ALOT cheaper than anywhere here in the USA, trust me on this. THeir customer service is good too. Freedom Pharmacy was too much and so were the other Canadian pharmacies-you will not finnd cheaper IVF Meds here in the USA. ALso, lots of women are willing to sell left over meds too so I bought from private sellers. If you google IVF MEDS for sale in Los Angeles, CA, Phoenix, AZ, etc you may find Craigslist ads or Free Garage Sale ads that come up- I bought from both IVF MEDS and private sellers and saved a ton. Make sure the meds have been properly stored and I do know meds that are recently expired are still good as long as theyve been refrigerated. Good luck

[Helen72]

But it is fun to see my old post again!!
I just got my Gonal-F for my ivf#2 and it is just as expensive  :(  I am using freedom pharmacy this time.

[Heather5]

OK...time to take a deep breath. There's no need to get all worked up about this. First of all, this post is more that 4 years old, and as far as I know, Sheri is no longer active on this board and will therefore not be able to read this. Second of all, she did not do IVF herself, so I do not believe the fetal reduction reference was meant as anything other than an example. She was just pointing out the difference in health insurance coverage, and how she felt that it was unfair that certain things were covered, but others weren't.

[Strongmommy83]

You talk about having to sell half of everything you own to pay for all your infertility drugs and how stressful it is. You talk about fetal reduction! You want killing some of the babies covered under health insurance but still want the infertility medicine that helps you get pregnant also covered under health insurance!!! That doesn't make any since!!!!! Why should killing a number of fetuses be covered under health care? It is called health care for a reason! The state health care you disagree with for poor women you may need one day if you decide not to get the fetal reduction. That state health care will be helping the 6-8 kids you CHOSE to have that you couldn't afford in the first place! You know.....because you already had to sell half of everything you own but then again you could have your own reality show like "Jon and Kate Plus 8!

[Strongmommy83]

Are you suggesting that poor women should not have babies or should not be allowed health care when they are pregnant? What if they are so poor that they can not afford birth control and that is why they get pregnant. The ENORMOUS amount of MONEY that is being forked up for the poor women are not just for the women but for the CHILD! THat baby being born from a poor mother may go to a couple whose infertility didn't work and who may want to adopt. That couple that wants to adopt that poor baby will be thankful their baby was born healthy from that poor mother whom was able to receive health care while she was pregnant. Just because some people have more money doesn't mean they deserve to have a baby more then the person with less money! Women have been having babies for centuries! Poor or rich! There is a reason why some people struggle to have babies or that can't have  any!

[babyalive]

Hi Helen,

Wow, I'm glad to see how low Walgreens pharmacy is.  They are who my RE suggested.  I'll be ordering from them more than likely.  Thanks for all the information!  You rock!!

[Helen72]

Thanks!  I will definitely look into it.  
p.s. I hope you get your BFP soon and you don't need ivf

[Heather5]

Hey, I found this site that compares the prices on prescription drugs. Not sure how well it works, but it might be worth a shot: http://www.rxtank.com/

:-)

[fifi blue]

Thanks for the info Helen.  Hopefully this next ivf cycle will work and I won't need the info.

[fifi blue]

Thanks for the info Helen.  Hopefully this next ivf cycle will work and I won't need the info.

[Heather5]

Wow! Thanks for sharing all that information with us, Helen! It sure looks like ivfmeds is the best priced. I'll be curious to see what your RE says about additional discounts through them. Do you know what dosage and how much of each you will need?

Please keep us posted! I just set up an appointment with the RE I saw last year for a consultation next week. So who knows, I might be following in your footsteps soon...

Thanks again! And best of luck on your IVF journey!

[Helen72]

Thank you all for your suggestions again!  I called a few pharmacies and got the following info for 3 typical meds:

I. Follistim 300
Shraft: $239
ivpcare: 234.64
ivfmeds: 187
mdrx: 236.90
freedom pharmacy: 341.25

II. Follistim 600
Shraft: $478
ivpcare: 469.29
ivfmeds: 375
mdrx: 469.87
freedom pharmacy: 682.50

III. Gonal F $900
Shraft: 1047
ivpcare: 1061.81
ivfmeds: 635
mdrx: 1126.97
freedom pharmacy: 657

All of the prices above include the discount for those paying completely out of pocket.  Has anyone used ivfmeds?  Did you have a good experience with them?  My doc recommends Shraft (which is Walgreens infertility pharmacy) and as someone above suggested my doc may be getting an extra discount from them so I will look into that as well.
Thank you all for your help and I hope that my data collection helps someone in the same predicament.  

[babyalive]

Helen the only thing I know of is that most fertility clinics will offer you a package deal.  You buy so many IVF cycles and if you do not get a bfp within that alloted time of cycles they'll refund every penny.  So, it does take some of the risk out if you have concerns over spending the money and then "what if it doesn't take?"  HOWEVER, Helen I know you will get your baby!  I know your IVF is going to work.  There is no logical reason why it wouldn't.  

I'm sorry I don't have more info. on meds for you.  But, hope some of this info. is at least helpful.  

[Sheri1972]

EEEP!!  I could never afford IVF... way too expensive.  The $3K a month I'm shelling out now is about to kill me.  I wouldn't even know where to get that sort of money.

There are several states that have mandatory infertility coverage, but I think it's just a handful. Illinois is one of them.  I'm in Indiana, literally 30 minutes from Illinois (ARGL) and the only companies that I'm aware of that offer coverage are Xerox and Talbot's.  I've known women who weren't working take a job at Talbot's just to get the insurance infertility benefit and after they get pregnant, they quit.

Sheri

[mature momma]

I've done IVF twice and starting #3 this month. Have no fertility coverage on our insurance either. I've used Scrafts and Freedom Pharmacy. My RE gets a great deal on all meds. thru them. I also have a friend who is a pharmacist. A good friend of her's had done IVF which worked and she had alot of meds left over so she gave them to me for only the cost to ship them. Of course I had to clear it with my RE. He looked it over and said they would work just fine. Good Luck.
Debra:):)

[Hope4Baby24]

I have double coverage, primary through my work, and secondary insurance through my husband.  I get $5,000 per year for IVF through my insurance, with a max of 6 attempts per lifetime.  I get $15,000 per lifetime through my husband's insurance...and that includes the meds.  He also gets $15,000 through the insurance so the doctor bills all the lab fees under his insurance.  We've done IVF twice, first time it was $17,000, second time $16,000...so we're almost out of money.  Let's just hope I'm pregnant this time and we won't have to worry about this for a while.  And if i'm not, i'll probably go over to the Middle East and try IVF over there...it'll cost us $3,000 for everything including the medications.  I wish doctors and pharmacies were different here in the US...it's more of a business these days, they just want our money.

[fifi blue]

I guess I'm one of the lucky ones.  My insurance covered all my IUI's and will cover 4 IVF attempts.  I had a meds lifetime cap of $7,500 but I blew through that very quickly.  Let me know how you make out in case my next ivf fails.  

Make sure to keep all your receipts for meds, acupunture, co-pays etc.  They're all tax deductable.

[smithville]

Freedom Pharmacy and Alexander's Twin Pharmacy have great prices. It really depends on what type of meds you are looking for. You really have to call around and get prices from each. You will be suprised by the cost difference.

[Helen72]

Fiona,
it's quite rare that insurance Co here covers even a part of your infertility treatment.  Me and dh work for the same university and have the same insurance coverage that covers nothing regarding infertility, only diagnostics.  I guess I am lucky they at least covered my laparoscopy.

[Helen72]

Thanks!  I'll definitely check it out!
Good luck to you and lets stay in touch.
I will be starting my b/c as soon as AF shows up in a few days...

[fifi blue]

I absolutely agree with you Sheri.  The drug companies have a lot to answer for.  The same drugs and be bought in Europe for a fraction of the price.  I just paid $5k out of pocket last week for my meds.  At least my insurance covers the procedures.

[Sheri1972]

NP!  I have to pay for everything myself too... it's very, very stressful.  I think it's horrible that a couple has to go through all the emotional pain of infertility, and then on top of it, the doctors and pharmacies charge an outrageous amount of money for the procedures, mostly because they know how desperate we are and we'll pay it even if we have to sell half of what we have and go into serious debt to do it.  I think it's evil to pray off of such vulnerable people, and all insurance companies should help to some extent!  

They make absolutely no sense.  They pay for viagra, but they won't pay for birth control pills.  They won't cover fetal reduction, but will have to fork out enormous amounts of cash when some poor woman gives birth to 4 or 5 babies and they are hospitalized.

*grumble*

Ok, I'm off my soapbox now. :P

Sheri

[Helen72]

Thank you so much for your advice!  It's very helpful especially in my situation when I have to pay for everything myself.