Vemilidy (TAF) being dropped by Insurance?

[luckyman316]

Well this is a good one! I just started going through my insurance these past 8 months and I got a note from them they starting July 1st, 2022 they will no longer being covering this drug. How and why would this be? Is there something going on that we don't know about? Obviously I'll talk to my doctor about my next steps here but I find it odd that insurance would drop a drug that's working so well and force people back into TDF


As a side note, here are the alternatives they offer (and a much lower rate per drug):

ADEFOV DIPIV TAB 10MG
LAMIVUDINE TAB 100MG
ENTECAVIR TAB 0.5MG
TENOFOVIR TAB 300MG

Needless to say, I am not pleased. Makes me re-think whether I should be on the clinical trials now or not or just see what happens if I stop it all together and come back in a year or two.

[ono8ono]

That's bad news! Start taking vemlidy 2 months ago.
Wonder whether I can cut the pill in half to save. My HBV/DNA is around 3,000 iu/ml.
This drug cost so much in the states.

[stef2011]

no dont cut it the dose is already too low and it is not working if hbvdna is 3000iu/ml, how long on it?ou may check for combo etv+tdf if taf doesnt work to make hbvdna und by 12 months

[ono8ono]

thanks stef for your time.
I just started vemlidy 2 months ago.
My hbvdna has been around 1350 to 4300 over the past 12 months.
I'm 65 years old.
(hbvdna has been between 32 to 2000 over past 35 years.)
don't know why started going up recently.
I'll know how well vemlidy working end of june.

[stef2011]

go for etv, if possible choose 1mg dose.without immune modulating supplements/drugs there is almost no difference between etv and taf/tdf on hbsag

[stef2011]

can you get another insurance that covers taf?they are doing this because all other drugs are generics and are supercheap, they are all made by indian companies and prices in india are like nothing.

[luckyman316]

I wish it was that easy in the states. Any other insurance would probably be over $800 USD a month out of pocket. That will not be happening while I am covered with my current work insurance, which I absolutely need and use for other medical needs and probably costs me half as much. Yeah, I saw there is a new generic for this approved by the US Food and Drug Administration about 2 weeks ago. Of course that is not on the list of available alternatives. I wonder if I should wait it out to see if they add it now. I also wonder if it works as well. I really don't want to go back to TDF. I feel like it caused some issues with bones for me and I'd rather not go backwards there. I'd be more intrigued to stay off the drug and see what happens. It's been 8 years on these nucs now.

[stef2011]

you should test hbsag quant, hbv rna and hbcab quantity, these tests can predict if you have any chances off drugs.another option would be a trip to countries where these drugs are super cheap.if i ever lose free healthcare i'd go to india, prices are 100usd per month if not less

[luckyman316]

I wish it was that easy for me. Last tests I had, my doctor said I definitely would not qualify to get off the drugs based on those tests. As for traveling to other countries, it would be nice if I could even travel 2 miles down the road in a car... my severe neck issues have prevented me from traveling and I'm looking at a 3rd surgery for what I hope will be a fix. My only option would be to either find someone in India who can get the meds for me or find a place online that sells them, but they both have to be trusted.