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HELP ME PLEASE!! Remicade

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Ulcerative Colitis
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Posted 7/29/2019 7:24 AM (GMT -6)
Insurance WON'T pay for Remicade anymore, and I am scheduled for an infusion THIS week -- I AM IN A PANIC!!

Does anyone know of another biologic medication that is similar to Remicade??

How long have you been on your biologic?

What side effects?

Post Edited (ToiletBound) : 7/29/2019 8:46:33 AM (GMT-6)

Posted 7/29/2019 9:03 AM (GMT -6)
I would ask if your insurance will cover a biosimilar (closest thing we have to a generic) to remicade/infliximab. For example, Inflectra/infliximab-dyyb is a common biosimilar that you could get instead. They're incredibly similar, thus the biosimilar bit ;-)
Posted 7/29/2019 9:45 AM (GMT -6)
A lot may depend on WHY they wont pay for Remicade. FOr example if they won;t pay for biologics, that is different form not paying for Remicade. Or if they won't pay for infusions, then getting Humira (as similar tNf blocker) injections might work.

Or if it is just an issue of an expired pre-authorization, that gets fixed another way.

good luck
Posted 7/29/2019 10:15 AM (GMT -6)
DBwithUC - Insurance has been paying for remicade for years for me without any issues but, now they will not and haven't given me a real reason as to why as everything is up to date with them. Nor is the problem pre-authorization (doc as already sent in for another authorization before the previous one expired). NOW - just found out now that insurance is rejecting everyone on remicade! What the hell??!!!

iPoop - Thanks for the info! Just found out that I'm being put on Renflexis.

Does anyone know anything about this medication? Anyone ever have any side effects to it???
Posted 7/29/2019 10:29 AM (GMT -6)
Renflixis is the other biosimilar for remicade. At this point, remicade, Renflixis or Inflectra are all one and the same for all practical purposes. The differences so small that I would not let them bother you.
If you look at their names, you see this:
Remicade (infliximab)
Renflixis (infliximab-abda)
Inflectra (infliximab-dyyb)
You'll be fine, it's the same as being switched from a brandname to a generic within the pharmacy (something that happens often). They should all work the same.
Posted 7/29/2019 1:05 PM (GMT -6)
So just a change in their preferred brand. Sad they did not send out a letter advising about the change.
Posted 7/29/2019 1:57 PM (GMT -6)
If you used Jansen's Remistart/Carepath patient copay assistance program, know that there is an equivalent program for Renflixis:

https://www.merckaccessprogram-renflexis.com/hcc/
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