Re: question on various specialty pharmacies

[Guest guest]

I have had increasing problems with Accredo Novafactor in the last

six months, although not as badly as yours.

My Xolair gets shipped to my house. It was coming UPS and Accredo

would call me in plenty of time to arrange the m onthly shipment. We

would agree on a date and the pkg would be at my house that day when

I got home, every time.

Then they switched to fed ex without telling me that they would now

require a signature for the pkg. I got home the day before going out

of town to find the fed ex slip on the door. I called fed ex to have

the driver leave the pkg at hte station for pick up, explaining that

it was a refrigerated item that would expire within 24 hours. A

friend of mine had to go to the station the next morning and spend 30

minutes rangling with them to get them to release it to her, finally

saying, " That's $3,000 worth of asthma medicine that has to be

refrigerated. My friend has severe asthma and can't breathe without

it. And by the way, she works for a personal injury attorney! "

(Which was true at the time.) Anyway, they released the pkg to my

friend who put it in her fridge at home until I got back.

Lately, they're late calling me and I have to call them. This time

the delay was due to the fact that they didn't automatically get the

script renewed by my doc like they have every six months for the last

3+ years. I got the script renewed and set up the shipment. It

didn't come. I called and said " where's my Xolair? " The rep who had

input my shipment apparently didn't press the " send " button or

whatever. The second rep apologized profusely and said the order had

been entered but not " sent " to be filled. I got my Xolair the next

day, but it was still late.

So basically I am now calling Accredo to set up my shipments.

I do not know if one can switch pharmacies. I would call Accredo and

ask to speak to a pharmacist and explain what has been happening to

you and ask them to put you through to someone hire up the food

change in the order department.

If anyone else is having similar experiences with ANF, I will be

happy to call as a " representative " of the group to report what we

see as an increasing problem.

Addy

Group Co-owner

>

> Ok, let me prewarn you that i'm aggravated since I'm late getting

my

> shots yet again because Accredo Nova Factor hasn't shipped it and

> everything is blooming around here. I forgot what it was like to

me a

> normal allergic/asthmatic person, and btw it really sucks right now.

>

> Ok, when I started on Xolair (3 years ago next month) it came from

Nova

> Factor. Didn't really make a difference to me where it came from

just

> that it got there and helped. I assume that it's the one my doc

uses

> for other patients or something, who knows. Lately, well in the

past

> year, I've had major problems getting shipments on time. Before it

was

> sometimes 4-1/2 or 5 weeks between shipments which wasn't that big

of a

> deal, i'd just space my shots out to 2-1/2 weeks between them and

hope

> nothing set me off towards the end of the 2wk period. In the last

year

> I've had 4 shipments arrive in 4 to 4-1/2weeks, 4 shipments at 5 or

> 6wks, and 2 shipments that were 8 to 8-1/2 weeks. An occasional

late

> shipment is understandable but it's getting ridiculous. I called

this

> morning to verify that the doc's office had my xolair before going

and

> they did not, so I called Nova Factor to see if they had just

shipped

> it or something or if it was scheduled to ship today/tomorrow. The

> lady seemed offended that I even called and said no, they haven't

and

> it wasn't scheduled to ship until they called my doc's to get it

> approved (umm hello? this is supposed to be an auto-ship every

4wks,

> the only verification call is the day prior to shipping to make

sure

> the office is open and able to receive it.)

>

> Ok, after my rambling, my question:

>

> Is it difficult to switch specialty pharmacies? Do they all have

this

> problem? Does the insurance company really care who it gets billed

> by? I'm trying to decide if it's more trouble to switch than it is

to

> deal with the constant late shipments. Any thoughts/suggestions

would

> be greatly appreciated.

>

>

> *sneezing & wheezing in bama this week*

>

[Guest guest]

This year I was offered another BCBC plan that my church group

offered. All prescriptions stopped being covered by Medco and BCBS

took over payment. ALSO, the premiums were cut in half. Needless to

say I JUMPED at the chance.

The new BCBS plan I choose was a high deductible then 100%

plan....2600.00; which I met in the first month due to my first xolair

order.

Before switching plans, I called them and informed them that I was

going to be a VERY EXPENSIVE patient. I am on MANY other meds other

than xolair and some are also expensive. I was told, " no problem. "

I specifically asked them about Xolair and they told me it would be

covered if I had it certified again.

My doctor's office has about 20 xolair patients and have hired one

nurse to do ALL the work from calling and getting approval to the

actual giving of the shots. (See picture of my doctors office in the

pictures section) She got me approved within one phone call and one

fax of my doctors orders.

They also stopped using the Medco Specialty Pharmacy and switched to

Walgreens:

http://www.walgreens.com/pharmacy/specialpharmacy/specialpharm.jsp

I have had no problems whatsoever.

I have been truly blessed to have NEVER had any problems getting

approval OR my shipments in the 4+ years I have been on Xolair.

It really it really confusing to me to know that some of our BCBS

patients on here are having so many problems. I guess it is the TYPE

of plan, the amount of premiums that are paid and who the sponsoring

group is.

My prayers go out to you who are suffering like this.

Doug

Group founder

[Guest guest]

luckily i've had no problems with BC/BS to date (knock on wood), but

the Accredo Nova Factor..GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!! they called my doc

yesterday and told them they'd ship it sometime next week. I'm

furious right now.

>

> This year I was offered another BCBC plan that my church group

> offered. All prescriptions stopped being covered by Medco and BCBS

> took over payment. ALSO, the premiums were cut in half. Needless to

> say I JUMPED at the chance.

>

> The new BCBS plan I choose was a high deductible then 100%

> plan....2600.00; which I met in the first month due to my first

xolair

> order.

>

> Before switching plans, I called them and informed them that I was

> going to be a VERY EXPENSIVE patient. I am on MANY other meds other

> than xolair and some are also expensive. I was told, " no problem. "

> I specifically asked them about Xolair and they told me it would be

> covered if I had it certified again.

>

> My doctor's office has about 20 xolair patients and have hired one

> nurse to do ALL the work from calling and getting approval to the

> actual giving of the shots. (See picture of my doctors office in

the

> pictures section) She got me approved within one phone call and one

> fax of my doctors orders.

>

> They also stopped using the Medco Specialty Pharmacy and switched to

> Walgreens:

>

> http://www.walgreens.com/pharmacy/specialpharmacy/specialpharm.jsp

>

> I have had no problems whatsoever.

>

> I have been truly blessed to have NEVER had any problems getting

> approval OR my shipments in the 4+ years I have been on Xolair.

>

> It really it really confusing to me to know that some of our BCBS

> patients on here are having so many problems. I guess it is the TYPE

> of plan, the amount of premiums that are paid and who the sponsoring

> group is.

>

> My prayers go out to you who are suffering like this.

>

> Doug

> Group founder

>

[Guest guest]

I have ANF. They ship to my house every three months. They have been great

for the past 2 years shipping the stuff on time. Maybe I am one of the lucky

one.

On a side note some comments on previous discussions, my doc doesn't allow

self injection, I have it shipped to my house because while I was working, I

wasn't sure what office I would get the shot in. I never had considered

insurance coverage for loss, my insurance company only allows $500 for refrig

contents and they have no options for a rider to cover the Xolair. I am now

considering having ANF ship it to my doc's office. I get 12 boxes every three

months.

Debbie

**************It's Tax Time! Get tips, forms and advice on AOL Money &

Finance. (http://money.aol.com/tax?NCID=aolcmp00300000002850)

[Guest guest]

" On a side note some comments on previous discussions, my doc doesn't

allow

> self injection " .

As have said before in here MANY TIMES (GRIN)

When I asked my doctor if I could self inject he and his nurse both

gasped loudly and stood there in disbelief with a HUGE look of HORROR

their faces.

When I told them that many on this board are allowed to do so, I

thought they were going to faint dead away right there in the shot

room. LOL. (Welll, maybe I am over exaggerating just a wee bit here,

but they were indeed shocked.)

I self injected REGULAR allergy shots for 20 years with NO problems.

Now they won't even allow me to do that. Both xolair AND regular

shots in the clinic require a MANDATORY 30 minute wait, then the arms

get checked again by the nurse before you can leave.

Sometimes, I feel like I am in a prison LOL!

Doug

[Guest guest]

--- In , Magnuson <magnuson.mary@...>

wrote:

>

> Your lucky, my doctor makes me wait two hours after each injection.

They check my injection site every half hour and take my blood

pressure and temperature.

>

Shhhhhhhhh, don't give him any ideas LOL!

Doug