Eliquis recommended over Xarelto

I am going to be scheduled for ablation with Dr, Natale soon. In the first email notice that I received, I was told that Dr. Natale would like me to switch from my Xarelto to Eliquis. Medicare covers Xarelto once a large deductible has been met, which I have done. Eliquis is not covered by Medicare. I am awaiting a reply as to whether it matters if I stay on Xarelto since it is only $30 a month now. Has anyone else had experience with this or know why I would be asked to make the switch in blood thinners since I will be having an ablation?

Thanks.

Because Eliquis is a better drug. It's more effective at preventing strokes and has a much lower bleed risk.


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That middle line is risk of all-cause mortality. Not sure why it shows up blank like that. The percentages are how each drug compares to warfarin. So, for example, Eliquis reduces stroke risk 21% more than warfarin.

I would imagine he might be amenable to switching back to Xarelto after the blanking period. And I would ask them if they have any discount programs available. Doctors often have stacks of those things they reserve for patients who have trouble affording the meds.



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 04/24/2019 06:22PM by Carey.

Bayer shot themselves in the foot by refusing to trial Xarelto in a 2x/day formulation because they were hell-bent on beating Pradaxa. Just google Xarelto and DCRI and you will find loads of stuff critical of the ROCKET-AF trial.

Bottom line - DOACs are too powerful and fast acting for single dosing. It needs to be two a day, and Eliquis was smart enough to do this. Medicare is really doing its patients a disservice by not covering Eliquis. Write your congressional representatives. Seriously. It should change.

Thank you Carey & Wolfpack. I already have put in a request to Dr. Natale’s office to see if they could help with this drug switch, and I also intend to ask my cardiologist if there’s anything he could do to help me during the temporary switch time that I would most likely have to be on it. I figure there is some period of time before the procedure that he wants me to be on this as well, not just through the blanking period.

I'm on Medicare, and my drug plan covers Eliquis. My general practioner recommended two years ago that I switch from Xeralto to Eliquis based on what he'd read comparing the two.

And if nothing else works out, I would suggest getting it from planetdrugsdirect.com. It's a Canadian pharmacy that will ship to the US. Perfectly legitimate and reputable. We've been using it for several years to buy my wife's Restasis eye drops, which is outrageously expensive in the US and barely covered by our insurance.

A one-month supply of Eliquis is $164.99, and a three-month supply is $364.99. If you choose to go this route, you need to order well in advance because delivery typically takes 3-4 weeks. You'll also have to fax a copy of your prescription to them, so you'll need a paper copy.

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PBqltbook
I'm on Medicare, and my drug plan covers Eliquis. My general practioner recommended two years ago that I switch from Xeralto to Eliquis based on what he'd read comparing the two.

Hmm. I believe there are different drug plans one can choose and since I wasn’t taking any prescription medications I guess we have the basic. There might be a few tiers of choices and pay plans. I think the drug plan is a separate supplement to the Medicare & I think ours is called AARP Medicare Rx Walgreens (PDP). I see a paper which says it is $22.40 monthly, but not sure if this is the current price. I think we pay a year in advance instead of by month. I’m not really sure as my husband deals with all that and chose things. He would’ve chosen differently had we known I was going to have this problem.

PB, can you tell me what plan you have that covers Eliquis& what it costs.? I wonder if a person can choose to switch the drug plan midstream. I am not even sure how long it is that the doctor would want me on Eliquis. Does your Eliquis cost $30 a month the way that my Xarelto costs now that I met my deductible?

Well, right after my last post here, I got an email from Dr. Natale's people saying he said I could stay on Xarelto. I wonder if this is a good idea - certainly don't want any bleed incidents or strokes during the EP live tests at procedure time. I did just put a call in to my cardiologist to ask if they had any discount programs available or could give me enough free samples to get through this period, but I am guessing it would need to be about 2 months' worth before & 3 months' worth after the procedure. I guess I could call Medicare & see if I could make a temporary switch in our drug plan for a few months, then return to the former lower cost plan as I won't need all this medication after the procedure. Complicated......

Madeline, I'm on an Aetna medicare drug plan. It has turned out to be the most cost-effective plan for my basket of drugs, which includes Eliquis. My understanding is that medicare users are not eligible to use the drug company discount programs. You can go on the Aetna medicare web site and compare Xarelto to Eliquis. My memory is that they were treated the same.

Hi Madeline ... I have AARP MedicareRX Saver Plus Plan-D, $26.70/month. Eliquis at Walmart RX is this year $25/month (after deductible/pre-donut hole). The FDA has preliminarily approved Lupin Pharmaceuticals' generic Eliquis ... I've seen guestimates on its availability as 2019 but some indicate 2020-2021. LasVegas-Roy

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Cautionary tale here. I too have been rather blindsided by the drugs now required for my [upcoming) ablation.
Every year I opt for a "basic" Medicare advantage drug plan since I never take any drugs (well, Metoprolol, but that's
dirt cheap). Now with the ablation, looking at the rest of the year on Eliquis. Fortunately I can afford the deductible!
So, part of any ablation program should be to schedule ahead your yearly insurance enrollment in conjunction with
ablation (or any other major medical procedure)!

SilverScripts covers Eliquis and Xarelto at basically the same price. When someone says Medicare is doing an injustice on certain drugs, this is not true. It all depends what company you go with for Medicare Part D. I would suggest shopping around next time you make a choice on whom you pick to obtain your prescription drugs through.
I use Medigap so I can choose my supplement provider for Medicare Part B provider and I can also choose which prescription drug company I use for Medicare Part D. It is more expensive but you have fewer limitations especially with Medicare Part B and D.