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Va's Stand On Plavix!

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bm6546 Rising Star

bm6546

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Has anyone had a similar experience with the VA and the use of Plavix

I had my heart attack and 2 stents back in Jan 2006. I was told to take Plavix and aspirin to help prevent another heart attack. The VA will only pay for Plavix for 1 year. My Cardiologist wants me to stay on this drug indefinately, at least until a new study says to stop taking it after 1 year. One of the reasons that the VA will only pay for 1 year is that Plavix is very expensive. The cheapest is Sam's club - $127 for 30 days. I can't afford this seeing as the VA denied my claim for my SC heart condition. They are still rating me at 0 SC.

Has anyone had a similar experience with Plavix and the VA? Does anyone know where I can get this drug a lot cheaper than $127. I am not sure about ordering it on line as I have heard that some of these companies are not too honest.

Thanks in advance - Brian

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  • HadIt.com Elder
john999 Grand Master

john999

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You might do a google search on the internet under the drug makers name and see if you can get the company to give you the drug based on need and income. They do this sometimes but most people don't ask or know about it. Try going to the patient advocate at the VA and explain the situation.

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Pete53 Grand Master

Pete53

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If your VA Doc is willing to go to the mat with you you should be able to keep it. I was told I would have to take Plavix the rest of my life.

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bm6546 Rising Star

bm6546

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Pete53

I don't think my VA doc will be any help to me. He did not speak English very well. He had to go and get the nurse practitioner to explain to me the VA policy and to extend my Plavix for 6 months.

Pete53, you said your doctor told you that you would have to take Plavix the rest of your life. Are you getting Plavix from the VA and are they giving it to you for more than 12 months?

I think I read on a previous post that you have CAD with depression and anxiety. The same as me. The VA denied my claim for my SC heart condition. I have filed a NOD for depression , anxiety, and PTSD as secondary to my SC heart condition. Not sure how the VA will handle that. I was very dissapointed when the VA regected my claim. I wanted to quit but my VSO and VA psychiatrist talked me into it. I am just tired of explaining it every time to someone new. Having to go over it again and again.

Pete53, any information you can provide me will be very helpful. Thanks, Brian

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old romad Explorer

old romad

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I have been on Plavix for over a year and a half from VA and doctor says will also be on for rest of life. Have not had a problem getting,just had my heart doc write note to VA primary doc.

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Testvet Grand Master

Testvet

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the VA I go to told me the same thing they would not let my primary care doc renew the prescription he also said I should be on it for the rest of my life, I have only one vessel feeding my heart at this point and I am 100% P&T he told me to get my cardilogist to rewrite the prescription and she did she feels it is one of the meds keeping my blood flowing you have to have a doc that will stand up for you I would contact the patient rep then your congressman if they won't give you the meds

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Pete53 Grand Master

Pete53

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Brian:

I had angioplasty on Sep 13, 2006 and one artery was blocked 90% and had a stent put in. For some reason it was one of the old kind of stents that did not have medicine it would release. My Cardiac Doc started me on plavix the day of my operation. It was done using Medicare HMO outside the VA. I took the prescription to my primary Doc and she wrote it for me at VA. I was unaware of the 12 month rule at VA but plan to check up on it. I have a friend who had stents put in his legs and he has been on plavix at the VA for 18 months and just had it renewed for another 6 months.

Brian have you seen a cardiologist at the VA? If not maybe they are the ones who need to write the script. I don't know about you but I think that you should fight this and I would not feel the least bit comfortable having to rely on some Moke who does not speak English when I had a Heart Condition.

If I can I will try to help you with your claim. Please don't give up.

Pete

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bm6546 Rising Star

bm6546

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Brian:

I had angioplasty on Sep 13, 2006 and one artery was blocked 90% and had a stent put in. For some reason it was one of the old kind of stents that did not have medicine it would release. My Cardiac Doc started me on plavix the day of my operation. It was done using Medicare HMO outside the VA. I took the prescription to my primary Doc and she wrote it for me at VA. I was unaware of the 12 month rule at VA but plan to check up on it. I have a friend who had stents put in his legs and he has been on plavix at the VA for 18 months and just had it renewed for another 6 months.

Brian have you seen a cardiologist at the VA? If not maybe they are the ones who need to write the script. I don't know about you but I think that you should fight this and I would not feel the least bit comfortable having to rely on some Moke who does not speak English when I had a Heart Condition.

If I can I will try to help you with your claim. Please don't give up.

Pete

Pete- I also had angioplasty on Jan 26, 2006. I had 2 stents and have been taking Plavix with aspirin. I do not qualify for Medicare until July 2008. I don't have prescription insurance so will have to rely on the VA. They did renew for an additional 6 months. I am not comfortable dealing with the VA cardiologist, but I have to play their rules or I will get nothing.

I am not going to give up on my claim with the VA. I have been dealing with this, on and off for over 40 years. It gets real frustrating and disapointing at times and sometimes I feel like I'm not getting anywhere and that I am just wasting my time. I have a lot of people that are encouraging me to keep fighting. I am also really happy with this forum and the people on it like you. It is very comforting to know that I am not the only person that is having this problem with the VA, that there are a lot of people that are in the same boat as me and that they can come to this forum for advice.

Thanks, Brian

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bm6546 Rising Star

bm6546

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I have been on Plavix for over a year and a half from VA and doctor says will also be on for rest of life. Have not had a problem getting,just had my heart doc write note to VA primary doc.

old romad - I had my private cardiologist write a note to my VA doc but they said they don't care what my doc says. They said the VA policy is that they will only pay for Plavix for 1 year. I went to see the va cardiologist in Reno and they said they will extend my prescription for 6 months and after that they won't pay for any more. My cardiologist also said that I will probably be on Plavix for the rest of my life. Thanks, Brian

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betrayed Mentor

betrayed

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If your VA Doc is willing to go to the mat with you you should be able to keep it. I was told I would have to take Plavix the rest of my life.

me too

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Pete53 Grand Master

Pete53

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Brian:

A few months ago I was having problems with my meds arriving timely. I went to see the Head Pharmacist and I told him that if I did not get my Plavix on time that I had already filled out the paperwork so that my wife could sue the VA and I was requesting that he would be named in the law suit.

It is like the gate flew open and I have gotten everything more timely. When I did this I was polite and respectful and I told him that the VA had to get better at prescriptions by mail.

After seeing posts here from other Vets I am pretty sure that the VA knows what will happen if we do not get plavix after stents and I am sharing my experience only I am no expert on VA Pharmacy but I have been dealing with them for almost 16 years.

You have got to hang in there and keep fighting. None of us have to tolerate bad Medicine we earned much better.

Pete

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  • 2 months later...
stillhere Veteran

stillhere

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I just went through this Plavix BS the va cut me off after 1 year BUT I had another stent placed in March right when I was running out so they filled it again. I had a regular metal stent this time so guess I am good for at least another year??

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Boats Collaborator

Boats

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I am glad that tricare hasn't started that yet. They put two coated stents in Jan, at Navy Hospital Doc says have to take plavix forever now. Have been taking plavix since 2003 when they put the first two steel ones in after heart attack.

Boats

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Pete53 Grand Master

Pete53

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Plavix is another example of the VA not taking proper care of us. My year is up in November will see what they say. Knowing the VA it will just stop coming.

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john999 Grand Master

john999

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The VA are just a bunch of cheap bastards. I could not even get them to prescribe celebrex because it was too expensive. However, they did give me morphine which is dirt cheap and "organic". This is for a service conected condition. They prescribe restoril instead of Ambien because of cost. I used to beg for Prilosec and was denied but then it became generic and now I get it "no problem". The VA does not take care of us and really does not give a damn. Just about money above all else.

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Pete53 Grand Master

Pete53

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So what does the VA substitute when they quit giving Plavix? My Doc said I would need it for life? I guess the VA thinks one year of life is ok?

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Testvet Grand Master

Testvet

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Pete after the year of Plavix they claim we get the same help from an aspirin a day a baby aspirin 81mg I guess that is their version of an apple a day

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SLEDGE Mentor

SLEDGE

Posted
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When a doctor prescribes a medication and the accountants say that it costs too much, aren't the accountants practicing medicine without a license?

They are countering the written instructions of a doctor when 'cost' is the only reason that they give for not allowing the prescription to be filled.

How much does a hammer or toilet seat cost anyway?

We are looking at a state of the medical arts where we are allowed to choose medications on the basis of which medication, or medical procedure, actually works the best, or at all, for the individual patient.

'At all' is what concerns me the most.

Many of the tried and true, cheaper medications either aggravate my PTSD or make me physically ill to the point that taking the medications is worse than not taking anything

That's a medical fact...

Through trial and error we have found some combinations that I can take without messing up one condition or another.

Unfortunately, the VA has not seen fit to include most of my drugs into their precious formulary.

They call this a budget and I call it malpractice.

sledge

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Josephine Grand Master

Josephine

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I wanted to add my two cents worth. My husband is also a Vietnam Veteran, with absolutely no service connected illnesses. "He is one of the lucky ones."

He did have a stent the middle of April. He is required to take Plavix for the rest of his life.

He is also required to take an adult strength Aspirin with the Plavix. He may be allowed to go back on the baby Aspirin in one year, but will have to continue with the Plavix for life.

We have our own private insurance and it does pay for his meds.

Veterans out there should receive proper care and receive the medication prescribed by their doctors.

How do we get this across to our congressman?

Josephine

(Betty)

Edited by Josephine (see edit history)
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