Varenicline generic

Worked my ass off for an entire year to qualify for my employer’s health insurance. The plan, between what they pay and I pay, has an $800/month premium ($700 employer, $100 me). Sucks I even had to go a whole year w/o insurance, but that’s the way the cookie crumbles around here and I got my crumbs.

Before I go further, I have Geo Blue Global, Blue Cross health insurance. Pharmaceutical administrator is Universal RX.

The only drug I want/need is generic varenicline, a drug that miraculously retrains the receptors in your brain that are responsible for nicotine dependency.

It’s the only thing that has ever helped me quit. You’re supposed to take it for 3-6 months for best results.

The last time I had insurance and was able to get it, I only took it for one month before I was cut off from that insurance. That one month of medication alone kept me off of smokes for 5 months. Imagine if I could have gotten the full dose, I might have escaped the hamster wheel for good.

Idk why an insurance company would not cover this medication…it only serves to reduce their long-term costs. I’m totally pissed off, frustrated, wanna punch a wall. I’ve been looking forward to this day for over 7 months since I last slipped up. Only to find out the system is still fucking rigged, even when you work your ass off and get a good job with good insurance. This is a $0 deductible plan! It’s amazing! And then this?! The pharma side of the plan is fucked.

After letting my enraged brain calm down for a couple days, I tried a million different forms of recourse today. I called the drug manufacturer to see if they offer assistance, (the name brand version does, but it’s been in recall for over a year and doesn’t exist, generic does not offer assiatence), I’ve called my insurance company to see if my doctor can submit a written appeal, and now I’m signing up on various non-profit and affordable Rx websites to see if any of them can help me. I think I tried a couple other things too, too hard to list them all.

I keep reading about the appeals process w/ insurance. Can my doctor do this? The insurance company says no. I think they’re lying to me. My doc is back in the office tomorrow and I left him a message asking for advice.

The meds are $400/mo which I simply do not have. It’s insane to me. And no, my cigarettes do not cost even close to that and I’m not a heavy smoker. But at age 29 and smoking since 18, I am feeling the long-term effects and want to quit for good.

My next thoughts have been to rob a pharmacy, but that won’t play out well.

I hate this stupid fucking country.

Universal RX says this is my employer’s fault for not electing to cover this class of drugs (smoking cessation aids) and that I should reach out to them to ask them to update their coverages. Riiiight.

What’s a guy to do?

-jack