United Healthcare is moving NovoLog from Tier 1 to Tier 3, all for the big buc

Treatment Insulin
1

Effective January 1, United Healthcare will move NovoLog out of Tier 1 (less expensive) and into Tier 3, while doing the reverse for Humalog. The reclassification, which came about as the result of essentially a bidding war, translates to a 250 percent increase in the cost for NovoLog.

Crappy news for NovoLog users, great news for Humalog proponents.

I didn’t like my insurance carrier before but now I really hate them.

I can’t wait to see what they do about CGMs or pumps.

2

I have Blue Shield of California. They charge a $45 copay for my Freestyle strips and $15 copay for Onetouch (Any Roche strip).
I feel your pain. I haven’t ever tried Novalog because my Humalog copay would be $15 and my Novolog would be $45. Also, Humalog has always worked well for me. I would be pretty unsettled if they told me I had to switch to Novolog. I hate change, especially when somethign works well for me. = )

3

All the insurance companies care about is their bottom line. This change would be no good for me. Although most of the rapid acting analog’s basically have the same action profiles not everyone responds to them the same. I can use Novolog and Apidra in my pump but when I try to use Humalog, within 12 hours my infusion site is no longer working. Imagine the frustration trying to figure out why this was happening. What I found out is Humalog has a comparatively wide range for their stated pH. I have heard of others who have the opposite problem.

4

My insurance did the same. Novolog is no longer covered. In its place Humalog is now the preferred drug.

5

6

I'm being forced by my insurance plan to change from Apidra to Humalog in 2014. Apidra has worked well for me for many years. I hate to change something that's working but I will go along and hope for the best. I know I can't use Novalog since it causes an allergic reaction at the infusion site. I'm hoping all these insurance company formulary changes have a legitimate appeal process.

7

I'm starting a new job and they offer only United Healthcare. As I have had a bad reaction (my doctor listed it as an allergic reaction) to Humalog, I have no choice BUT to use Novolog. This change, obviously, affects me seriously.

Not happy with that!