Medically reviewed by, Russell Braun RPH
The doctor is talking to you but you can’t concentrate on what she is saying. She just informed you that you have something called Atrial Fibrillation (AFib). As she is talking about medications you will need to treat this condition, fear and anxiety races through your mind. Has this recently happened to you?
Well you are not alone! According to the CDC as many as 6.1 million people suffer with Atrial fibrillation. Blood thinners are required to reduce the risk of stroke in AFib patients and Eliquis has become the number one option of cardiologists. You walk out of your doctors office, still stunned and scared by the diagnosis. A prescription for Eliquis is in your hand. Now the question is should you use an Eliquis manufacturer copay coupon card?
The fear and anxiety of dealing with this new diagnosis prevents many patients from trying to control the cost of their medications. Eliquis is expensive, but too often patients just pay the large price tag. In the back of their mind they wonder, how long will I be able to afford this? Confused and nervous they push that idea down and decide to worry about it later.
Never fear, you are in the right place! Keep reading to see how to save yourself thousands.
What is Eliquis?
Eliquis (apiaxaban) is an anticoagulant that is used to prevent blood clots from forming due to the following:
- Atrial Fibrillation
- Hip surgery
- Knee surgery
- Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT)
- Pulmonary Embolus (PE)
It blocks proteins in your blood that cause a clot to form. Eliquis has been involved in many large studies and proven to be effective at preventing strokes. Recent evidence has concluded that it may also be slightly more effective than Coumadin (warfarin) which as long been used to treat blood clots.
Eliquis is available by prescription only and should only be used under the direction of your doctor and pharmacist. The normal dose is 2.5mg or 5mg taken twice a day. Eliquis comes as a tablet and the strength your doctor selects will depend on age and your kidney function.
How does Eliquis work?
Apiaxaban the active ingredient in Eliquis, is an inhibitor of something called factor Xa (ten a). In the bloodstream when factor Xa becomes activated it causes a cascade of events to happen. Those events are due to another protein in the blood that factor Xa creates called thrombin.
When thrombin is formed it causes blood cells called platelets to stick together as well creating a fiber in the blood that help bind the sticky platelets together. Once this happens a clot starts to form and can grow larger.
Eliquis prevents these events from happening by stopping factor Xa from becoming active and therefore no thrombin is produced.
It is important to have a general idea how the drug works when you compare it to other drugs used for treating blood clots.
Learn more about how to deal with blood clots associated with Afib in this great resource written by Dr. Steve Ryan. It is important to know what you are dealing with instead of just depending on medication to take care of it for you!
How can I get a discount on Eliquis?
Most brand name drugs have a manufacturer copay coupon savings card available. The coupon will take the copay (or deductible amount owed per prescription) from whatever your insurance sets it at, and reduce it down to a specific amount set by the manufacturer. An example would be the insurance copay is $150 for brand drugs but the Eliquis coupon pays $140 of that cost leaving the patient with a small copay of $10.
On the surface the Eliquis manufacturer copay coupon savings card sounds great, pay just a few dollars per month. However, beware of a few very important details.
1. The higher your income, the higher the amount you will have to pay for each copay. Consequently, not everyone will get the lowest copay of $10.
2. Eliquis copay coupon savings card has a maximum amount it will pay. The annual maximum is currently $3800 according to the terms and conditions of the program. Keeping this in mind when you realize how much the drug costs per year will be very important!
3. Manufacturer copay coupon savings DO NOT apply toward deductibles.
4. All patients who are covered by government insurance are ineligible. Therefore, Medicare, Medicaid, Tricare and any other government insurance can’t use this copay savings card.
5. Uninsured patients are also not eligible, you can only use the Eliquis manufacturer copay coupon WITH insurance.
6. Eliquis manufacturer copay coupon can’t be combined with other discounts or coupons.
7. Only participating pharmacies will accept the Eliquis coupon.
How Drug copay coupon card programs work?
It is important to understand why Bristol Myers Squibb the manufacturer of Eliquis offer a copay coupon. Here is a quick breakdown on why copay coupons, also called savings cards even exist.
To understand more on drug copay coupon cards click here.
Steps to take before using a Eliquis manufacturer copay coupon
#1 Is there a generic drug for Eliquis?
Today Eliquis is brand name drug only. The generic, apixaban can’t be manufactured and sold until the patents expire for Eliquis. Consequently, Eliquis will not be generically available until 2023.
Due to such a large demand for the drug, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has already approved two generic drug makers to make a generic version of Eliquis. However, due to the patents mentioned they will have to wait until 2023 to start selling those products.
#2 Are there therapeutic alternatives to Eliquis?
A therapeutic alternative is a drug that had different chemical contents, but has the same effects as other drugs for treating a condition. Eliquis has no generic alternative, but does have therapeutic alternatives. Some of these therapeutic alternatives have generics which also means they will be substantially cheaper.
Before trying an Eliquis coupon make sure to consider the following:
- Some insurance formularies may prefer Xarelto over Eliquis, making it less costly.
- Pradaxa is likely to lose it’s patent in 2021, meaning cheaper generics are not that far off.
- Warfarin has been used generically for over 50 years and is much cheaper.
Table 1
| Brand name | Generic name | Sold generically? |
| Xarelto | Rivaroxaban | No |
| Pradaxa | Dabigatran | No |
| Savaysa | Edoxaban | No |
| Coumadin | Warfarin | Yes |
Warfarin will save significant amounts on the cost of the drug. However, keep in mind it does require frequent trips to the healthcare office to get bloodwork done. Make sure to ask your doctor about all the options based on your financial situation to help make the best decision for you.
# 3 Utilize drug discount programs to research alternatives
Drug discount programs are available today in a variety of formats. It is imporant to understand the differences in a drug discount card or app in contrast to the Eliquis manufacturer copay coupon. These discount programs negotiate prices with one or all of the following:
- Pharmacies
- Pharmacy benefit managers (PBM’s)
- Drug manufacturers
Most work with pharmacies who want to show up in the search function on the discount programs website or mobile application. Therefore, patients can see a discounted price the pharmacy negotiates with the discount program. Keep in mind these can not be used with insurance, but instead when the negotiated price is better than the price with insurance. Most people would not think the discount price could be better than insurance, but many times it is. A few of the major discount programs available today include:
- GoodRx
- BlinkHealth
- Singlecard
- Trialcard
Eliquis has a high list price and because of that drug discount programs are not going to make the price tag manageable for most people. The best practice is to use drug discount programs to see how much the therapeutic alternatives to Eliquis (listed in table 1 above) cost and talk to your doctor about those options.
#4 How much does Eliquis cost without insurance?
Using a the drug discount website GoodRx, you find:
Eliquis 5mg Take 1 tablet twice a day
#60 tablets = 30 day supply
Cost = $472
Typically, Eliquis is between $450 – $500 depending on where you live. That price is the cash price, without any insurance using a drug discount program discount.
As you can see even with the discounted price, that cost each month can add up quickly.
Again, checking to see if the therapeutic alternatives that have generics are cheaper without insurance is a good idea. Many times your insurance copay might be more than what you can buy them for from the pharmacy paying cash.
For example a 30 day supply of Warfarin 5mg costs just $3.00!
#5 How much does Eliquis cost with insurance?
What can be done if a therapeutic alternative is not an option? Check with your insurance to see if Eliquis is on formulary. If indeed it is on formulary it will have a more favorable out of pocket cost for you.
Check with your pharmacist to calculate your out of pocket cost using your insurance. Costs can vary widely depending on your insurance plan.
Also, the type of insurance plan you have will make a big difference.
- High deductible health plans (HDHP) will have a large deductible that will come from your pocket or the Eliquis manufacturer copay coupon.
- Preferred provider organizations (PPO) will have a set copay amount, Eliquis coupon can also be used for that copay.
HDHP vs. PPO explains more on the differences between these types of insurance.
#6 How much does Eliquis cost with Medicare?
Eliquis is going to be covered by more than 90% of Medicare plans. Some may have it as a more preferred option than others, but almost all will cover the drug. The only way to know for sure in your situation is to go to Medicare.gov and use the plan compare tool. Follow the prompts and provide your basic information about prescriptions and pharmacy preference. Next, you will see many details about coverage, focus in on two things:
- Drug deductible
- Pharmacies & prescription drugs
Clicking on the link under pharmacies & prescription drugs will show you exactly how much Eliquis will cost you monthly and yearly.
Remember, the Eliquis manufacturer copay coupon can NOT be used for Medicare!
Medicare also offers the Extra Help subsidy, for lower income people. Everyone on Medicare should check to see if they are eligible, because investigating costs you nothing. Consequently, if you are eligible the savings could be huge.
#7 How do I get free Eliquis samples?
Before trying any new medication the best practice is to try samples. Brand name drugs like Eliquis will have samples that the manufacturer provides to doctors. Sampling the medication allows a trial where it can be determined if the medication is going to be well tolerated or not. For the best outcome I recommend bullet journaling medication effects.
Unfortunately, there is no way for the patient to sense that Eliquis is working. Lack of a blot clot is the key outcome Eliquis is used for. However, there could be side effects you become aware of in the first few days and weeks after starting Eliquis. Therefore, you should ask for enough samples to last at least two weeks. This provides enough time to determine if you have any side effects that would cause you to want to try a different medication.
Eliquis free trial card
A 30 day free trail card is also available with Eliquis. This is a once per lifetime offer for any patient starting Eliquis. Your doctor has to request the trial card offer to ensure eligibility requimenets are met and then you can activate the offer by clicking here.
The trial card is available for the following patients:
- Those with commercial insurance
- Anyone on Medicare or Medicaid
- Uninsured patients
The trial card can’t be used if you have had an Eliquis prescription filled previously. Therefore to maximize savings you should:
- Ask for samples when your doctor writes you a prescription
- Once the samples are almost gone, request the trial card offer at the pharmacy prior to filling the first prescription.
#8 Patient Assistance Programs (PAPs)
In addition to offering the Eliquis manufacturer copay coupon, a patient assistance program is available through the Bristol Myers Squibb Patient Support Program. The program is designed to help patients get Eliquis at low or no cost.
To be eligible for this assistance patients must meet the following criteria:
- Reside in the United States, Puerto Rico or US Virgin Islands
- Must have no insurance
- Medicare Part D may be considered on a case by case basis
- Have a medically appropriate diagnosis
- Income that is at or below 300% of the Federal Poverty Limit (FPL) based on family or household size.
Anyone who is close to the FPL cutoff level should still apply. The applications are approved on a case by case basis and anyone slightly over that mark could still get assistance. For a family of two, 300% of the FPL comes out to over $51,000 per year. Larger families are adjusted up accordingly.
The Bristol Myers Squibb Patient Support Program form for Eliquis can be downloaded here. A doctor must sign the paperwork and return to Bristol Myers Squibb. The optimal time to complete the process is right after the doctor provides you with samples. The delivery of the medication is typically within one week. That should ensure the assistance is available before you need to get a prescription filled.
State Prescription Assistance Programs (SPAPs)
Some states have there own state pharmaceutical assistance programs that are run by the state. They normally focus on low-income patients and also offer some type of Medicare Part D coverage as the Eliquis PAP may not apply to all Medicare enrollees.
A state by state listing of SPAPs can be searched on Medicare.gov.
#9 How do I get a Eliquis manufacturer copay coupon savings card?
After trying the steps mentioned above, the Eliquis coupon may be the best option because it does lower copay or deductible costs. Once you confirm that Eliquis worked and was well tolerated, a coupon can be obtained here.
Bristol Myers Squibb claims that patients can get Eliquis for as low as $10 dollars for a 30 day supply using the Eliquis coupon. This is based on income and not everyone will have the copay go all the way down to $10. Some pharmacies may not accept the coupon so you may want to ask them ahead of time. Mail order pharmacies have a rebate for that can be used as most will not accept the regular coupon.
Please remember the Eliquis coupon has a maximum payout of $3,800. Therefore, if you have to pay $472 per fill the card would max out after 8 fills!
Finally, the Eliquis manufacturer copay coupon is good for 24 months (a maximum of $3,800 per year). After that time period you would have to request another activated copay card from the manufacturer.
Beware of copay accumulator programs!
Many insurance companies have added a feature called a copay accumulator, because high deducible health plans are becoming more common. This is a fancy term for counting how much of the deductible (or copay) was paid by the patient versus the copay coupon. When accumulators are used any amount paid by the copay coupon will NOT count toward the deductible.
For more information on these programs and an example that makes it easy to understand read my pharmacist tips on copay accumulator programs.
Click here to get Dr. Jason Reed’s exclusive list of medication questions you MUST ask your doctor, for FREE!
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