Help paying for supplements?

[R.Little]

My doctor just prescribed two new, rather expensive supplements that have to be compounded (oxytocin and intranasal glutathione). My parents have thus far been paying for my supplements, as my SSDI is not enough to cover them. However, they just informed me that, due to impending retirement, they are cutting their monthly assistance to me by half. So it's a real double whammy, substantial new costs and significantly less funds

I'm glad to see the recent PR supplements shopping page, but my most expensive supplements are all from the compounding pharmacy. I know there are orgs that help pay for meds and copays and all that, but I can't find any assistance for supplements. (And searching for "supplements" assistance primarily brings up "supplementary assistance," ugh.)

My most helpful supplements are naturally the most expensive ones, like methylated B12 injections--whenever I've lapsed on those, my cognitive symptoms have dramatically worsened.

Are there any supplementary assistance programs for supplements??
(I'm in the USA)

 

[R.Little]

I should maybe add that this is not an emergency, we'll find a way to handle it, but it may involve my boyfriend having to make sacrifices, and that just sucks. It all feels very unfair. I mean, I have ME/CFS and live in America, I'm used to healthcare being unfair, but this feels particularly egregious.

If a doctor says you need something, that thing should at least be eligible for insurance. Like, maybe most plans don't fully cover it, but it should at least be part of the health insurance ecosystem, you know?

 

[SickOfSickness]

Yep, it's horrible.

Certain prescribed supplements are covered, but most of them would need a blood test showing too-low levels of D3, B12, iron, etc for coverage.

But I believe doctors can also get other things covered based upon diagnosis instead of blood test. Such as another B vitamin for a diagnosis which has journal articles proving its effectiveness in double-blind studies. I think that it depends on your insurance, your doctor's willingness, etc.

Also watch out for coverage gaps if you try for any of these. For me, a B12 injection in the office was covered but not B12 that I would pick up at a pharmacy.

 

[R.Little]

@SickOfSickness this is very good to know. I'll dig a little deeper with insurance. Obviously can't go into an office three times a week for B12, but will keep asking questions to see what's possible.

 

[SickOfSickness]

Good luck.

There was speculation that my insurance would cover my self-administered injections (picked up at pharmacy) if I had a nurse gave me an in-home lesson on injection (covered by insurance). I did not try to follow up on that option.