Over the years I've tried many different pills for my acid reflux and the nexium has been working awesome for 3 years now. Granted I take 2 40mg pills daily, but they work. Today I got a letter in the mail from united health care stating that starting sept. 1st, they will no longer cover nexium due to over the counter pills available. Now I'm worried I won't find something that works as well. Any thoughts?

i was sent the same kind of letter for protonix from my insurance there is a way around this mine was toi have the doctor write a letter and send it into the insurance stating this this is the only med you can take otc don't work as effective as script meds

Did your United Health Care Plan use Medco as the mail-away pharmacy? Are all United Health Care Plans the same - can we all expect to get this letter? It took me 6 months to get approved for Nexium 2x a day when I switched insurance a year ago due to all of Medco and United's screw-ups. Now they want to drop Nexium? Are they planning on dropping all prescription PPIs? I know that every time I get my order in the mail, it comes with a letter asking "Did I know that Prilosec OTC is now available cheaply?"

i would imagine that alot of people can expect this kind of letter my insurance was champva i sent my scripts into the goverment i was a disabled vets wife and they did it so i would imagine the private insurance company's are gonna follow

I just called up United Healthcare and they confirmed they are dropping Nexium as of 9/1/2006. They do not have the replacement drug list available yet.

This decision can be appealled by the individual. You or your doctor can write the appeal letter, which needs to contain:

-Patient Name
-Patient Subscriber #
-Name of Medicine and Strength
-Patient mailing address
-Telephone Number
-Doctor's Name and Telephone Number.

The letter should be mailed to :
United Healthcare Appeals
P.O. Box 659773
San Antonio, TX
78265

Don't forget to send it certified! (Not required, but I'd recommend it)

Over the years I've tried many different pills for my acid reflux and the nexium has been working awesome for 3 years now. Granted I take 2 40mg pills daily, but they work. Today I got a letter in the mail from united health care stating that starting sept. 1st, they will no longer cover nexium due to over the counter pills available. Now I'm worried I won't find something that works as well. Any thoughts?

I took Nexium for about 7 weeks or so and became concerned that taking it much longer could cause more problems. I'm off Nexium now for about 12 days and I've only had to take a total of about 6-8 Tums! Nexium may have fixed....something. Don't get me wrong, I'm still watching my diet...and I still have some of the throat clearing during the day. I'm trying the probiotics that a friend suggested-maybe that's helping. I figure, even if the GERD returns down the road-I've given my system a rest from the drugs that basically shut down what the stomach needs to properly digest food. I think that's important to do WHEN POSSIBLE.;)

Prilosec (omeprazole) and Nexium (esomeprazole) were both originally developed, patented, marketed and sold by AstraZeneca. So, It is probably the closest related PPI on the market -- NOW.

When Prilosec came off patent in 2001, AstraZeneca patented the other purple pill Nexium--was widely promoted, advertised and sold.

This was done to make money in the $8.9 billion PPI market. There is not alot of dfference between the 2 drugs -- according to Stanford's drug watch person
-- Robert Stafford, MD,PHD.

But, Nexium does not have to be compared to another PPI only to a placebo for it to get FDA approval.

I think what I have read Nexium is 6 to 8% stronger than Prilosec.

Harry

you know if i have seen an add from AstraZeneca that if you can't afford your meds there is a number you can call and they will base it on your income at little to no cost

I have been on nexium for a couple of years now. I am also on probiotics for constipation but someone stated that probiotics may help your reflux. My refulx is unrepairable so nexium won't help but it will help the acid backing up. I wonder if I should try and get off it and try the prelosic again along with the probiotics and see what happens. Prelosic helped but I was getting flutters between my throat and chest. I had a stress test so it wasn't that. Anyone had flutters?

I too recevied a letter from United Health Care but our company just switched to Aetna on 8/1. I wonder if I am going to get a letter from them now. Thank God I sent for another prescrip before we switched. I have at least a 4 months supply left.

Deb in CT

Hello,

I am having the same problem. My insurace (Healthnet) is not letting me go for Nexium. Nexium was very effective for me in the past. Now, based on the suggestion of the Doc I am using Prolisec 20MG (OTC) but it is not at all effective.
We pay so much money for the insurance and this is not fair that they do not let us get what is needed and what works for us.
Is there any way that we can convince the insurance companies to let us get Nexium.
Also, is there any other medications that are closer and as effective as Nexium as posted in the question of this topic.
Any suggestions are appreciated.

Thanks

Prilosec and Zegred both have the same active ingredient as Nexium- Omperazole. Also, both are availible in 40mg pills/packets.

Hello,

I am having the same problem. My insurace (Healthnet) is not letting me go for Nexium. Nexium was very effective for me in the past. Now, based on the suggestion of the Doc I am using Prolisec 20MG (OTC) but it is not at all effective.
We pay so much money for the insurance and this is not fair that they do not let us get what is needed and what works for us.
Is there any way that we can convince the insurance companies to let us get Nexium.
Also, is there any other medications that are closer and as effective as Nexium as posted in the question of this topic.
Any suggestions are appreciated.

Thanks
You probably need 2 of the 20mg Prilosecs to get the same dose you were getting on Nexium.

You probably were not take 20 mgm dose of Nexium-- probably 40 mgm-- So, you may need the same dose of Prilosec??

I hope this works for you~~~Harry

I've been reading almost every post on this board for over a year and I have yet to hear of any poster state that Prilosec OTC worked for him/her. This is the Acid Reflux board, for god's sake. If it worked, we would be crowing about it.

Prilosec OTC is not an adequate substitute, even for prescription prilosec. Something is going on with the production of the OTC stuff.

Theoretically, 2 Prilosec OTC capsules should be the equivalent of one Nexium - but it just doesn't work that way in practice.

I have LPR - and I got even sicker when I briefly switched from Nexium to Prilosec OTC. I developed new symptoms on OTC that I never even had before starting Nexium (before diagnosis). I was on the OTC for 2 months and ran screaming back to Nexium.

Good point. Everyone I know that has tried prilosec OTC has hated it.

prevacid works good i've used both.Pepcid ac in a pinch.Baking soda and water in a worse pinch

I just started OTC and actually I feel worst than without taking any PPI. I was on Nexium and it suddenly stopped working or so I thought. Increased belching, chest pains, PVCs. Stopped taking Nexium I actually felt better. I guess I wasn't meant to take PPIs. :confused:

Prilosec OTC relieves my heartburn, but the side effects are so awful that I stopped taking it. Now, Pepcid AC isn't strong enough.

Am I correct that there is a difference between Prilosec and Nexium in that the latter has the added ingredient to aid in the treatment/repair of damage to the esophagus; weheras the former only reduced the amount of acid produced? I also received the letter fro UHC stating the two drugs are "therapeutically equivalent" - but, if Nexium also fixes damage to the esophagus I question the equivalence they are referring to.. or perhaps I am a victim of marketing :)

Rob,

Both Nexium and Prilosec are proton pump inhibitors-- reduces stomach acids -- only. Both were patented by the same company-- AstraZeneca a london based company.
Prolosec's patent expired in 2001 and Nexium patent started in 2001. It was done to capitalize on the big PPI market.
Neither have anything added to heal a damaged espphagus.
Nexium just cost more because it is a brand name product and not a generic.
For some people Nexium works better and for others Prilosec works better for acid refux. Both have side-effects that affect some people differently??

Harry

Yes my insurance told me I needed to try a generic or something else. They wouldn't let me get Protonix, Nexium, etc. anymore but now that time has passed they are letting me have some more. I think they allow you 3 before they cut off your supply again and request doctor authorization that you need it and have tried everything else known to man first. Well I stopped taking the Nexium ages ago because I figured that it wouldn't be good on my stomach to take it "long term" and indeed I was fine if I watched my diet and such for a long time. Last summer I had a flare up and started taking Protonix and they stopped paying for it so my doctor put me on the generic Omperozole 20mg (I always take 40mg of whatever) and lately my flare up got so bad that I have missed work. I tried Protonix and that didn't seem to work well so I went back to Nexium now and I just have that feeling after 3 months when I go to pick up the prescription they will try to charge me full price. Prevacid gave me uncontrollable dirreaha and Prilocec OTC did absoultely NOTHING for me! I think the insurance companies have deals with certain drugs companies too. Surely they aren't concerned with my health of taking it long term since they are allowing me generic (so far) etc. Although I have more medical bills if they pulll things like this. We pay so much for insurance and then they treat us like this! I don't like the idea of using it long term but I want the option of using it and having some help pay for it. It still cost me $40 for a 30 day supply of 40mg! My brother's insurance he gets about 3 months for $60 which is better.