15 ways to save money on buprenorphine treatment
1. Manufacturer's Copay card – Patients can get $45 off of out-of-pocket Suboxone Film® costs through March, 2012 (does not apply to Massachusetts residents). The copay card can be printed from the manufacturer's website and presented to the pharmacist. It can be used to cover all or part of the insurance copay and can also be used to save $45 for cash-paying patients. Details
2. Third-party prescription discount cards – There are a number of discount cards available from sources like AAA, some pharmacy chains and discount prescription websites. The AddictionSurvivors discussion board has an area dedicated to discussing these cards and gives the opportunity to hear from people who actually used them. Each card has its own conditions and discount rate. Details
3. Buy drug test kits online – Most physicians conduct urine tests for illicit drugs. Usually, the urine is sent to a lab for processing, this can be expensive. If the physician is willing, the patient can purchase drug test kits online for under $10. This could save hundreds depending on how often and for how many drugs the lab tests for.
4. Marketing research opportunities – Occasionally, research firms want to survey patients in buprenorphine treatment and usually offer some kind of honorarium, usually $50-$100 depending on the length of the survey. These usually take less than 30 minutes to complete. naabt.org and AddictionSurvivors.org will post listings of opportunities once they become available and are verified as legitimate.
 5. Insurance – If the physician doesn't accept private insurance, claims can be submitted to the insurer for direct reimbursement. Check the insurer's website for the self-reimbursement forms or contact the insurer's claims department for the proper forms and instructions. Many patients do this successfully as many physicians do not accept insurance. More on insurance
6. Manufacturer's free meds program – Each physician may have up to 3 qualifying patients on the free meds program. A physician must agree to participate in the program. The patient receives a card to present at the pharmacy for the medication. Details
7. Partial prescription fills – If patients can't afford the entire prescription all at once, they can ask the pharmacy to dispense a partial prescription. This type of partial dispensing does not count as a refill. Although this doesn't actually save any money, it may be a way to stay in treatment when there isn't enough money to buy the entire prescription.
8. For patients taking Subutex® – A generic version is now available, but as of this writing, there is no generic for Suboxone tablet or film. It should be noted, if not specifically FDA approved for opioid dependence, other buprenorphine products cannot be legally prescribed for opioid dependence, examples are BuTrans®, Buprenex®, or pharmacy-compounded buprenorphine products. Subutex is discontinued for 2012.
 9. Clinical studies – Can be a source of both free medication and free medical care, although the patient will be subject to whatever conditions are set up in the study. Look for open label Phase IV studies because that means the medication is already FDA approved and you will know what medication is being provided.
www.clinicaltrials.gov
10. Negotiate with the provider – Patients may be able to negotiate a lower price with their physician or counselor.
11. Less frequent office visits – As the patient stabilizes, s/he can request to have less frequent office visits. Although physicians commonly require patients to come in for appointments every month to monitor the patient's progress, the Controlled Substance Act allows Schedule III medications to be refilled up to 5 times in a 6 month period. Visit frequency is ultimately determined by the physician, but it doesn't hurt to ask, particularly for those stable in long-term addiction remission.
12. Lower dose – If the patient has been stable for several months, s/he may find that a lower dose still suppresses cravings and withdrawal symptoms. Discuss this with the physician, of course, to make sure that no more medication is being taken, and paid for, than is needed to maintain addiction remission. Doses above the patient's ceiling dose provide little additional benefit.
13. Referral fee – Some physicians will provide a referral fee or discount when patients are directly referred to treatment.
14. Methadone Clinics – Some methadone clinics also offer buprenorphine. This varies state to state and clinic to clinic but it may be subsidized in some way and available at reduced cost. However, find out the rules and dispensing criteria for each clinic beforehand, which often initially consists of daily witnessed dosing at the clinic.
15. Shop around – Shopping around for a good value is not what is meant by the term "doctor shopping". That refers to seeing several doctors for the same ailment without the other doctor's knowledge. The intention of "doctor shopping" is to obtain multiple prescriptions, often painkillers, from multiple doctors. Shopping around for a good value is prudent so long as it doesn't delay the commencement of life-saving treatment. One strategy is to begin treatment immediately then search for better value later.
See doctor shopping
For more info see "How do I know if I'm paying too much?"
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