Repost for all Veterans

[flyingduck2019]

THIS IS A LONG READ BUT WORTH IT FOR MANY:

I am reposting this topic in case some veterans have missed the information contained within. This information has to do with injections for ED, no matter what branch of service you served in. The information only applies to veterans, not active duty military and not to military personnel stationed overseas, Also, you must be living in the United States of America. If you are presently getting your injection medications from the VA it also does not apply.
As most are aware, Medicare will cover pills, pumps and implants for ED. However, they will not cover any part of injections as they have deemed injections "not medically necessary". So, I am sure many veterans not using a VA hospital or clinic are paying full price for their injections out of their pockets. This, in most cases, is not necessary.
As a veteran, no matter which branch of service, you can go through Tricare and their contracted pharmacy, Express Scripts and get your injection medications for ED at a unbelievable cheap cost. You will still have to go through a compounding pharmacy in most cases if your medication required being compounded. So, if you fall into the above situation and would like more information please PM me or reply to this post. I may be able to help you and I will if I can.

Some people have asked me why I do not use the VA for my injection medications for ED. I do use the VA for my hearing aids and glasses but as a Air Force Retiree and also retiring from a defense contractor after 27 years, I make too much in retirement and would have to pay high co-pays. By using Medicare as my primary insurance and Tricare For Life as my secondary I pay nothing in co-pays for medical services and if I use a military pharmacy for everything but my ED medications, I pay nothing. My co=pay for 10ml of Trimix only costs me $33.00 plus a $10.00 overnight delivery charge for a total of $43.00, not the $235.00 I would normally have to pay.

So, If I can get my ED injections at a great savings as a military retiree, why shouldn't other military retiree's do the same? This is why I post these messages in the hope of being able to help others in the same boat.

[rdmercer1953]

also to the vets who get edex from the va they can only get two boxes each box contain two vials of meds so that is sex once a week.

[Quester]

I think it must have been the way my doctor wrote my prescription, after the first few times using it I spoke to my urologist and I got 6 syringes of either “caverject” or edex which ever the VA was buying at the time after that as my wife and I wanted to have sex more than once a week.

Sometimes the doctors don’t let the pharmacy know what they want I was using Voltern gel for arthritis and was always running out as I’m a pharmacy technician I did some math and said oh no wonder. I spoke to a pharmacist I work with (I work for the VA) and said it was the way it was prescribed. I sent that provided a secure message explaining my situation and they sent in a new order.

I just remember a patient coming to my window when I was Active Duty and she said “I hope this isn’t for Motrin it does nothing for my cramps” I told her ibuprofen was the generic of Motrin. Then she said the doctor should know it doesn’t work for me. I asked if she told the doctor that and gently explained if you don’t say anything they just assume what they did last time works and they do it again.

My VA medical center won’t compound ED meds but they can contract with places that do at least as far as I know I work the inpatient side of pharmacy and really don’t know what they do.

In the end you have to be willing to advocate for yourself all they can do from there is say yes or no.

[flyingduck2019]

Rdmercer and anyone else getting ED injections from the VA: I have heard before about the VA limiting the amount of injections you can get. I do use the VA for my glasses and hearing aids but do not use it otherwise as I have Medicare and Tricare for Life. I understand some guys (veterans) can't take Trimix or other injections and that is fine. I'm sorry, but sex only once a week does not work for me. For this reason and the fact the VA limits the amount of meds you can get, I use Trimix and get it through a compounding pharmacy in Los Angeles. They bill Express Scripts, the contracted pharmacy for Tricare. I don't know what they bill Express Scripts, all I know is for $33.00 and a $10.00 charge for overnight delivery, I get 10ml of juice. I am fortunate that I can get an erection that lasts 45 minutes to an hour and a half by taking 10 units. At this rate my wife and I can have sex as often as we desire. In my opinion, the cost out weighs getting only enough FREE juice from the VA and are limited to sex only once a week.