Obtaining birth control without insurance

[ghouls-a-gogo.livejournal.com]

Hello, I have a few questions about trying to get birth control pills without health insurance.

I had my last pelvic exam/pap in August of last year, when I was working and had health insurance. I was given a prescription for Yaz, which I have been taking since then. Even though I take my pill regularly, I have for whatever reason experienced a lot of difficulty adjusting to Yaz. I've had two week long periods, periods that are two weeks late, one week early, etc. I've tried other BCs in the past and haven't had any problems. I know that you should wait three months, but it's going on six months now, so I think it's time I try something else. Second, and more important, Yaz is costing me a whopping $70 dollar per month! I cannot continue to pay this much for my BC; I have been unemployed since September, and still actively trying to find a job with health insurance, but it doesn't look like it's going to happen any time soon. Now for my questions:

1. If I go to Planned Parenthood, won't I be required to get a pelvic exam before they'll give me BC, and won't I have to wait at least a couple of months to get an appointment (since I'm not an emergency)? I remember calling a couple times in the past and being told I'd have to wait some time before I could come in for a pelvic exam. Also, I'm not due for a pelvic exam until August and really can't afford it right now. I was reading a few posts in the archives that said some women were paying as much as $150 for an exam at PP. So, in spite of this, is PP the way to go or is there somewhere else I could go?

2. Could the gynecologist I saw in August phone in a prescription for a different type of BC for me? Has anyone ever tried this and had success? Of course, I no longer have health insurance so I can't come in. Can she still write me a prescription? She did write my Yaz prescription for an entire year, so it doesn't seem like it should be unreasonable to give me a prescription for something else (that is hopefully much more affordable).

3. If I can get her to write me a prescription for something else, could I take it to Wal-Mart and get it for $4 per month (even without health insurance)?

I hope all of this makes sense. It's late and I need to get to bed. I really appreciate any answers/advice anyone can give me (especially about the gyno since her office is very busy and I'll probably not get an immediate answer to my question). Thank you all very much for any input!

Comments

[ahota84.livejournal.com]

I think Planned Parenthood varies by location. In my experience in the Seattle and San Diego areas, I've only had to wait around a week for an exam appt, and the Take Charge program in WA gave me the BC for free. If there's no Take Charge program in the area, I think the fees are on a sliding scale and the pills are only around $30.

My point is to not look so negatively on Planned Parenthood services. It may be more affordable than you think.

[100ofme.livejournal.com]

You could try calling your gyn. They might call in an prescription for you without an appt. If that doesn't work you might also try going to your local health dept.

[cbackson.livejournal.com]

1): PPs vary so widely that it's difficult to say; you can often get BC without a pelvic but the wait times and prices will depend entirely on the location.

2): Yes, definitely. She could also just write one for her. Tell her you can't afford Yaz anymore, and she should be totally willing to do it.

3): Yup. The Wal-Mart prices don't depend on having insurance. I'd look at see what's on their list before you call your gyno, so you can suggest some things to her in case she's not familiar with what they have.

[gooeytummy03.livejournal.com]

The brand that walmart offers at a discount is called Sprintec. It's the generic of OrthoCyclen. They also offer TriSprintec, which is the generic of OrthoTriCyclen. It's $9. :D I started taking it last week, and had to stop becuase of an allergic reaction to something in it. :(

[frolicnaked.livejournal.com]

Could the gynecologist I saw in August phone in a prescription for a different type of BC for me? Has anyone ever tried this and had success?

Yup, I've asked this of my NP a couple of times. Since I'm a current patient (which according to the clinic's practice, means I've been seen within the past year), she had no problems just phoning in a different prescription to a pharmacy.

If I can get her to write me a prescription for something else, could I take it to Wal-Mart and get it for $4 per month (even without health insurance)?

Wal-Mart only has certain prescriptions that are discounted. You'd need to check there first and have your doctor write a prescription for something that's listed.

[marionravenwood.livejournal.com]

If I go to Planned Parenthood, won't I be required to get a pelvic exam before they'll give me BC

Almost certainly not--most (but not all) PP clinics participate in the HOPE program, which means they do not require pelvic exams for HBC prescriptions. Even a PP which doesn't participate in HOPE would not be likely to require one of you, since you just had one last August.

Could the gynecologist I saw in August phone in a prescription for a different type of BC for me?

Yes, absolutely. Any doctor who will not do this is entirely unreasonable. As long as there's no medical reason for you to be on a particular brand of pill they should be happy to write you a new Rx. Needing to change pills due to cost is very, very common and they are used to dealing with it.