I've had it covered for about four or five years, though it looks like that may have changed this month, unfortunately. Make sure the doctor wrote for the "DS" (double strength) version, which is prescription-only. The regular strength is over-the-counter, and is never covered by insurance. I'd also suggest finding out what reason the insurance is giving. Sometimes they turn it down by claiming it's OTC, sometimes they refuse to mail-order because it's "not a maintenance medication," and sometimes your coverage is limited to on-formulary meds. The pharmacy may be able to tell you the reason for denial.

Thanks so much Scott I'll give a try, I did check online and amazon sells it (not double) hopefully I won't have to purchase it myself, because it's a big chunk of change. Cathy.
God is good

I'm in the process of asking my employer to go to bat for me. That probably won't work but is worth a try, especially if the employer is self-insured.

I am having success with Align. About $1 a day. Took about a month (after a bout of pouchitis) to notice a difference in frequency and consistency.

You might want to call your insurance company directly to find out if it is covered and if it requires a special or extra step in the prescription process. I did so before I got the prescription. My Internist also says that Align is a good probiotic but I'm staying with VSL#3DS as long as I can.

Good Gosh - I was just prescribed VSL today and just checked Amazon's prices...forget that. I will try to find something OTC that doesn't break the bank. Sad that something that could help us is so cost-prohibitive.

VSL is quite pricy, but do make sure you're comparing the price for comparable numbers of live bacteria (also called CFUs - colony forming units).

Yea - I'm going to go ahead and order VSL and use it for a month to see what difference I notice. I did some pricing around today and think it is probably the best product. I can get a 3 pack of capsules for $160 + $25 shipping (even with Amazon prime.) Cha-CHING! Worth it if it helps heal my gut. I am supposed to take 450 billion units twice a day.

you can buy the capsules from the vsl website for 52 bucks a bottle and i thinks its like 7 bucks shipping so that would be cheaper...

Thanks pouch, that's the route I may have to take, still waiting to hear from the insurance co. The dr. did say Vsl3ds, which I'm assuming is different then the vsl3, but I will ask the dr. if need be can she just take that. Thanks again all. Cathy. God Is Good)

The DS version is exactly the same stuff as the regular strength. There's just twice as much per packet. The bad news is that this gives the insurance companies an additional excuse to deny coverage.

VSL#3DS if the Prescription strength 900 Billion which if you take half a pack twice a day is 450 each time so if your insurance company covers it please get your doctor to write a prescription for it. I have a high deductible and end up paying 100% of the insurance approved amount for half, of the year, until I go over the high deducible amount, but don't get pouchitis. Maybe I wouldn't if I didn't take it, I don't know. I have enough problems as it is. I read a study by Dr. Shen et al about probiotics and pouchits. They used VSL#3 and found it worked. Good enough for me. As far as I know there have been no studies published on other probiotic brands. I wish there were and the reason why is because there is probably no money to fund those studies.

What does the vsl3 do for your pouch? Also, is there a transitional period after you begin taking it because the couple times I tried probiotics I quit after a couple of days due to increased activity.

Probiotics are putting good bacteria in our guts that might be missing naturally as our colon's have been removed. They are not medications but considered food. I don't use them when I am taking antibiotics and antibiotics kill bacteria that are making us ill and kill good and bad bacteria. I resume taking probiotics after taking antibiotics. The thought process is the j-pouch doesn't contain the good bacteria the our colons did. Some people with UC also take probiotics.

If you have no problems, specifically pouchitis, then maybe you don't need to take probiotics. Not everyone does.

Hi All, Well the insurance co. will not cover the VSL, so I guess I will get it from their website. I really want my daughter taking them. As a matter of fact, her surgeon says everyone should be on them. Thank You all for all the information and help I appreciate it. Cathy. All the Glory is Gods

Well - eating my words - I broke down and ordered a 3 pack of capsules. Just took my first dose, though I took only a half dose to gradually introduce the product to my system, after reading some other commentary on the product. I actually just added a new post to the forum seeking feedback on advice/experiences with the product. I'm very curious to see if this was worth all the $$$!! If so, it is well worth it for my health.

It's tricky to prove the value of a probiotic. The results are fuzzy, often something like "I didn't get sick." If you are prone to recurrent pouchitis, VSL might keep that at bay - it did so for me for a couple of years. I'm less certain of the value now that I have to be on antibiotics anyway, but I'd rather get recolonized (daily!) with a better mix of bacteria.

My insurance covers the VSL#3 DS (Double Strength) only. If you are able to take any VSL#3 product make sure you don't take at the same time as hot drinks/food or carbonated beverages and you keep it refrigerated. If you are taking antibiotics take it as far apart as possible. I wonder if you can get free samples from the VSL#3 manufacturer. I have no idea if it works but I figured it isn't doing me any harm.

Your right Dort the drs. office is re admitting the Rx because they didn't put ds, so fingers crossed. Cathy. All the Glory is Gods.