I've been using concerta for about 15 years. The authorized generic (currently made by Patriot) used to be classified as a tier 1 (generic) drug by my insurance company, which means I was paying roughly $10/month. In January of this year I went in to pickup my prescription and was shocked to find the cost was now >$80. I thought there must be some mistake! I called the insurance company and was told that this drug was now classified as a tier 3 drug and, as such, they only cover a percentage of the cost and I'm required to pay the rest! Has anyone else run into this? And/or does anyone know of a health insurance company that didn't change what tier the Patriot brand falls into?

One other thing I've been pondering... maybe someone can help me figure this out: I've been looking for ways to lower my out of pocket cost for this. And, I found a concerta savings program online. (There are several qualification requirements, but it's available on the Janssen website, if anyone wants to see if it will help them.) With this program, the prescription will cost only $4/month. BUT: only if your prescription specifically says CONCERTA and you insist on brand name, your out of pocket expense is <$150 and you need only 12 prescriptions per year. (So, won't apply if you need multiple different strength pills to get to your prescribed dosage.)
The thing is.... Patriot is a subsidiary of Janssen. And, as far as I was led to believe, Janssen no longer makes Concerta separately. I believe both the brand name & authorized generic pills say allza on them. Am I wrong? Has anyone seen a brand name CONCERTA pill recently? Does anyone out there actually buy the brand name over the authorized generic, anymore?

I would SO VERY MUCH love any constructive feedback! Thanks!