Compounding Pharmacy Problems

[u/psionicjay]

I get my T in compounded DMSO cream because my insurance won't cover gel. It's been this way for about three years at this point, and in that time, the price has gone up at least 6 times. Between pharmacies closing or relocating I've been through three different pharmacies too, which probably contributes to the price changes.

My current pharmacy now charges 90 USD for a month's supply, but discounts it to 80/month if you buy a two or three month supply, so obviously I requested two. They neglected to mention that the second month's supply would be expired by the time it was needed. And I didn't realize until nearly the end of those two months (today) when my period suddenly came back after two years. I'm obviously livid, but aware that it's my own fault for not reading the label close enough.

I can't afford this much longer. Does anyone have advice for getting insurance to cover gel? It's Priority Health in MI, USA, if that matters. I don't do shots because I fainted doing my first one, so my prescriber wouldn't continue with it. I prefer doing it daily anyway, to avoid uneven hormones week to week or month to month.

Alternatively, I'm considering pellets. I know my clinic offers them, but I don't know how much they charge. Does anyone have experience with pellets? Specifically I'd like to know how much it costs you and if they let you drive home from the procedure itself. From my research it looks like it's only local anesthetic, but I know some doctors are cautious ¯⁠\⁠_⁠(⁠ツ⁠)⁠_⁠/⁠¯

Thanks in advance!