Hands please, who has just Medicare, no supplement, or advantage, just stand alone Medicare???

[rog]

16. Well ... I guess I don't mind sharing this ...

... even though the question seems a bit on the confrontational side. I'd like to know why you're asking, if you don't mind. Does it matter why I'm taking this medication?

A lot of people are on long-term blood thinners. In my case, I had a period of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation, diagnosed by wearing a monitor for a solid month following a severe and scary episode. Eliquis was prescribed b/c of the substantial stroke risk due to afib ... Eliquis controls clotting, as you likely know. This diagnosis was in January of 2019. I have had *no* symptoms since the monitor period, my ECGs are always normal, a recent 2-week monitor did not report any afib episodes, and spot checks with a home device show no afib, however my electrophysiologist recommends ... and I agree ... that I stay on Eliquis, as long as I am tolerating it, and as long as I can afford it. My mom (who definitely had afib) had a *severe* stroke after her physician took her of her blood thinner. The stroke literally took out half of her brain. It took almost a year before she passed, and it was horrible. I am not interested in any of that. Currently I am 81 years old, and my cardiac condition is excellent.

Eliquis is prohibitively expensive and the generic apixaban is not available in the US until 2028. I've been receiving generic apixaban from a reputable Canadian pharmacy at a ridiculously reasonable price ($20/mo vs $600+/mo) for the last 2 years. The experience has been painless and seamless. I have not had to order during the recent tariffs, but my pharmacy is on top of it and has developed what appears to be an effective strategy.