Went to the pharmacy a bit over a year ago for my first post health insurance medical bill.?ÿ
I had enrolled in Medicare and a Blue Cross supplemental, but I didn't sign up for prescription coverage since I couldn't pencil out the cost vs my prescriptions.?ÿ
Anyway, I get the the counter and get enrolled with my new cards.
The Pharmacist gives me a look and says; "You don't have prescription coverage."?ÿ
So he continues; "Lets do this."
He types and types into his computer and finally prints out the bill and gets me to put my card in.?ÿ
Now I've been paying about $20-30 a month with coverage and I know what the prescriptions cost without coverage.?ÿ
I didn't know what program he put me on that day, still haven't asked but when the screen came up it said $8.95.?ÿ
For both prescriptions total!!!!
I figured I've saved over $2000 by now not getting the prescription coverage.
?ÿ
I think he did you a special favor that you might not always get.
If you don't have drug insurance coverage and later want to add Medicare Part D, there is a lifetime penalty increase in cost, so you should check very carefully.?ÿ A minimal plan isn't outrageously high and could be valuable if later you are on some expensive drug.
@bill93?ÿ
I costed it out, the problem was the monthly payment which isn't huge but $40 per month more that the full drug price for my prescriptions. Each year I wait to add coverage adds up, but as long as it's so much less than I'm paying now it seems a bad investment. But I get your point.?ÿ
What I didn't know was that there are ways around it.?ÿ
Isn't it great to have a pharmacist who looks out for you?
I've been through similar circumstances.
I've known him for quite a while, hopefully someone will see this and look around for more options.?ÿ
I had been taking 1 particular cholesterol medication for several years prescribed by my doc. Last year he had sent me to the local hospital cardiac unit for a followup mri for the PE I had last March. Had been going about an hour away to get it done, but local hospital had just installed a newer machine, and it was same group as other hospital. Anyway, the doc there ?ÿdecided to change that prescription to something else, and insurance was covering it for about $15/ month. That prescription was for a year and was up a few days ago. Pharmacy said they faxed request For renewal to Hospital but hadNt heard back. I didnt have their contact info, so called my doc to see if he could renew it. Said he could, then got a text from pharmacy that it was ready, cost was $400. Called docs office, said it was for same thing. Called pharmacy and they said insurance had decided not to pay for it. But, they had a GoodR/X number on file for me and it would be $21. Still higher, but more manageable. Picked it up, opened the bottle and found it was a 90 day supply. So its actually cheaper than before.?ÿ
There are nine bottles lined up for me to dip into each day.?ÿ Seven in the morning and two or three in the evening.?ÿ Seven of those require a prescription.?ÿ Four of the seven combined cost be under $30 for a three-month supply.?ÿ Two are refilled monthly for a combined cost of about $10 per month?ÿ ?ÿA total of about $240 per year or $20 per month average.?ÿ The seventh one has been supplied to me by the manufacturer at no expense to me for about ten years.?ÿ When I last paid for them they were a bit over $300 per month.?ÿ Then my pharmacist provided me with the information to possibly get them for free.?ÿ Heaven only knows what the going rate is for them today.
I don't know your age or any other information, but I ran into this situation with my father.?ÿ He had Medicare but used the VA for his medical care and prescriptions.?ÿ This VA was his Medicare prescription plan so he did not have any issue with late enrollment.?ÿ So he had dementia and had to enter assisted living on the quick.?ÿ Facility will not dispense medications from a bottle only from blister packs, which the VA will not provide.?ÿ It took about 30 days to get him enrolled in a BC/BS prescription plan.?ÿ When they charge $12 for that daily baby aspirin it adds up fast.?ÿ Then add in all of the other medications the bill was about $1,800 for that month versus the Medicare prescription plan.?ÿ?ÿ?ÿ Fortunately, most of his prescriptions could be obtained in generic form.?ÿ Insurance is a crapshoot.
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I've got BC/BS. I was diagnosed with Non Hodgkin's Lymphoma. The Chemo drug was over $500,000. BC/BS paid every penny of it. I've went to the Pharmacist and tried to refill some of my prescriptions early. Without insurance over $600. With insurance it cost me $0. If you're old and don't have insurance, you're playing Russian Roulette.
