Prescription hassle

[Fox Mike]

My pulmonary specialist prescribed a new inhaler for my COPD. I called the pharmacy at Kirk Army Clinic to find out if they carried or could get it. They couldn't so I contacted WalMart and some other local pharmacies. They all could get it...$300.00 per month. I contacted ExpressScript and am now going to have it delivered to my door for $20.00, through TriCare, for a three month prescription. That figures to be an $840.00 difference. I sincerely feel sorry for all those that do not have the type of insurance I do. How are they going to afford to live at those prices? Are the drug companies making a killing or what?

 

[Jimbo357mag]

Yes it is a racket for the drug companies, pharmacies and anybody else that has there hand in the business. Anybody that pays for those 300 - 400 dollar a month prescriptions is foolish. Most of the time you can get a coupon online and get it for about $25.

I turn 65 this year and I am going to have to see which medicare supplement will cover the meds that both my wife and I take.

 

[Trucker]

Not to nit pick but your figures don't compute.

Also, is your $300 per month quote without insurance or with?

Also, don't misunderstand me please. I know for a fact that before the Government stuck it's nose into the RX Insurance business prescriptions could be had out of Canada for less than a MediCare RX subscriber can purchase them if one considers the co-pay and the MediCare RX premiums!! And the Canadian RX was the same exact Rx available down on Mainstreet USA! So how in the world could the same pill cost less after being shipped to Canada and back????

As far as making money goes I learned a little secret years ago .... everyone in this world makes way too much money EXECEPT ME and the guy bellyaching. Human nature!!

Do the Drug Companies make money? Gee, I hope so since they're the once developing all the amazing new meds. And that's a vey costly process due in part to Government regs! I have two daughters who are RN's ... another high dollar [compared to most of us] profession. But I wouldn't want a minimum wage flunky doing the RN's job!! And, just BTW and FYI .... the $10.00 asparin the hospital served you during your last visit is the same asparin you can buy at your local Drug Store for a couple bucks a dozen! Government regulations again!!

Now here's the bad news .... it won't be getting any better!!

 

[Fox Mike]

Not to nit pick but your figures don't compute.

Also, is your $300 per month quote without insurance or with?

Another EXPERT. Just curious...what part doesn't compute? I know what I said was FACT. The $300.00 was with insurance. I'll give you the pharmacies phone numbers and the name of the new prescription and you can call them if you feel I am making them up.

 

[coach]

I've dealt with express scripts before and if you don't opt out of home delivery only(or something like that) yearly, you may get stuck paying full price at local pharmacies.
My daughter was going through treatment for Lyme disease and express scripts picked up the tab after copay for some pretty hefty drug prices. One was $1,200 for a months supply.

 

[CGDustDevil]

My cardio guy wants me to use the same inhaler I think, and for the same reasons. (COPD) My insurance is pretty good, but they won't go for this one or my aciphex. I haven't found another source for the inhaler, but I was able to buy aciphex (generic) out of Canada with my prescription for virtually the same price as my co-pay was before insurance dropped Aciphex as a covered prescription.

You really have to look around!

And yes - The pharmaceutical industry is making a BUNCH of money thanks to both parties and their associated special interests. In addition, many doctors are nothing more than pill pushers anymore. They give you 3 minutes in the room after a 2 hour wait, and they come with their laptops open to the prescription page.

I turn down more prescriptions than most people take! (Which sometimes irritates my doctors!) But if the sawbones can give me a compelling reason why I need something, then I'll consider it. The inhaler for the COPD is one such med, but I told the Doctor that I just cannot afford it. I'll have to check out Express Meds I guess.

 

[Rook]

My wife gets one of her prescriptions from Canada for a fraction of the cost we can buy it here and that's without using insurance. The shame of it is the medication is made in the US and sold to Canada and then the Canadian pharmacy can sell it back to us cheaper than the drug company will sell it to US citizens and the US government is good with this. This country does not give a damn about it's citizens.

 

[Trucker]

Not to nit pick but your figures don't compute.

Also, is your $300 per month quote without insurance or with?

Another EXPERT. Just curious...what part doesn't compute? I know what I said was FACT. The $300.00 was with insurance. I'll give you the pharmacies phone numbers and the name of the new prescription and you can call them if you feel I am making them up.

First off, re the "EXPERT" part, I'm not and have never claimed to be or thought to be. If I offended you I sincerely apologize.

As far as your numbers not computing, you stated:

They all could get it...$300.00 per month. I contacted ExpressScript and am now going to have it delivered to my door for $20.00, through TriCare, for a three month prescription. That figures to be an $840.00difference.

........$300x3mo= $900.00
......$20 for 3 mo = $20.00
.. $900,00-$20.00= $880.00

 

[Colonialgirl]

Well, SO FAR, the VA has filled ANY and ALL of my prescriptions for $8.00/month supply, I can order on line and they'll mail it to me at home.
COPD-- Got a CPAP machine from the VA--- FREE, plus replacement masks, hoses and filters FREE
I take "Spiriva HandiHaler" (tiotropium bromide inhalation powder) once a day
as a back up, I also have:
"Proventil" (Albuterol Sulfate Inhalation Aerosol) as a back up or if needed for shortness of breath;
Again Both for $8.00, the last I refill only occasionally.
I take a couple of Blood pressure meds ( I have a very slow heart rate<bradicardia > --down to 46 BPM if I sit relaxed) so my BP tends to be high at the top and bottom and the meds control both ends. BUT again only $8.00/Month each.
The ONLY frustrating thing with the VA is that the billing from .GOV tends to be 3 or so months behind for my prescriptions and Dr Copays; just as I think I've gotten it all paid up, a NEW bill shows up for thre months ago. :shock: :shock: :roll: :roll: :roll: :x :x :x

 

[Fox Mike]

Not to nit pick but your figures don't compute.

Also, is your $300 per month quote without insurance or with?

Another EXPERT. Just curious...what part doesn't compute? I know what I said was FACT. The $300.00 was with insurance. I'll give you the pharmacies phone numbers and the name of the new prescription and you can call them if you feel I am making them up.

First off, re the "EXPERT" part, I'm not and have never claimed to be or thought to be. If I offended you I sincerely apologize.

As far as your numbers not computing, you stated:

They all could get it...$300.00 per month. I contacted ExpressScript and am now going to have it delivered to my door for $20.00, through TriCare, for a three month prescription. That figures to be an $840.00difference.

........$300x3mo= $900.00
......$20 for 3 mo = $20.00
.. $900,00-$20.00= $880.00

My sincerest apologies! I misinterpreted your remark. Had you said "Your math sucks!" I would have understood what you meant. Again, my apologies.

 

[powder smoke]

It is a racket for sure. When I first moved to Maine been 10 years plus now.
I got a new doc. his first question was what Meds. do I take. I told him Budweiser
he says your kidding I said no a few beers a day. Take Zero meds. By blood pressure
good my sugar is good I feel good with NO Meds. Linda takes enough for both of us tho. ps

 

[ronto]

Medicare Part D is just a transfer of money from taxpayers to Big Pharma. The drug companies have no incentive to lower costs. Whenever the Government gets involved in anything it soon turns to crap. Free market competition including other countries would lower drug costs for all.

 

[Trucker]

My sincerest apologies! I misinterpreted your remark. Had you said "Your math sucks!" I would have understood what you meant. Again, my apologies.

Es no importa! Think nothing about it. :D

 

[Colonialgirl]

Medicare Part D is just a transfer of money from taxpayers to Big Pharma. The drug companies have no incentive to lower costs. Whenever the Government gets involved in anything it soon turns to crap. Free market competition including other countries would lower drug costs for all.

The morons in Congress managed to stick a clause into the law (THANKS to PLENTY OF the green folding stuff from the lobbyists) that said the government couldn't negotiate lower drug prices for Medicare. I think was thanks to the party of FDR/LBJ and BJclinton)

 

[Bull Barrel]

What hasn't ben stated here is the $300 cost is NOT with insurance because WalMart doesn't accept Tri Care. (More gummint red tape expenses) My insurance won't pay the cost of Farxiga so I got a card from the maker and got the script free. Cash price $400. Also get Crestor for $3 with card fro the maker.

BTW, don't blame just the lobbyists, the politicians were for sale, too.

 

[Viking Queen]

I have a dog with an auto immune disease. She has taken an old drug, Doxycycline, for her whole life. It is the only drug that keeps her problem under control. It has been a "go to drug" for human and veterinary use for decades. For 10 years I paid $20 for 100 pills. About 3 years ago the price went up to $253 for 100 pills. It is a generic drug which the manufacturer hiked the price on just to make an outrageous amount of money.....no other reason. I now order it from Canada for $37 per 100.

The drug companies hike prices so insurance companies will pay them outrageous amounts of money for the drugs.....meanwhile those whose insurance won't pay for the drugs, or those of us with veterinary needs are in a very bad place paying for these medications. My Veterinarian has been very frustrated over this and similar instances with other medications he uses. Most people don't have health insurance for their pets or farm animals and many can't afford these costs for old time generic drugs.

Such an immoral way for drug companies to run a business. It is all about greed.

Disgusting

 

[speedsixman]

Rook,

"My wife gets one of her prescriptions from Canada for a fraction of the cost we can buy it here and that's without using insurance."

I was under the impression that there was some ban on getting meds from Canada ?

Can you share any info on this ?

Myron

 

[LDM]

All other Western countries have price controls on prescription meds. US is the only unregulated market so the drug companies do all their profiteering here. My fiancée's insulin pens went from $138 to $437 in one year. Again, we are stuck supporting the rest of the world's welfare states.

 

[exavid]

The US has the most expensive federal approvals on new drugs. It takes around 2.6 BILLION dollars to get a new drug approved by the FDA. That's a 145% increase since 2003. Add to that the FDA doesn't approve drugs already approved by other nations. Many drugs are already on the market in Europe and could be had here cheaply except it will require FDA to go through the whole process again before they can be approved here.
Then there's Medicare. Everything that Medicare pays for costs many times more than similar things that are not on their list. Same problem as college tuitions. If the government will pay exorbitant prices for things, the suppliers will charge that much.
Medicine in this country is a fine example of central planning and government monopolies.

 

[CGDustDevil]

Rook,

"My wife gets one of her prescriptions from Canada for a fraction of the cost we can buy it here and that's without using insurance."

I was under the impression that there was some ban on getting meds from Canada ?

Can you share any info on this ?

Myron

Myron - Please Pardon my butting in:

We use Canadadrugs.com. As long as you have a bonafide prescription for whatever it is you need, then you should be able to buy it cheaper at one of the Canadian drug companies. I know of no bans on anything that Doctors here can prescribe. As I mentioned in my earlier post - My aciphex that I've used for years suddenly went off the covered list along with the generic! (The Generic is something like 900 bucks a month by itself!) I used to pay a 90 dollar co-pay for 90 pills... Now I buy them outright from Canada for $90 dollars for 100 pills with a prescription.

 

[speedsixman]

CGDustDevil,

I appreciate your response.
It just sticks in my head that there was an issue with getting meds from Canada. I'm not sure where that came from.

Myron

 

[LDM]

CGDustDevil,

I appreciate your response.
It just sticks in my head that there was an issue with getting meds from Canada. I'm not sure where that came from.

Myron

I think you need a scrip written by a Canadian doctor. There used to be bus excursions from Detroit to Windsor where seniors would be taken to a Canadian pharmacy where a doctor would rewrite their US scrip so they could get it filled there. Drug companies put pressure on Congress to get customs to start siezing this "contraband" in the interests of "public safety" as they claimed there was no way of determining the meds true origin.

More proof we have the best government money can buy.

 

[speedsixman]

LDM,

"I think you need a scrip written by a Canadian doctor."

That could be the case, but Rook's profile shows Georgia as his location, so I wonder how they handle that. Maybe he will jump back in here to explain.

Myron

 

[Trucker]

I think you need a scrip written by a Canadian doctor..

Dunno about now but when I was getting my meds from Canada all I had to do was fax them a prescription written my my family doctor right here in good ole U.S.A.

 

[Rook]

We send in my wife's doctors prescription from here in GA for her meds. The only trouble I've heard of is the USPS confiscating pain medication and stuff like diazepam. We don't order any pain medications etc. so we've never had any problems.

 

[speedsixman]

Rook,

Thanks for the reply !

I take it you mail the scrips ?
And paying out of pocket instead of using health insurance ?

Myron

 

[Rook]

Rook,

Thanks for the reply !

I take it you mail the scrips ?
And paying out of pocket instead of using health insurance ?

Myron

Yep and no insurance. Through my wife's insurance her medication was $377.00 for a 3 month's supply of Crestor. By buying it from Canada without using insurance she gets a 3 month's supply for $46.00.
Any country that will allow this to happen to it's citizens will do anything to them. These drugs are made here and they sell them so cheap to the Canadian's that they are still able to make money selling them back to us for a fraction of what they sell them for here in the country where they're made.

 

[Bull Barrel]

Go to Crestor's website and print out the discount card. YOUR cost is $3 for a thirty day suply.
I used to get it for $18 until the $3 card was introduced.

The reason meds are expensive is due to the cost of regulation and lawsuits, not to mention politicians seling their scruples to the drug companies.

And remember, WE elected them.

 

[CGDustDevil]

CGDustDevil,

I appreciate your response.
It just sticks in my head that there was an issue with getting meds from Canada. I'm not sure where that came from.

Myron

I think you need a scrip written by a Canadian doctor. There used to be bus excursions from Detroit to Windsor where seniors would be taken to a Canadian pharmacy where a doctor would rewrite their US scrip so they could get it filled there. Drug companies put pressure on Congress to get customs to start siezing this "contraband" in the interests of "public safety" as they claimed there was no way of determining the meds true origin.

More proof we have the best government money can buy.

Canada Drugs takes my American prescription without a problem. I believe the 'hitch' has to do with insurance across the Canadian border. But if you have a bona fide prescription from a doctor and you're paying for the medication yourself, you can most certainly buy from Canada. (Or Mexico for that matter) I've been doing it for years.

ETA- You may even find that buying a generic out-of-pocket from Canada could be cheaper than your insurance co-pay! My Aciphex is exactly the same buying in Canada as the co-pay was under insurance: $90 USD for 3 months.

So when the insurance company said 'tough cookies' to my prescription, it was easy to just buy it myself with my prescription.. No financial impact whatsoever.

 

[speedsixman]

This is good stuff to know.

Myron