[KittyLady]

Went to the pharmacy today to pick up my meds which normally run 18.55, and at the register it rings up double the price! I said WTH?!?!?!? The pharmacy tech said the insurance discount since January 1st isn't giving as much of a discount anymore.

I said, Is this that Obamacare carp?!? And she said, well, yes. I started crying right at the register and I mean almost balling my eyes out. DH had to calm me down. You know when you budget so much for meds each month, and well, now that's out the window.

We're really scared about the rest of my meds not to mention his meds which were 30.00 a month, what are they going to be now? Seizure meds aren't cheap. Im sitting here trying to figure out which meds I can live without.

Do I need baclofen, yes, ok how about the clonazepam, yes, ok the tizanadeen, probably not I can scratch that one without the dh knowing I can scratch the vitamin D, but the rx meds are the ones killing us. URGH!!!! Can't afford to be sick, can't afford to die, this disease is incurable, Im about to go insane here.

Its times like this, I wish those stupid calgon commercials were real and one good calgon bath could take me away to some wonderful exotic island that's problem and MS free, AWWWW, now that I'd take!!

[NurseNancy]

dear kl,
gosh i'm sorry. try calling around to see if other pharmacies might be cheaper; like walmart.

you might even try the drug comp's.
maybe your dr can help you out. can any of the meds be changed?
switch to a generic?

[SallyC]

That stinks KL. Sometimes it isn't the Insurance but it's the Pharmacy..
I know when I was forced to change Pharmacies, my scripts doubled in
price. I was just as mad as you are and it had nothing to do with Obama
care, except some Pharmacies are fighting it.. I called up my old Pharma
and their cost is still lower, so next renewal, I can go back to them.

Check it out!!

[Debbie D]

my DH retired last month, and we have to buy into the company's insurance and pay the total premiums, which are staggering (helped me understand why companies are dropping health insurance as a benefit).

We shopped around, and were astounded at how much some of my prescriptions would cost-in the hundreds of $$ for a 3 month supply For just one med from other insurance companies.

So we are coughing up the money and staying with the company's…the drugs are much cheaper, even though our deductible is still high.

I'm not saying some of the increases aren't due to the ACA, but we seem to be shelling out an awful lot of hard-earned dollars for drugs that are necessary for a decent quality of life, drugs that, due to the fact that they are placed in a higher tier due to the fact that not many people use them, costs the patient a load of money...

[Jomar]

There was a story on our news about rx price shopping, be sure to price shop for your Rx's at many pharmacies. costs can vary a lot!

There are also discount RX cards you can download & print off websites , might help a bit..
discount rx card info sites -
https://www.google.com/search?q=disc...-a&channel=rcs

[Mariel]

Dark days!
My synthroid doubled in price about 6 months ago. It is the one "brand name" I take, which is recommended that I do by all doctors who have discussed thyroid meds with me.
We have only one pharmacy in town--two locations but one pharmacy, Smith's Food and Drug. There is a pharmacy at the hospital but they are usually more expensive.
Sorry, KittyLady!

[Hopeless]

Dear KittyLady,

I know exactly what you are going through. It is happening to MANY, MANY people. Many drugs have been removed from formulary. Co-pays have increased. Prescription coverage has changed drastically effective January 1st in almost ALL health plans, including Medicare. Most of us are getting "sticker" shock when we fill our scripts this month.

The cost of medications can be astronomical for certain types of drugs. Out of the 14 pills I take daily, 2 of them are "cheap". Most of them are well over $100, and higher, even generics.

If your coverage has a dollar co-pay based on tier level, the place or pharmacy has no effect on your cost if in-network. If your drug coverage is based on a percentage, it may help to "shop" price by pharmacy.

There are some assistance programs that may be of help. They are offered through various sources, pharmaceutical companies, state programs, and other venues. Not everyone will qualify for assistance but it may be worth looking into by everyone that is facing these new costs.

[doydie]

A lot of my medicines would be higher but Sams/Walmart have them on their $4 list. On one drug, the co-pay has moved to $45 but Sams has it at $4. Check around at different pharmacies or even mail order. Usually insurance companies offer a nice dicount if you order 3 months at a time instead of 1. Several years ago, if a drug were $10/month, it wold be $20/3 months. One month free.

[marion06095]

Does your state provide any assistance in that regard? I know Connecticut really helps out if you have a low income.

[kicker]

Drugs

Despite the name, drugstores might not be the best place to buy certain drugs, according to a study released in 2013 by Consumer Reports. The company sent secret shoppers out to 200 pharmacies throughout the country and asked them to find out prices for a month’s supply of five blockbuster drugs that recently became available as generic: Actos (pioglitazone), for diabetes; Lexapro (escitalopram), an antidepressant; Lipitor (atorvastatin), for high cholesterol; Plavix (clopidogrel), a blood thinner; and Singulair (montelukast), for asthma. Costco, the study found, is the cheapest place to buy drugs, while CVS has the highest prices and Rite Aid has the second highest. Walgreens was also more expensive than Costco, Wal-Mart and Kmart. A CVS spokesperson told Consumer Reports that its retail drug prices reflect other services offered by the chain, like drive-through windows and 24-hour pharmacies.


cut and pasted by kicker