How do you handle the cost of all your meds?
 

Hey All! Quick question. I am getting swamped by all of my medical bills.

My meds are expensive, and I am seeing "specialists" by the boatload - still - and am worried about the long term cost of health care - and it's pitiful coverage here in the US.

The meds I take are:
Prednisone - 3 X daily
Mestinon - 3-5 X daily
Imuran 3X daily
Xanax - when needed - I still have my bottle from Nov, so I should be OK
Nystatin 5-10 mls 3 X daily
Rhinocort aqua - 2 X daily
Iron pills 2 X daily
Fexofenadine 180 mg 1 daily
Protonix 1 daily
Prenatal vitamins 1 daily
Calcium with D 1800 mgs daily
Mestinon 180 mgs 1 daily
Paxil 20 mgs daily
Sulfameth/Trimethprim 800/160 tabs 1 every Monday, Wednesday, Friday
Singulair 10 mgs daily

I know we ALL have to take alot of meds, and was wondering how you ordered yours? I get mine through Walgreens, but am trying to figure out how to keep costs down. WAAAAAAAAAAY down.

How do you order yours?

Any help would be appreciated!

Erin:)

Ouch.

I handle mine by living in a country with socialized medical care. All procedures I've had so far are fully covered by medicare (thymectomy, plasmapheresis, radiation therapy). My meds are fully covered by my private health care and my long term disability payment is covered at 80% of my salary by the same.

Get yourself on one of those medicine bus trips to Canada :D

Brian.

My story sounds very similar to Brians.

Here in Australia, if you can't afford medical care, you go to a public hospital, at NO cost whatsoever.

Iam on a Disability Pension, not much, but hey it pays the rent and buys me food, so I don't complain, in fact I'm very appreciative of it.

Because I'm on a pension ALL my medication costs no more than $5.30, even the most expensive, which is cellcept(I think the normal cost of that is around$500??) but I do have to get this through my neuro, and have to visit him in Perth, a 2 1/2 hour drive away every 6months to be kept on the books, but Iam just glad I can get it, and get it cheaply. I also don't pay for my visits to my GP, and my neuro waives his fee, and just gets what the government pays him for seeing me!!

I buy my own calcium and other vitamins, and can't get them cheaply, but thats ok.

I consider myself extremely lucky living here in Australia, and have no complaints about how the medicines, hospital visits are run. Iam lucky and have never had to wait to see a specialist or a hospital bed.

I really feel for you Erin.

I feal for you
 

Hi Erin,

Sorry I can't offer any advise or help, just letting you know that I'm in the same kind of situation. I haven't been diagnosed with MG (they're looking into it), but the medication for my MS is expensive ($1,600-$2,000/month before insurance) and it's not the only one I'm on.

I also have several specialists. My husband has one full time job, one part time job, his own computer business, and gets paid a little bit per month and per call now for the fire department. We are struggling but we will make it.

Oh I guess I do have some advise, try going to the company that makes your medicines and see if you qualify for their discount program. Every company has to write off so much for taxes each year, so they have programs where people can get there medication for a discounted price or sometimes free.

I'm sure you would have to fill out paper work and they probably go by income but it's got to be worth looking into. The company that makes Rebif (my MS med) has me on a program so that after my insurance I only have to pay $50/month for it. My co-pay after insurance would be $389/month.

I can't think clearly right now so if this doesn't make sense sorry, just ask and I will try and talk to you about it later, when I can think.

Good luck with all the medical bills.

Kristie

Do you have the option of ordering via mail order and getting 3 months at a time, at a cheaper co-pay? That is what I do. It cuts the cost a wee bit and so for the meds that I take a lot of, that is what I do.
Get a 3month script if you can do this. I also try to get generics as much as I can. We spend easily a few thousand on co-pays a year as I take meds - almost like you. LOL.

Erin, sorry for beeing of no help on that subject.
My situation is about the same as Brennan's and Redtail': in France, all medical costs for myasthenia are 100 % covered by the State Social Security System without implication of my private medical insurance.
I pay for both (state + private insurance) around 6,250 US$ a year for myself and for my wife.
Maurice.

Hi Erin,
I'm afraid I'm no real help either, but I'll offer lots of sympathy. I remember when i watched Michael Moore's film Sicko and I realised I would never be able to live in the States. It made me sad to think there was this whole beautiful country I could never experience.

I was initially diagnosed in Canada and had excellent coverage because I was a student and my parents were both teachers (government employees). Now I'm living in Scotland and have a huge appreciation for the NHS. A lot of people slam the health service over here, but I think it's excellent! Granted some things are a bit funny - for example it is cheaper for them if I take 2 x 20mg of Omezapraole rather than 1 x 40 mg tablet of the same. I figure it's a small inconvience. I pay something like £55 a year and all my prescription meds are covered.

One thing you might try: I remember when i was first diagnosed I got a letter from the MGA and there was a discount coupon for Mestinon included. I thought it was REALLY funny at the time! Maybe they are still offering deals through the association? It would be worth a shot.

Take care of yourself! Money really is the bain of my existance.
~Kathy

Basically the way our health system is now..it's not going to get any better anytime soon : / My labs are killing me. Every couple months it's 375$ out of pocket. Insurance only covers a TINY portion of it...

Originally my Mestinon was costing me 60$ a month..with insurance. I called a few pharmacies and am getting it through Walgreens for 5$ a month.

The calling and getting 3 months at a time is a solid idea. You can get some meds VERY cheap that way.

That has to be extremely frustrating.......

If all else fails..drive to my area and head to mexico! Lol. Personally i wouldn't do it, but i know a lot of people that do..not for MG, but for other stuff.

Erin, first a question for you...........why are you taking the prednisone three times a day?? That is not a super wonderful way of doing it. Your body makes most of it's own cortisone early in the day. When you take pred thru the day it really messes up that cycle and will for sure shut your body down on its production and make it VERY VERY difficult to get off the stuff.
anyways back to the meds. 90% of yours can be changed to a generic that fits on one of the "lists" like the one walmart has for generic $4 month refills. Have your doc make those minor changes to what's on the list and you can do much for saving wise.
What specialists are you seeing and why?? Many times the docs get so compartmentalized. Sometimes we need to say hey, lets consolidate these services and have one person run the "show" If you see a specialist for something, many times your internist can do all the follow up and monitoring after initial time period.
Do you all have insurance??
Hugs
Deb

Hey Deb!
 

Where have you been? I've been trying to im you.......I just want to make sure you're OK.....Are you feeling better?

Now, as for the meds: I take 40 mgs of pred @ 7:30 and the other 20 @ 12:30 - that way I don't feel as "jittery" and am not as shaky - I shake like a leaf all day long or until I take a xanax and am really scared about becoming a "pill popper".........I will take my meds (the 60 mgs of pred) @ 7:30 and just deal with it, cuz' I do not want to become totally dependant of these goofy meds.......

I see my pulm cuz of the "nodules" on my lungs - just to make sure they have gone away or @ least haven't multiplied, my onc cuz' my blood work is still "wonky" - unspecified anemia, my neuro, my internist (for who knows what reason, though HE found the whooping cough......too many darn docs!:D

I do have insurance (thank God) but the cost of everything are just eating us up. Did you know it costs around $100,000 for one WEEK in the ICU? I didn't until I was there! Even @ 80/20, that is a huge pill to swallow....

It just doesn't seem right that the insurance companies (and docs) get rich, while everyone else suffers by default.........:(

Hugs!
Erin

Hey there GByrd!
 

I am seriously thinking about driving to Mexico! Mike and I are talking about moving out of the country........meds and labs are just too high!

I just got a bill from lab corp for $1000 for a single draw - a single draw.......that can't be right!

We just cannot leave right now. My hubby's on is only 16 and we can't be away from him.......but I really don't know what we'll do if these costs continue to rise.......truly.......

Erin

Hey Brian!
 

Well Mike and I HAVE been talking about moving out of the States......it costs too much to be sick here.......I wonder if this is what the founding fathers were fighting for? What a joke!

I've got to find a way to get through this......maybe sell the house or something.....anything to get out from underneath these bills.......

Erin

Hey Rumpled!
 

Ouch! Too many meds! Hate them, yet they keep us alive!!!!!

I'm gonna ask about the 3 month scrip tomorrow!!!!

THanks!
Erin

Can't even watch Sicko yet
 

It was funny you mentioned that, b/c my BIL and I were talking about it TODAY......still cannot watch it......too hard......

Hate the ins companies.......they will take our $$$$, but don't want to pay for anything!!!!!


Erin

Erin...

What kind of actual cost does that run? Prednisone is really cheap, and iron pills off the shelf are like five bucks a bottle. I'm not familiar with the non-mg meds that you take.

Lydia

Hey there littlekitten......
 

I don't have my receipt in front of me, but 5 meds cost me over 200 the other day.......where on earth do you get your iron pills? Mine are like 20 a bottle...........seriously.......

Erin

how are you feeling?:d

Hi everyone...

Something I've learned in the past is that 'prescriptions' are always more expensive...but if you have a health plan which covers it, are the way to go. Most plans won't cover stuff that can be bought off the shelf. But supplements like iron pills, calcium, etc...they are more economical to buy off the shelf.

I buy them from a health food store. Costco carries quite a selection, and they are more economical thru them. But make sure you CHECK THE LABEL. Not all vitamins are created equal. Usually those from the grocer with the 'store' label aren't usually as good. Yes, they have the same ingredients in them, but they don't cut it because the body doesn't absorb them as well.

I know people will start saying something about this comment, but a family member is very involved in the supplement/health field...so it's information I learned from his 20 plus years of experience. Certainly won't hurt to mention the fact his former significant other had over 30 years experience and works at an organic health food store. So my source of information comes from a solid position.

And yes, even people in the industry trying to sell their products to a retailer will claim that 'their' product is better than the competitor...I've been at a business brunch when that happened.

Lydia