Hi Everyone.

Does anyone have a trick for reducing the amount of co-pays? This is what I currently pay.

Lidocaine patches - $40
Lyrica - $43.82
Norflex - $18

It's really expensive to pay this every month. I have a feeling that I pay alot less than some of you -

What kind of insurance do you have?? I have Blue Cross Blue Shield...

currently paying:
Lidocaine patches- $10
Amitriptyline, Neurontin, Celebrex, Methadone- $3 each
Baclofen- $10
Lyrica- $40

Is it that my meds are cheaper or my insurance is better? I know I have good insurance, but wasn't sure on this one.

I think I pay more for all the vitamins/ herbs and supplements than I do on meds!! Though just these meds get expensive enough for my parents~ with 11 children, me/ PDD NOS brother/ severely autistic brother and mom (with hypertension) all on meds...! (you can imagine!)


With medical bills there's a $450 out of pocket deductible, and then $15 co pays for PCP visits, and $25 co pays for specialists.

So, yesterday, with the nail surgery it was $150 (since we still had money left to pay on my deductible) and $25 for the visit.

I know I am blessed with this insurance... I can go to "better" doctors than I could with most insurances.


Interesting thread! I can't think of a trick other than taking as little meds as possible...

I don't know how your income is but what I found you can call the company that makes the product and if you can't afford it they will give it to you free every 6 months. All you have to do is fill out a half of a page and your Dr. fills out the other half and faxes it to them.

I called a company when I was fighting for some of my meds and even though I had insurance and the company wouldn't pay for it they offered to send it to me. Bill got several of his meds. free for years.

To get the tollfree nos. call your pharmacist and he will give you the number and then you just call them. The program is called the Indogent Care Program.

I hope this helps.

Ada

try Wal-Mart

I have Blue Cross BlueShield also but mine is medicare based, and i only pay 20$ a month for BCBS's coverage and they cover my meds also.. i only pay 5$ for gen's and $10-15$ for brand name. I just got my Prednisone for my hands and it was a total of 90 pills for the month and i had to only pay get this .56 cents!! I go to Eckerds (now RiteAid). and my nurontin is 10 and baclofen is 4.88 and my morphine is 3.88 for a month and my inhalers are 5$ my lidocaine patches i have only pay 7.76 when i need them.. i get the big pack also... ??

What do you have for insurance?? I would ck walmart or sams club or i have found that Walgreens is also cheaper then the normal ones.. i have to get a shot every month that is 700$ and i only have to pay 36$ and it would have been 84$ if i went to eckerds... soo... but you cant really pharmacy hop either soo...??


Amber

Well, I'm not sure if I should say this or not, but I work at BCBS.

So, you would think that the insurance would be better. I also have the best plan possible to buy... Obviously it's not as good.

Thanks Ada, off to Pfizer I go... If getting these for free has anything to do with my income, I'm in trouble.

Amber, no way would I get Medicare - I'm also not on SSI either and don't qualify in my state. I would need to be out of work for 1 year before I would even qualify...

So, in a way, they make more from me so that they can charge others less. I currently do go to Walgreens. So, I think this might be a losing battle. Any other ideas? Ada, I'll check out the program that your husband was on.

InHisHands,

I forgot to comment. My insurance, I pay about $120/mo for family coverage. No deductible, $100 hospital stay per day, $20 office visit - same for specialists...

So, my medical coverage for treatments and such is very good. I pay nothing. They must make up for it in prescriptions...

Thank you everyone for your comments.

When you get the application faxed to you or mailed to you or your Dr. ask your Drs. office to put a copy of it in their file and then when the 6 months is up all they have to do is sign it and send it back for the next 6 months supply. Some companies send it right to your home but Bill had his sent to our PCP's office and it would have his name on it and they would call him to pick it up.

Ada

There is a prescription card called Sun association. The website esunhealth.net. As far as I understand you can use it no matter the insurance you have and save money on prescriptions.

I have no insurance at all so pay full price for everything I need. It's what is keeping me from going on Lyrica. I can't afford it. I have it and save about $30 on my pain med a month. I go to Walmart for my baclofen and pay $8 a month. It's too bad they don't do what they do for pain meds and the like. It's all antibiotics, baclofen, and other non narcotic meds. I've got the list if anyone needs it.

Hugs,

Karen

Hi Karen,

Yes, I would like to have the list if you have it handy.

Thank you so much!