Fuck insurance companies. Just FINALLY got the mail-order for one of my pills and the cost tripled.

[HopeHoops]

They insisted I go to mail order (wouldn't approve in-store anymore) for my prescriptions and the one I was about to run out of JUST showed up - I've got 2 pills left in the other bottle at this moment and tried to get it filled early enough at the pharmacy so I wouldn't run out. Someone just rang the bell and dropped it on the door step. They were gone by the time I got to the door. Fucking three times what I was paying at the pharmacy. The OTHER prescription wasn't even in the bag! No wonder it costs more if they're going to be shipping things and then splitting the orders - they were sent electronically from my GP's office in the same transmission. Just FUCK INSURANCE COMPANIES!

Oh, and it just started raining and the plastic heat-seal bag it shipped in was badly beaten up so water easily would have gotten in through the openings. THAT would have made for some nice mush in the pill bottles if I hadn't been here to bring it inside. FUCK INSURANCE COMPANIES!

Or should I tell you how I REALLY feel?

ON EDIT: On the same policy, I'm good for $250,000 in life insurance. If I don't get my fucking blood pressure medicine on time and I croak, CIGNA GETS TO PAY the $250K!!!! I can't say I'll be cheering because I'd be dead, but hey, it is at least ironic.

[Pharaoh]

1. Those morons that say

they don't want government involved with their healthcare are friggin idiots!

[HopeHoops]

5. No shit. I've got a pharmacy within WALKING DISTANCE. Same insurance company, 3 times the cost now

And I've got to wait in the void until they randomly decide to drop and run now. EVERY damn time something changes in the insurance plan, we get fucked in the ass.

Insurance SHOULD NOT BE A FOR-PROFIT BUSINESS. Hospitals SHOULD NOT BE A FOR-PROFIT BUSINESS. I don't have a problem with doctors in private practices and small collectives, but WalMart-style healthcare centers are almost as bad as hospitals. When they're setting quotas for tests so the board will be pleased with the payoff on the equipment, something is very, very, very fucked up. Tests should be done when they are needed - end of story.

[Horse with no Name]

11. Yet...they won't ALLOW us to get our drugs from Canada

Wonder why that is.....

[HopeHoops]

17. These shipped from Atlanta. My pharmacy is less than half a mile away and has the same drugs.

Yeah, THAT'S fucking efficient.

Frankly, while I understand your point and support that being available, Canada is far away from my pharmacy as well.

[Pharaoh]

34. I mail order drugs from canada

all I need to do is scan the script and my photo ID, email that scan to them, and they will mail my script to me. Shitloads cheaper!

[valerief]

18. But how will rich people get richer? That's, after all, the most important thing

in the world. Corners must be cut--hell, blocks must be razed--to ensure rich people get richer. That's all that matters.

Think about it. That's exactly how our world works. Making rich people richer. Nothing else matters.

[HopeHoops]

22. Oh, right - I forgot about that. Yeah, they need those yachts.

FUCK INSURANCE COMPANIES!

[HysteryDiagnosis]

2. Did you know that a book exists that offers a person hundreds if not thousands of

alternatives to traditional medical drugs?? Perhaps you could get by on a fraction of the cost that you are dealing with now?

[Riftaxe]

6. Oh really now? just to make sure it's not quackery

give me the substitute for insulin, and the data to back up your claims.

[HysteryDiagnosis]

8. You know I can't do that, however I can start a new thread and put up a list of things

that lower bg levels.

[HopeHoops]

28. Well as for blood pressure, I can say that 85% cocoa bars will lower it.

But if you're on insulin, I wouldn't recommend that option for blood pressure adjustment.

[emcguffie]

52. Unfortunately, that's not the case.

I'm very interested in alternative therapies. But it seems as if most of them, most herbal remedies or supplements or whatever, have gone for a price point of $30 per month. Way too expensive for me. Some things cost less, yes. But many of them cost a minimum of about $30 and up a month. So they actually cost more than precription drugs, because insurance doesn't chip in for them.

Of course, they're also trying to make them controlled by the FDA and require prescription, so that Big Pharma would provide them and get all the profit for them. At the same time, if they were controlled by the FDA, then I'm assuming health insurance would cover them. Even so, I would still opt for keeping supplements uncontrolled by the FDA.

There are some very valuable therapies, such as IV vitamin C, which they have tried to make illegal, or perhaps have. Link: http://www.anh-usa.org/action-alert-now-the-fda-is-going-after-vitamin-c/

I read about that earlier this year, and don't know the status of IV vitamin C today. Another potentially good therapy for cancer, by the way.

[sgsmith]

3. Could you have gotten a 90 day vs 30 supply

The mail order company I had filled maintenance medicines on 90 day cycles.

[barbtries]

7. i hope that's what it is.

we changed from aetna to bcBS and now i have to buy my BP meds every month. for some reason i cannot fathom it's almost twice as much if i buy a 90-day supply.
i hate insurance companies. health should not be for profit.

[gkhouston]

13. Typically, with a 90-day supply, you get 3 months for the price of 2.

Did they change the specific drug on you? Some generics are much more expensive than others.

[barbtries]

16. that's how it was with aetna.,

now i have a 4k deductible and have to pay every month what i used to pay for 3 - about $47 or so. i didn't know this earlier and paid $251 or $262 for 3 months worth. also i was offered a discount card from the pharmacy that would have brought the price to $165 or so, but the pharmacist said if i used it it would not count toward my deductible! i was so pissed. i have an HSA and my employer put in the firs 3k of the deductible, so i could afford it, but still, i was so pissed.

[barbtries]

50. same drug.

i don't think it's available as a generic yet. but i don't know.

[onehandle]

10. I was thinking the same thing. Our insurance now makes us get 90 days worth. nt

[HopeHoops]

19. It WAS a 90 day supply - that's all they allow.

[lynne]

44. So, the actual price didn't go up and your policy isn't paying less -

- the problem is that you're having to get 3 mos. at a time since its mail order so are now having to pay out a larger lump sum this time. Do I have that right?

Actually, I changed my insurance because I didn't want to do the mail order Rx's. I pay a little more in co-pay now but don't have to worry about the neighbor receiving my RX or someone taking it out of the mailbox or off the porch if I'm not home.

[HopeHoops]

45. No - the price tripled. I adjusted for the 3-month supply.

[lynne]

48. So, either your co-pay increased or the price of the drug increased -

- I'd be calling the insurance company for an explanation. If the price of the drug increased, maybe your doctor can prescribe another drug at a lesser cost.

[HopeHoops]

49. It's the generic - the co-pay increased. And there aren't a lot of alternatives without worse....

...side effects. It isn't that it is all that expensive - it is just the fact that they both forced me to go mail-order (eliminating the convenience of my local pharmacy) and tripled my cost. The doctor visit co-pay went up this year too - by 25%! Sure, it only went from $20 to $25 per visit, but that's STILL 25%. Out of pocket expenses went up by $1000. They just keep finding ways to bend everyone over.

As for calling the insurance company, they have an 800 number for "Customer Care". I tried three times to get through and after 45 minutes on hold each time listening to really nasty elevator music, I finally gave up. Good luck with that route. My wife's checking at work to see if there's a way to file a complaint through her company.

[dixiegrrrrl]

4. Which insurance company is it?

[HopeHoops]

20. Fucking CIGNA.

[dixiegrrrrl]

30. No way you can afford even generic out of pocket???

If I had to pay monthly insurance premiums for my generic meds, I could not afford the meds or the co-pay.

thankfully, I am not taking any seriously expensive meds.

[valerief]

21. They're all the same. They should all consolidate under the MakeRichPeopleRicher For-Profit Ins Co.

[Melinda]

9. Do you qualify for low cost assistance? Check out this link:

http://www.rxoutreach.org/

About the program:

Rx Outreach is a non-profit charitable organization.

Our mission is: To provide affordable medications for people in need.

At Rx Outreach, we envision a world where everyone has access to the medications they need.

Our focus is on supporting low-income individuals and families who cannot afford the medicine they need to sustain or improve their quality of life. We offer over 400 different medications through our mail-order pharmacy.

----------------------

My sister was paying (when she could afford it) $380.00 out of pocket for one 30 day supply of a prescription. She now pays $35.00 for a three month supply of the same meds at RX Outreach. HUGE difference!!

Maybe this can help you; if not, hopefully others peeples will read this and use the info. I do commiserate, and I am very sorry for all you're going through. :hug:

Best,

Melinda

[KittyWampus]

42. Thank you for posting that information Melinda. I hope DU'ers take note.

[Melinda]

53. You're very welcome Kitty...it's always a pleasure to share resource info on DU. eom.

:)

[TBF]

12. If Cigna would stop wasting the money they use sending me letters about mail order prescriptions

they could actually make more money. I can't stand the assholes and go to my local pharmacy more to spite them than anything else.

[MikeW]

14. odd

I dont know who you have but my INSCO does mailorder and I get my 3 month supplies FAR more cheaply than when I go to the pharm.

[Doremus]

15. Same damn thing with us.

The big irony is that the mail order company that's been foisted on us is located in .... wait for it .... Canada! The prices are two and three times what we could get them for at the local grocery store.

It's not enough we pay $1000/mo. for this wonderful insurance, now they are requiring us to pay 2-3x more for our scripts.


:banghead: :banghead: :banghead: :banghead:

[Shagbark Hickory]

23. Tell them you don't have a mailbox.

[HopeHoops]

25. It wasn't USPS. You can't legally put a delivery in a mailbox unless you're a USPS worker.

Whatever delivery service it was obviously knows that. Politicians don't seem to.

[Shagbark Hickory]

32. Tell them you don't have an address.

[HopeHoops]

36. Ooh, I LIKE that idea!

[Shagbark Hickory]

40. They might say to have them send it to a post office but thats when you can tell them you

don't have a post office or transportation to get to another town.

[HopeHoops]

43. I could tell them I live in the post office dumpster.

In this economy, that's believable.

[Shagbark Hickory]

47. No. Better to tell them there are no dumpsters in your town.

They could try to say to give them the address of the dumpster then.

[abelenkpe]

24. Hey same here

they won't approve prescriptions filled at the store anymore. How did I find this out? My four year old was prescribed antibiotics so directly after taking her to the doctor I stopped by the pharmacy as always to fill the prescription. She had a 102 degree temperature, but I was determined to get her prescription right away only to find out they wouldn't fill it unless I paid cash. How much? 80 dollars. Or I could pay the usual 4 dollars and order online.

What the heck?

And recently I got a referral to see an eye doctor to have my eyes examined. The doctor wanted me to pay up front claiming I didn't have a vision plan. (I do.) They just wanted me to pay cash and deal with insurance on my own. I left the office and skipped out on the exam.

We need to cut insurance out of health care altogether. We need single payer.

Anyway, hope you're feeling better soon and get your other prescription.


(edited to add: ours is cigna too. and yeah, I paid the 80 bucks :) )

[HopeHoops]

26. Thanks, but as for "feeling better", the drugs don't affect that much - but my blood pressure is up.

I'm boiling mad. :grr:

[tammywammy]

27. Strange. I do mail order

It's a three month refill for the cost of two months at retail. I know it's been this way for years. Cheaper to do mail order.

[HopeHoops]

29. I'm happy for you because of that. I'm getting fucked.

[tammywammy]

31. How is my deal fucking you?

I don't even have the same insurance, mine's through Aetna. :shrug:

[HopeHoops]

37. It's hard to read, but that's a period, not a comma. Read on...

Actual subject line: "I'm happy for you because of that (period)" (no comma) "I'm getting fucked (period)"

Now if you drop the first period and insert the comma, yeah, it sounds EXACTLY like it is your deal that's fucking me!!! :rofl:

There's a comma (not a period) after "read" in this post's subject line and it looks a lot like a period.

What I meant is that I'm glad you've got a deal that works out well for you and that unfortunately that is not the case for me - with more colorful language applied.

[TheKentuckian]

35. It depends on the plan. Sometimes there is no break and people are forced to come up with

three co-pays at once other times you get a month or maybe more of a discount.

It not only varies by carrier but plan as well but I've yet to see a plan that charges more for a 90 day shipment but it wouldn't be a surprise with all the games payers play.

The other factor is everyone is blessed enough to have co-pays for pharmacy. Lots and lots of plans have co-insurance and I see them as high as 50%. Also, remember that all drugs don't have generics and sometimes people have odd specific conditions that require a particular variant that isn't preferred by the carrier.

Lots of variables. Some folks have great coverage while other probably can't afford treatment. Check into patient assistance from the manufacturer. They want you on their stuff and will cut into the profits to get customer volume.

[mysuzuki2]

33. I'm lucky. I just got put on BP med - generic lisinopril - and

my co-pay was $0.68.

[WinkyDink]

38. It's a great country, innit?

[lynne]

39. Is the policy paying less or did the cost of the drug go up?

The policy should be paying more towards the meds when having them mailed to you, not less. Did you get more pills than you normally get when you refill at the pharmacy? Sometimes the mail-order RX's are for three months at a time.

They can't change your coverage in the middle of the term and they must notify you of changes. I wouldn't be so quick to write this off as an insurance company thing. I'd call to check quantity and if any change in cost from the pharmaceutical company. Normally the insurance pays a percentage and your co-pay would remain the same unless the price from the pharmaceutical company increased.

[zacherystaylor]

41. Patents cause price gouging

Part of the reason for this is the patent system which gives them monopolies. In many cases the government provides research money then they still give the corporations the right to hold patents; which is blatant corporate welfare in return for bribes often referred to as campaign contributions.

To end this we need a system of election reform that enables the public to control the election process.

[ProfessorGAC]

46. Another Story For You

I was buying my MS medicine through a major chain pharmacy for YEARS! Something like 15.

Well, the insurance company says i have to get it now by mail order through a specialty pharmacy.

So, i do it and the service is really good, so no real complaint. BUT, here's the kicker:

5 months after i switch to the mail order "specialty" pharmacy, the national chain company BUYS THE SPECIALTY COMPANY I'M NOW GETTING ME MEDS FROM!

So, i'm still buying the same drug from the same people. If that chain can charge x for the drug (big $) so the insurance will cover the 95%, they could do it at the store itself. Meaning the insurance company switched to save themselves NOTHING!
GAC

[emcguffie]

51. That does seem odd, like something's wrong.

My prescriptions cost one-third by mail order pharmacy as they did from the local pharmacy. I get three months' worth for the same price as I was paying for one month locally.

So maybe some kind of a mistake was made.

It actually has been easier for me to keep up with my prescriptions this way, filling them once every three months and paying one third the previous cost.

I hope there was some mistake and you get it straightened out.

An interesting side-effect of sorts; recently, the mail order pharmacy ran out of one of my high BP meds, and I had to fill it here. I paid only $5 for a one-month supply. I'm pretty sure I was paying more like $15 for it before. So they charged locally as if I'd filled it at the mail order pharmacy.

I think they are actually the same outfit, in his instance, CVS.