And yet, they don't volunteer that information. You have to ask about it. Why not just let them fill the prescription for the lowest possible price? That would be service.She said that they have all of the various discount drug companies and their pricing in their computer at a couple of keystrokes. That's service IMO.
This used to drive us crazy in our practice every January. All of a sudden, dozens of patients were calling to let us know their medicine was no longer covered. We had to switch drug A to drug B. And then a year later, it happened again and we had to switch drug B back to drug A.Every year Express Scripts tightens the screws. Either dropping coverage on some drugs
^^^^^^ this but you can refuse to pick up and transfer to another pharmacy.
This is why I like paper prescription.
Then I take it to various pharmacies to get an acceptable price if the first one is crazy expensive.
We use Aetna/Express Scripts, but not because we like them so much. As a retiree from Mega Corp, we get a great subsidy by staying with the companies plans. Aetna has been a real PIA to deal with and Express Scripts isn't any better.
Every year Express Scripts tightens the screws. Either dropping coverage on some drugs and/or "requiring" us to use generics, which I'm absolutely convinced don't work as well, "in many cases". Ordering drugs by mail order from Express Scripts has gone from "pretty good" ten years ago to terrible these days. Ten years ago delivery was made in one to two days. Now it's 10 to 14 days. OTOH, drug pricing/discounts/subsidies is still very good/exceptional, even for brand named stuff.
Yep, we’ve had that experience at CVS and Harris Teeter pharma. All you have to do is ask, and they’ll help you out. Harris Teeter pharma looked without asking on our last purchase. These are for profit businesses, I wouldn’t expect them to find better prices without even being asked. YMMYI use CVS (inside a Target retail store) for my pharmacy as it is a preferred pharmacy of my Part D plan. I recently had the need for a prescription. Before I went to pick it up, I checked online for both my plan's price and the GoodRX price. Not surprisingly the GoodRX was considerably lower than my plan's negotiated price. When I told the pharmacist that I wanted the GoodRx price and not to go thru my insurance, she voluntarily looked on her computer and found an even lower price for me. She said that they have all of the various discount drug companies and their pricing in their computer at a couple of keystrokes. That's service IMO.
The US doesn't have a health care system, it has a health care industry. Once you realize that, everything makes cents.
Just had weird one today. DW got a new script for a different dose of something she has been taking. The Dr's office sent the script to a CVS, which is what they had on record from her previous Part D supplier. CVS is NOT a preferred pharmacy for her current plan. I got on line to see how much more it was going to be. If it was a lot more we figured she could call and re-direct the script.
Lo and behold, CVS was almost half the price as the "Preferred" pharmacy. So I guess when they say "Preferred", they mean they prefer you pay a higher percent of the cost
What gets me is difference in price at the same pharmacy for the same drug time to time. I know the "donut hole" can be involved, but not EVERY time a different price (by a large amount.)
This is why I like paper prescription.
Then I take it to various pharmacies to get an acceptable price if the first one is crazy expensive.
Chlobetasol, an eczema cream, is $21.99 at Costco, $47.84 at the local grocery pharmacy, and $99.41 at CVS. CVS actually dropped their price $20 from what they used to charge. All of those places are within three miles of us.
CVS is always the most expensive by far. My Part D is $7 a month and uses CVS but at least I get my Tier 1 high BP pills for "free".
My wife pays $1,104 a month for Obamacare, an HMO with the Cleveland Clinic that is only valid where we live in Ohio (no PPO's in Ohio). It does not work at any other CCF locations in the country. No deductible but a 50% co-pay and an $8,000+ out-of-pocket maximum. (Going with a deductible plan did not provide any real change in the expected annual cost.)
When we snowbird in Florida for five months she has to get travel insurance for healthcare. Through Allianz, she had a $50,000 coverage limit, it's primary insurance, and covers pretty much anything medically necessary so no scheduled appointments. But Allianz even covers medically necessary dental and eye care, unlike Obamacare.
The Allianz travel policy cost her $750 this past winter. Not per month, for all 5 months.
And she even got to pay her $1,104 each month in addition just to continue the coverage when we got back.
THAT is the insanity of this so-called healthcare system/industry and it's not silliness by any means. $150/month for primary travel insurance versus $1,100 for the Unaffordable Care Act garbage.
That Allianz coverage is very minimal. One hospital stay would wipe that out. So you need to continue the ACA plan because if she got sick in Florida, she'd need to go home for treatment (assuming she was stable enough to travel).My wife pays $1,104 a month for Obamacare
When we snowbird in Florida for five months she has to get travel insurance for healthcare. Through Allianz, she had a $50,000 coverage limit
The Allianz travel policy cost her $750 this past winter.
And she even got to pay her $1,104 each month in addition just to continue the coverage when we got back.
Koolau said:Things should get better when you go on Medicare! Hang on.
disneysteve said:That Allianz coverage is very minimal. One hospital stay would wipe that out. So you need to continue the ACA plan because if she got sick in Florida, she'd need to go home for treatment (assuming she was stable enough to travel).
There seem to be just a few states that still offer PPO's anymore.It sucks that the home plan only works at home. That's a huge problem with our insurance system being state by state. If we had universal coverage like the rest of the world, that wouldn't be an issue. It's a disgrace that we still don't have that here.
That Allianz coverage is very minimal. One hospital stay would wipe that out. So you need to continue the ACA plan because if she got sick in Florida, she'd need to go home for treatment (assuming she was stable enough to travel).
It sucks that the home plan only works at home. That's a huge problem with our insurance system being state by state. If we had universal coverage like the rest of the world, that wouldn't be an issue. It's a disgrace that we still don't have that here.