Leaving Kaiser - Mail Order Pharmacy Options?

[mountainsoft]

After 35+ years with Kaiser through my wife's employer, we are now on an ACA health plan (Regence Legacy Cascade Silver). I feel a little lost now having to find a new doctor, pharmacy, etc. I realize how ignorant I am of the healthcare system outside of Kaiser.

Question 1: Can I fill a medication prescribed by a Kaiser doctor from any pharmacy (until the prescription date runs out), or will I have to get a new prescription from a new doctor before I can refill my medications?

Question 2: We have always had our medications delivered to our home. We just logged into our Kaiser account, selected the medication, and placed the order. It showed up in our mail box a couple days later.

Are there similar mail order options for other insurance providers? I've seen Amazon and Cost Plus seem to offer mail order, but don't know much about them.

I suppose I can get prescriptions in person at our local Safeway store if I have to. I wonder if they offer mail order delivery too? I couldn't find any mention of it on their web site.

 

[badatmath]

I think you'd have to ask your new insurer these questions as it will vary. Did they send you an Rx drug card yet?

 

[RetiredAndLovingIt]

Unsure about Q1, read your plan docs or call their customer service department.

Q2. You will need to get your prescriptions from an in network pharmacy in your new plan I believe most insurance plans offer a mail order option but you will have to look at your plan information.

 

[PaunchyPirate]

After 35+ years with Kaiser through my wife's employer, we are now on an ACA health plan (Regence Legacy Cascade Silver). I feel a little lost now having to find a new doctor, pharmacy, etc. I realize how ignorant I am of the healthcare system outside of Kaiser.

Question 1: Can I fill a medication prescribed by a Kaiser doctor from any pharmacy (until the prescription date runs out), or will I have to get a new prescription from a new doctor before I can refill my medications?

Question 2: We have always had our medications delivered to our home. We just logged into our Kaiser account, selected the medication, and placed the order. It showed up in our mail box a couple days later.

Are there similar mail order options for other insurance providers? I've seen Amazon and Cost Plus seem to offer mail order, but don't know much about them.

I suppose I can get prescriptions in person at our local Safeway store if I have to. I wonder if they offer mail order delivery too? I couldn't find any mention of it on their web site.

Your doctor’s prescription should still be valid. However, you will need to tell the pharmacy you take it to your new insurance’s prescription plan info. You will pay whatever your new plan mandates for that drug in its coverage.

Yes, I think most all insurance plans provide for optional mail order prescriptions. My last 2 ACA plans (from 2 different companies) both use ExpressScripts for mail orders. In fact, ExpressScripts entirely manages all prescription claims for the insurers - mail order or brick and mortar pharmacy stores.

Mail order fills are often less expensive than filling at a local store. But not always. You need to use your plan’s website to find the details.

 

[Gotadimple]

Customer Service at Regence is wonderful, the number is on the back of your member card. They have a reasonably good to excellent web site that will search for pharmacies near you, so you know where to take your prescription. Consider enrolling in their website.

Regence does have mail order and you can go that route if you choose. In Washington state there is a very broad pharmacy network (all the major chains plus smaller local pharmacies), just as there is for medical.

 

[ocean view]

I’m really surprised that a Kaiser plan was not an option through your ACA exchange. Kaiser has a decent presence in WA.

 

[OldShooter]

DW is using the Amazon mail order pharmacy and is very happy with it. Every month they ship her a roll of drug packets, each stamped with its date, AM and PM, and containing all her meds for that date/time. She just tears open the packet and puts its contents down the hatch. Never has to hassle with bottles and the refills from the docs are handled automatically too.

I think some of the other national pharmacies offer this packetizing option as well.

 

[mountainsoft]

I’m really surprised that a Kaiser plan was not an option through your ACA exchange. Kaiser has a decent presence in WA.

Kaiser is available on the ACA here, but it was more expensive than the Regence plan we chose. I was kind of surprised actually, Kaiser had always been one of the lower cost options, but there were quite a few plans available at a lower cost with better coverage.