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Sticker shock


Spryte
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I just picked up 3 of our family's 10 monthly Rxs.  Just 3 of them, the others aren't ready to be filled yet.

 

First time using our new insurance.

 

Holy cow!!!

 

Our new copay on those 3 meds was $484.37!!!!!  Yowsers.

 

I dread going back for the next 7 of the monthly meds.  Dread it.

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Oh my. That would floor me too! Call around to different pharmacies if you can. DH had a crazy expensive antibiotic once that was $150something at CVS and $40something at Costco. You don't have to be a member to use the Costco pharmacy. 

 

Also, check into whether your insurance does a mail-in pharmacy. It's sometimes much cheaper (my dad's is 3 mos for 1 mo's copay).

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We have prescriptions to fill for the kids allergies and asthma.  We're holding off because it would be over $600 to fill them...  We have a $250 prescription deductible, times 2 kids, plus the copays required after that.  Once we hit the deductible, it will be more like $100 a month in copays, which is better but still a lot!  We'll have to hold off for now!

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Sometimes at the beginning of the year it is higher because you haven't met the deductible yet. This happens with dh's insurance. Is that maybe the problem?

Maybe. It's a new policy. DH is out of the country, and as soon as he gets back he'll call the ins. broker. DH had to pick the plan for the company and we worked together looking at policies. This is not a cheap one, that's for sure! I don't recall the specifics about prescriptions, but this seems way out of line.

 

I feel sort of sick now. :(

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Ours is like that at the beginning of the year too, it's meeting the new deductible. I'm really not looking forward to it. (We will pay more than you when refill time hits and our pharmacist will have to call us up and get a verbal okay that we will pay it.)

 

Things that can save money: 

 

Ask your doctor if there is a generic version and if that would work for you. 

Ask for the medications to be bundled into larger amounts (3 months instead of 1 month). It still stinks the first time, but you pay less over time because most insurance companies meet a certain percentage, not a certain amount. 

Ask your pharmacist for ideas. Most pharmacists really want to help you figure it out and they may suggest other medications to discuss with your doctor or other ways of getting them. 

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Wow.  We wouldn't be able to afford that.  No way.

 

Did you double check with the pharmacy to make sure there wasn't a mistake?

 

I asked at the counter, and now am looking up our plan.  DH can help when he's back in town on Friday.  I texted him, but he really can't think about it till he's back state side.  

 

This plan was supposed to be comparable to our plan last year (which was cancelled), but that on that plan our Rx monthly total was $250 for the 10 meds.  This year, obviously, I don't know the total for the month but it will definitely be more than double based on the cost of these 3 alone.  Ouch.

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My husband's prescription is no longer on the preferred list so he was going to have to pay through the nose for it.  He found that another company's similar product remained on the list so he called his doctor to request this change to his prescription.

 

Have you considered whether there are similar drugs available that might be less expensive?

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Ours is like that at the beginning of the year too, it's meeting the new deductible. I'm really not looking forward to it. (We will pay more than you when refill time hits and our pharmacist will have to call us up and get a verbal okay that we will pay it.)

 

Things that can save money: 

 

Ask your doctor if there is a generic version and if that would work for you. 

Ask for the medications to be bundled into larger amounts (3 months instead of 1 month). It still stinks the first time, but you pay less over time because most insurance companies meet a certain percentage, not a certain amount. 

Ask your pharmacist for ideas. Most pharmacists really want to help you figure it out and they may suggest other medications to discuss with your doctor or other ways of getting them. 

 

Thanks for all the ideas!  If this is a deductible thing, I'll be okay with it - well, as okay as one can be, right?  Hoping that's it.  I dread going to pick up the rest of our meds this month... we have 7 more Rxs to go, and no idea what those copays will be ... so I can see how yours adds up, too.  One of our meds this time was only $20.  Maybe our others will be that low, too.  If they're all in the $200 or $300 range I will be beyond upset though.

 

Years ago, I was on an expensive med and the copay was $800 per month.  That was bad, but I expected it. 

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I also get hit with deductibles at the beginning of the year (just got a big one yesterday at the pharmacy).  But you also have to check - some will charge you crazy high if you buy the brand name and there is also a generic.  You have to get your doc to ok the generic version.  If you are on the policy, you should be able to call and ask. 

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I also get hit with deductibles at the beginning of the year (just got a big one yesterday at the pharmacy).  But you also have to check - some will charge you crazy high if you buy the brand name and there is also a generic.  You have to get your doc to ok the generic version.  If you are on the policy, you should be able to call and ask. 

 

I'm going to call tomorrow.  Looking online has my head spinning.  I think I found our plan, but some aspects seem different, so I'm going to have to wait and call.

 

Hopefully this is not going to be a monthly recurrence.

 

The ones I picked up today were mostly asthma meds, so they were necessary - but they were brand name.  I'll ask DS's allergist/asthma doc if there are alternatives.

 

Crazy!

 

And apparently I'm not alone.  One poor woman was sobbing - actually sobbing - on the phone with her insurance company, and another was off to the side calling hers to find out why her daughter was no longer covered.  I think there must be a lot of mix ups right now since it's the beginning of the year.  It'll all get sorted out.  

 

...going to break into the box of truffles I've been saving since the holidays!

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