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Medicare "Donut Hole" Scam?
11/14/2023 | Tnoldman

Posted on 11/14/2023 1:34:59 PM PST by TNoldman

I am taking Prescribed Eliquis 5 mg Blood Thinner. With my UHC Advantage Plan I can get a 90 day supply(180 pills) for $95. The Drug cost is shown a $1780. My "Donut Hole" account is charged almost $1700. I can't believe UHC is paying Pfizer $1700. UHC must get a big discount??

After about $4800. in the "Donut Hole" account I must pay 25% of the full cost - about $450.

I am able to buy Eliquis(apixaban) via a Certified Canadian Pharmacy from India for $95. (120) pills. My Doctor has approved and they results are the same.

Medicare or Medicare participants are getting ripped!

Can anyone explain or suggest a solution.


TOPICS: Health/Medicine
KEYWORDS: donuthole; eliqus; medicare; prescription; vanity
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To: P-Marlowe

There isn’t a generic version of either xarelto or eliquis.


21 posted on 11/14/2023 2:42:45 PM PST by MomwithHope (Forever grateful to all our patriots, past, present and future.)
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To: P-Marlowe

i take eliquis b/o genetics. I don’t think eliquis is available yet for generics


22 posted on 11/14/2023 2:50:54 PM PST by Karoo
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To: P-Marlowe; RetiredTexasVet

The less-expensive version if this medicine is warfarin, which can more easily cause excessive bleeding than the newer meds.


23 posted on 11/14/2023 2:51:15 PM PST by Chicory
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To: MomwithHope

But there are generic equivalents. Blood thinners are blood thinners. Why do you need some $1500 a month drug that is basically aspirin with Prilosec?


24 posted on 11/14/2023 2:52:09 PM PST by P-Marlowe (Do the math. L+G+B+T+Q = 666)
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To: Gen.Blather

Why don’t the pharma companies just make more?


25 posted on 11/14/2023 2:52:44 PM PST by Chicory
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To: P-Marlowe

“”When I see an ad for a new drug, the required warnings of potential side effects (while they show people smiling) takes up at least half the commercial time.””

There is a crazy AIDS drug ad on the Freevee channel. We usually just mute the Freevee commercials, but this AIDS drug ad is so dangerous. It touts that the people with AIDS become ‘undetectable’ while taking the drug. Nowhere in the commercial does it claim you no longer have AIDS, just that today’s technology cannot detect it after taking the prescription. And what is worse, the other main point of the commercial is the ‘now I can start dating again!’ once I am undetectable.

Lovely, just lovely.


26 posted on 11/14/2023 2:54:29 PM PST by Ronaldus Magnus III (Do, or do not, there is no try)
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To: Chicory

Is that risk worth $1500 a month? And do you trust the manufacturer studies? Maybe it might prevent excessive bleeding, but destroy your kidneys or cause blindness. The risk of wafarin have been documented for 50 years. You don’t know what these new drugs will do.


27 posted on 11/14/2023 2:57:27 PM PST by P-Marlowe (Do the math. L+G+B+T+Q = 666)
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To: SMARTY

You can buy direct from India a lot cheaper and it’s the same meds and you don’t need a prescription. Canada you need one.


28 posted on 11/14/2023 3:03:12 PM PST by Captain Peter Blood
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To: P-Marlowe

There are few options if you need Eliquis. I know as I had to look into that for my wife.


29 posted on 11/14/2023 3:04:09 PM PST by Captain Peter Blood
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To: Gen.Blather

India ,manufactures a lot of drugs we use here, and they are dirt cheap there.


30 posted on 11/14/2023 3:05:48 PM PST by Captain Peter Blood
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To: Chicory

“Why don’t the pharma companies just make more?”

Do you mean so they can satisfy the demands of countries with a price cap? Because they supply those drugs at less than they cost. America is forcing drug companies to subsidize the socialized medicine of other countries. Why? Politics. Or do you mean why don’t they make more here and lower the price? Because why would they do that? There’s only so much demand and they get to charge whatever they want for some defined period. Thus, they can limit their costs to produce by keeping the quantity low. Companies don’t generally do things for the sake of being a good citizen. They optimize their income even at the expense of people’s lives.

I worked as an engineer for Honeywell. There was a simple change we could have made. changing the value of a few resistors, that would have saved the customer millions of dollars. The customer didn’t have the budget for what Honeywell would have charged, even though the actual cost to Honeywell was peanuts. I suggested we do it as patriotic taxpayers. They literally laughed at me.


31 posted on 11/14/2023 3:08:12 PM PST by Gen.Blather (Wait! I said that out loud? )
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To: TNoldman
I ran like a scalded dog from UHC because it was always linked with the Leftist AARP.

I went to a lifetime membership with AMAC (Association of Mature American Citizens) who partnered with Humana.

32 posted on 11/14/2023 3:08:57 PM PST by higgmeister (In the Shadow of The Big Chicken! )
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To: TNoldman

We found that Medicare Advantage had much better prescription coverage for certain prescriptions than regular Medicare.

Also, a FReepmail......


33 posted on 11/14/2023 3:21:43 PM PST by metmom (He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.)
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To: P-Marlowe

I have asked a few pharmacists over the years, they say there is no generic. I have a tendency to have dvts. And long term aspirin is not a good option. I have even seen a hematologist over this.


34 posted on 11/14/2023 3:34:53 PM PST by MomwithHope (Forever grateful to all our patriots, past, present and future.)
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To: TNoldman

Warfarin is cheaper and safer than Eliquis.


35 posted on 11/14/2023 3:36:36 PM PST by jimwatx
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To: joesbucks

The two Canadian Pharmacies we used that were reputable are NorthWest Pharmacy - https://www.northwestpharmacy.com/ and OnlinePharmaciesCanada.com .


36 posted on 11/14/2023 3:38:49 PM PST by metmom (He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.)
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To: AppyPappy

We had supplemental insurance as a retiree, but found out that if Medicare rejected the claim, they did too, and they did not provide drug coverage.

People need to be careful of supplemental insurance. We were spending more on premiums than we ever got back in a year from reimbursements or coverage.


37 posted on 11/14/2023 3:42:16 PM PST by metmom (He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.)
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To: TNoldman

I can’t figure out your question : but the emergence of arbitrage agents who “facilitate” medical care that the feds, your state, or your employer have ALREADY PAID FOR is a serious threat to bring about systemic collapse.


38 posted on 11/14/2023 3:43:46 PM PST by Jim Noble (The future belongs to those who show up)
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To: Captain Peter Blood
You can buy direct from India a lot cheaper and it’s the same meds and you don’t need a prescription. Canada you need one.

Where can one find a reputable pharmacy in India to deal with?

39 posted on 11/14/2023 3:46:31 PM PST by metmom (He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.)
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To: TNoldman
the entire medical industry is a scam....

they want you to be on multiple drugs...they do not really really want healthy people....too much money to be made....

my94 yro mil gets scans all the time for arthritis...why?...multiple prescriptions for arthritic meds....why?....

they just want money...

40 posted on 11/14/2023 3:48:17 PM PST by cherry
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