Posted on 02/23/2012 6:30:57 PM PST by Jet Jaguar
Active duty/Retiree Ping.
Dang...
I'm on a Medco plan, and nothing is as convenient as clicking a box on a website and taking the pills out of my mailbox a few days later. My Dr. sends the scrips via the internet to Medco, I approve the payment via their website, and they ship. That's for the chronic illness stuff I take every day. If I need a short termer, I can get it at WalMart or wherever.
But I guess government is just different ...
It's kind of like when Obama decides to spend money on unions and says he is "investing".
Funny, I just had a patient call today in regards to her Tri-Care dental benefits. I tried to explain to her they only cover 50%. She was not happy.
She called back, stating she spoke w/ them and they cover 100%. I took out her eob’s and told her exactly what was charged, told her they lied to her and they only cover 50% of her root canals.
Told her to look at her eob’s (which most people don’t understand, especially the elder ones). I gave her the breakdown of “patient pays”.
She said she couldn’t afford that and would have to make payments, which I said “of course, that’s not a problem”.
The MAJOR problem I face is that people, young and old think their medical/dental coverage covers 100%, which is bs.
Unless of course your on medicaid.....or decide not to pay for sh!t!
The government not raising prices - it is not the one producing the drugs - it is transferring some of the costs to the consumers, thereby saving money for the rest of the taxpayers. The real net savings to consumer and taxpayer will come when people decide they don't want to spend co-pays of $136 a year for a drug that costs the taxpayers another $700, and ask their doctors for a generic for which they'll pay $36 and the taxpayers another $164.
I wish I could get brand-name drugs for $136 a year - that's what I pay for one of my generics, and generics is all I can afford.
Ha ha ha of course not ... I crack myself up.
I will only posit for consideration that these benefits constitute part of the payment to those who volunteer to serve in uniform and who therefore risk their lives for those who don’t. It’s part of the price we pay not to have the draft.
Tricare by mail is OK for meds for on-going needs, but when you’re constantly changing meds it would be a burden on the elderly, and I don’t see how they could even do it with some pain killers that require the patient to sign for the prescription and sign again for the delivery. We’ll see how it goes. Shame it has come to this - shortchanging vets reflects poorly on the nation, but most here know that.
My Mom has Tricare for Life. Her copays jumped up by ten dollars a script a few months ago..November, IIRC..So, it’s going to jump more?
Set her up for mail order/express scripts. The new prices became effective in October 2011 with generics rising from $3 to $5, brands from $9 to $12, and non-formulary from 22 to 25 at retail outlets. If you use mail order,the generics are free until 2016 and the copays are lower on brand names. Per 90 days, for brand name formulary drugs is $9 by mail order versus $36 at the local pharmacy.
That is what my Mom's are, so I will have to check out the mail order express scripts over CVS.. Thanx for the info. With gas and groceries through the roof, I hated it when her co-pays jumped, too.
I wish the government would quit raising the cost of Medical benefits for Retirees.
I am sorry that your drugs are expensive, and you can only afford generics.
The government convinced men and women to go to war and put their lives in danger, to constantly move their families, etc, with the assurance of lifetime benefits after 20 years of Service.
Now they are changing the rules.
Servicemembers and Retirees are taxpayers, too. I laugh my butt off when I hear somebody say that as a “taxpayer” they think the Military should do this or that. Newsflash- we pay taxes too! Military pay is tax free for many Soldiers during deployment. But in real life, Servicemembers serve and pay taxes- and still get the shaft!
Co-pays for brand name drugs at mail order also would jump to $26 from $9, for a 90-day supply, and then climb slowly to $34 by October 2016.
I have absolutely no problem with higher co pays for Brand Name drugs if there is a generic that can treat the problem effectively.
I am a pharmacist and pay 86 dollars co pay for a 90 day fill of Dexilant which is dexlansoprolol. This irritates the hell out of me. I had failed therapy on other generics in this medicinal class.
As a pharmacist I always encourage people to take the generic equivalent or the generic in the same class. However, their are certain situations in which there is no alternative to the Brand Name drug.
Zero fee hikes for Obama's protected voting block:
Bend over and grab your ankles, Vets!
I’ve always gotten any meds we needed through the mail or at the MTF. I didn’t even realize there was an option of getting them at a civilian pharmacy.
For every illegal, for every lazy American, for every racial group with an ax to grind - the mantra is "giveitaway."
For Americans who fought, served, and bled for their country - the mantra is "soak them."
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