mrmpa (2,025 posts) Wed Oct 2, 2013, 04:09 PM
3. Let's talk about your prescriptions:
1. Are they all generic drugs?
2. If they are, then you shouldn't be using
your insurance to pay for them.
Example: From my experience with my 83 year old mother's prescriptions. All her drugs are generics.
Her insurance wanted a co-pay of $10 for a month's supply. I hooked her up with the Medicine shoppe, which offers her the generics for a 3 months supply for $10. One of these prescriptions is a cost of $20 for 3 months, but basically everything is $10 & she doesn't use the insurance, (in her case it is a State plan which is a cost of $30 per month, only if she uses it).
There are also prescription drug cards floating around, which at times gives you 75-80% off the cost of the drug.
Because you have insurance, doesn't mean you have to use it, or even have. You will have to do some research with the pharmacies near you, but start shopping around. Here in PA, the Medicine Shoppes & some grocery store pharmacies offer these 3 months for $10 drugs. Hell, the grocery store offers free antibiotics & used to offer free diabetes medications.
My Mom was of the opinion she had to use her drug coverage and she averaged a bit over $1200 per years, I have her down to about $400.
email me if you want some more info.
Mind you, the Part D Medicare was created to make Drug and Insurance companies more wealthy.
Very bad advice, as always from DUmmyland.
Not all generics are low cost. That $4 list at Wal Mart keeps getting shorter and shorter. What might work out for one DUmmie's mother is not a one size fits all solution.
In Nevada there are Medicare Advantage plans that include no cost prescription drug coverage. The
private sector is able to administer the Medicare plans at a lower cost then CMS so they throw in the Part D as a bonus. Office visits have a zero co-pay, under straight Medicare the patient pays 20%.
Most pharmacy chains are able to do a Medicare Part D plan review that will match up plans in your state with your current medication use. It's also encouraged to review your choices each year if your medication list changes.
If I was the DUmmie I would ask at my doctor's office what the most popular options are for Medicare in that area.
I would not share my medication list with a DUmmie in a PM!
