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Post by superioragates on May 5, 2012 8:52:35 GMT -5
Yesterday, I went to the drug store to get my prescription refilled. Now until recently I was on the state insurance program, which helped a lot in paying for my prescriptions....a lot......I only go to the doctor like once a year for the annual physical thing, but due to surgeries, these meds will be something I take for the rest of my life......for some unknown reason , still waiting on a call from the ins. program, I dont have the insurance coverage to help pay for them.....so I figured, ok...guess I have to just pay for them this month, while I wait on a call back. I get up to the counter, and it's 85.00....for 30 days. now this may not seem like much in comparison to what a lot of people pay, but for me, 85.00 is very hard to come up with, and pay out each month, that's just 1 of the meds.....didnt even get the other one. There was an older woman in front of me who paid out 225.00.....are you freaking kidding me?! We are talking about a woman at least 70 years old, someone that age should not even be paying for meds at all......on a fixed income I am sure....this whole thing just irritates me....I dont mind necessarily paying for my own, but, I AM sick of drug companies, and doctors ripping us off in this country. This has gotten so far out of hand....I cannot imagine how people on fixed incomes even survive with costs like that.....good grief! I do however believe in the pay it forward thing...So, after complaining loudly on FB, someone posted the name of a place a person can get cheaper meds. I have not yet ordered, but probably will, as what costs me 85.00 for 1 month here, will cost me 35.00 for 3 full months there. I am not affiliated with them in any way, so it would be up to the individual to make their own decisions, but, if you dont have insurance coverage, like me, then it might be worth looking in to for you.... www.northwestpharmacy.com/Default.aspxthanks for reading my rant Marie
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Post by manofglass on May 5, 2012 9:17:27 GMT -5
check in to AARP we have them and Meijer has some drugs free walt
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Member since January 1970
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on May 5, 2012 10:11:42 GMT -5
You can buy the exact same meds in just about any other country in the world for much less than we pay here. I read somewhere that we are pretty much subsidizing the meds in other countries because those people can not pay as much as we do. When I was in China a friend carried meds to me from Canada that I could not get in China and my cost was 1/10 of what I would pay here in the US. And he made money on the deal!!!! I read a story a couple of weeks ago about one hospital in California charging $20,000 for the exact same procedure that another hospital charged $180,000 for. How can that happen? ? Our health care is a lot better than it is in most countries but it is still broken and needs some fixing. Jim
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Post by FrogAndBearCreations on May 5, 2012 10:25:19 GMT -5
Walmart generic drug program provides $4.00 30 day prescriptions, I take metformin and lisinopril and get three months of both for about 24 bucks Insulin is another story as I have to pay $128.00 a month for my novolog and $50.00 for my humulin N
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Post by Hard Rock Cafe on May 5, 2012 10:36:42 GMT -5
Make sure that the drugs you think you're getting are the ones you are actually getting. There are unscrupulous mail order companies that ship bogus drugs. Compare the ones you receive with images of the prescribed drugs on the web. I'm not saying anything about the company you linked, because I have no information one way or the other. I'm just saying to be careful.
Talk to your doctor about cheaper alternatives. There are usually several drugs that can be used to treat the same problem. Generics are the way to go, especially if you can get one of the cheap generics from WalMart or Target.
Chuck
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Post by superioragates on May 5, 2012 10:53:20 GMT -5
What I take is Hormones (Premarin)...of which there is NO alternative generic brand. tried the over the counter stuff, but, to have enough in my system to work I have to take twice to 3 times as much of that stuff, by the time I do that, I am paying just as much as I would for prescription stuff. I am just frustrated, not just because of my own situation, but because there are a LOT of older folks out there paying these rediculous prices, when they shouldnt have to....it's a sad thing to me to know that someone may have to make a choice between life saving drugs, or eating every month.....
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Post by Rockoonz on May 5, 2012 11:10:18 GMT -5
I googled your link and 2 of the top results were glowing reviews from free republic (very conservative) and the Ted Kennedy group (not so conservative) so I think it's safe to use them for your prescription needs. The thyroid supplement I use costs 10 bux for a 90 day supply, so far. In some ways standardizing health care costs makes sense, but it's also reasonable to find out if theres a good reason why one surgeon may charge a lot more than another. It's like the concrete slab I'm putting in for my saw shed, do I go to the day labor site and hire a mexican who assures me in his best spanglish that he knows concrete, or go with the more expensive guy my construction project manager recomends? The difference being, of course that someday I will probably sell the house.
Lee
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Post by catmandewe on May 5, 2012 12:48:27 GMT -5
I have one prescription that I take and if I buy it here locally the best price I can find is $380 per month and that is for the generic brand. I looked around online and bought the same thing from an online pharmacy company in Canada for $290 for a 6 month supply. I looked into why and found out that the US pharmacy companies by law cannot pass on R&D (research and development) costs to any international buyers, so the reason the costs are higher in the US is because we, the US consumers, are subsidizing the R&D costs for that drug.
On another note, while I was looking for the why I explained above I found out that government also has laws against cars that get exemplary fuel mileage, such as there are some models that are sold in Europe that get 80+ miles per gallon, that same car is illegal here in the US, you can buy the that car, but not with the same motor that you can buy in Europe which makes it an 80+mpg car. Why? It would reduce the amount of fuel we use which in turn reduce the fuel tax revenue that the government counts on.
We don't need waders here, we need scuba gear.
Tony
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rockit2u
off to a rocking start
Member since April 2012
Posts: 2
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Post by rockit2u on May 5, 2012 14:25:27 GMT -5
I bet every congressman and senator can get any and every med in existance for next to nothing with their health plan.
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Post by helens on May 5, 2012 15:36:59 GMT -5
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Post by FrogAndBearCreations on May 5, 2012 15:58:14 GMT -5
they wanted to put me on HRT after I had my plumbing modified, did it for about 8 months and hated what it did so ditched it and never looked back............that was over 30 years ago so you really don't need it if your near the age of change and its questionable need for younger women.
that stuff just messed me up
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Post by Rockoonz on May 5, 2012 16:48:42 GMT -5
It would be good to study hormone replacement before making a decision, but if you eat commercially grown meats you probably already consume enough estrogen. Elizabeth and I spent some time researching menopause beforehand and she didn't use any estrogen, but application of a topical progesterone cream and a vitamin and herbal approach caused her to have minimal issues through "the change".
Lee
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Post by superioragates on May 5, 2012 18:06:28 GMT -5
I realize that there are risks with taking the stuff....I had a hysterectomy in 2000, took them a couple years, then quit for 5 years. The 5 years I was off of them, I was miserable, and not with hot flashes, pain in my joints, tired all the time, couldn't seem to function. Visited a couple doctors trying to figure out what the deal was, saw a female doctor, she tells me that our bodies need these hormones to produce essential joint fluids, and to keep our vital organs funstioning like they should. In the long run, NOT taking tem produces more harmful effects,, like vital organs shutting down, for no apparent reason. After I started taking them again, my joints dont hurt near as bad, and I can function again. But it's not so much that...it's more about folks getting ripped off by drug companies in this country...again...it saddens me to know there are people out there, making a choice between life sving drugs.....or food in the cabinet.....It's just a sad sad thing...really
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Post by helens on May 5, 2012 18:51:33 GMT -5
That is sad, I'm sorry Marie. I am not going to debate politics here anymore, it's pointless. But here are a few things you may want to know for planning purposes. If ObamaCare is defeated in June by the Supreme Court, your Medicare 'donut hole' for perscription drugs comes right back in full. Obamacare phased that out for Seniors. Also, people like us, who are paying nearly $20,000 a year for health insurance, but are perfectly healthy will be able to drop our insurance completely. Which my family is already planning to do. We can't afford health insurance anymore. The few left paying the bill after the majority of the healthy middle class drops our policies are going to see some real hikes. This will be the impact, from JAMA (The Journal of the American Medical Association): newsatjama.jama.com/2012/04/27/jama-forum-mitt-romney-on-health-care-no-we-cant/If we get Romney, Medicare may lose most if not all perscription benefits, because it accounts for the majority of the Federal Deficits. Right now, Medicare recipients only pay 5% actual perscription costs. So without Obamacare, and with potential Republican reforms coming for Medicare, I don't know what Seniors are going to do or how they will pay for medicine. My mom's a Senior, so I'm very very concerned about it.
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Post by Rockoonz on May 6, 2012 10:23:17 GMT -5
That is sad, I'm sorry Marie. I am not going to debate politics here anymore, it's pointless. But here are a few things you may want to know for planning purposes. Debate is pointless unless everyone agrees with you? Also, people like us, who are paying nearly $20,000 a year for health insurance, but are perfectly healthy will be able to drop our insurance completely. Which my family is already planning to do. We can't afford health insurance anymore. The few left paying the bill after the majority of the healthy middle class drops our policies are going to see some real hikes. So it's all about you? This statement kind of props up my hypothesis on the malevolence of Obama's political philosophy. So without Obamacare, and with potential Republican reforms coming for Medicare, I don't know what Seniors are going to do or how they will pay for medicine. My mom's a Senior, so I'm very very concerned about it. Somehow I doubt you're all that concerned or you would help your mom like we do. Lee
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Member since January 1970
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Post by Deleted on May 6, 2012 10:56:00 GMT -5
Somehow I doubt you're all that concerned or you would help your mom like we do.
Lee[/quote]
What do you want Lee, a medal for taking care of your mom. That was a shitty thing to say accusing someone of not taking care of their mom. I have a hard time paying for my meds and if my mom was alive there would be little help that I could give her. Your mom is lucky that you can help her out because there are probably millions of moms out there that do not have someone that can help them. Jim
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Post by helens on May 6, 2012 14:29:34 GMT -5
Lee, I'm a bit stunned at your comments.
I think over the course of the last few months, we covered every aspect we could 'debate' about the political situation. Especially the medical. Most of you thought Obamacare, which benefitted Seniors the most, is a bad thing and needs to go. Well, the Supreme Court is going to decide that... it was never up to us. But bottom line was always that ObamaCare would cost everyone ELSE more so that Seniors could have better health care.
That's ME not caring by wanting to keep it, and being in the group who PAYS MORE so they can?
As for my mom, one reason I'm an artist and gave up my career, and my OWN retirement, was so I could be physically around to drive my mom to doctor appointments, take her to get her hair done, eat out, take her to the grocery store 3-4x a week, that takes up a good part of 3-4 DAYS a week. I somehow doubt many people would have sacrificed their own lives the way I have. I CHOSE to have less, so my mom's sunset years would be the best possible.
My current interest in politics has more to do with concern for what the Republicans are doing, and will do, to Seniors, and with my background, it's not hard to see it coming. If you read back through the 'debates', you would see that theme throughout my entire debate.
But there's nothing left to debate on the subject, it's all been said. Not being forced to pay $20,000 a year for insurance means that I can help my mom even more. You seem to think I'm happy that the Republicans are trying to take Obamacare away from Seniors, but that's exactly what I've been trying to tell you for months, to ridicule and scorn.
Not every Senior has kids who can take care of them, what will they do? Even the American Medical Association is now trying to warn people about their political choices, and Doctors RARELY get involved in Politics. I linked the article from the JAMA.
But like a Doctor can tell you to quit smoking, you can simply refuse to believe it will affect you until it does. It's not about me, my 'debates' here were an effort to help YOU guys, but you chose to look at it differently, and again, I said it all already so I'm done with the politics.
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Post by Rockoonz on May 6, 2012 19:12:44 GMT -5
Jin, you're right. Helen, I'm sorry, please forgive my crassness. Marie, I apologize to you for participating in the hijacking of your thread about a serious concern. Marie, if you have not done so please have your thyroid checked. The symptoms you mentioned are also typical for low thyrois levels. Also either way you should probably avoid all soy products.
Lee
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Fossilman
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2009
Posts: 20,711
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Post by Fossilman on May 6, 2012 19:15:03 GMT -5
My sister in law payes out over $700.00 for her meds in a months period! I get mine through the VA now,was paying a high price while living in ND..Seems Oregon takes better care of their Vets here than some states that havent the VA care or hospitals....... I use to get meds out of Canada too,the prices were so much lower than in the USA!!
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Post by Hard Rock Cafe on May 6, 2012 19:20:09 GMT -5
Tony: I'm not denying that there are corporate interests involved in keeping more fuel efficient cars out of the U.S. In fact, I'm certain there are.
Having said that, another reason some European cars are not available in the U.S. is because they won't pass our emissions standards. I think Europeans are by and large more "green" then Americans, so there may be something wrong with our emissions standards, too.
Chuck
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