Crazy Prescription Prices!! - Its Insane...

General Discussion on any topic relating to CPAP and/or Sleep Apnea.
yaconsult
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Re: Crazy Prescription Prices!! - Its Insane...

Post by yaconsult » Thu Nov 26, 2015 11:40 am

metsfan302 wrote:But if I did not have insurance i would have to pay that
If you know the right discount codes, like the free GoodRX.com does, the best price in my area is Walmart at $317.63
http://www.goodrx.com/advair-hfa?drug-name=advair+hfa
Now, it's not exactly the same dosage and I don't know how inhaled medications work, but I"ll bet that there's a similar price available for what you need.

The whole point, just like with CPAP, is to be a smart shopper and buy in a way that gets you the best price. Once a medication has been out long enough for there to be generic versions available, the savings can be enormous.

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Last edited by yaconsult on Thu Nov 26, 2015 6:20 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Sonnyboy
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Re: Crazy Prescription Prices!! - Its Insane...

Post by Sonnyboy » Thu Nov 26, 2015 1:38 pm

Thank you Yaconsult,

Yes, prescription prices are insane and crazy, Medicare Part D more so in my opinion.
I have had SHIP/HICAP advisors who use Medicare Part D themselves and also doctors refer me to Canada online pharmacy's for medications they feel are essential and too expensive in the US. Recently one of my friends received the same advice from one of her UCSF doctors.

This is the time of year that I can change my Medicare Part D plan and I have been investigating whether to keep my plan or transfer to a new one.

I noticed GoodRx cards at my doctor's front desk just yesterday and picked one up.
I have to investigate the site some more, right now it looks like possibly a good tool if I ever land in the donut hole which I try very hard not to or maybe to keep me out of the donut hole if I am ordered a new expensive medication. Unfortunately some times the answer is to go without and that's crazy.

The more tools we have to search for lower prices the better.

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The Choker
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Re: Crazy Prescription Prices!! - Its Insane...

Post by The Choker » Thu Nov 26, 2015 2:51 pm

metsfan302 wrote:But if I did not have insurance i would have to pay that
Is there a pill or inhaler that will stop people from worrying about hypotheticals?
T.C.

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Re: Crazy Prescription Prices!! - Its Insane...

Post by andycole » Thu Nov 26, 2015 2:56 pm

just cost me $51 for my Pro-Air HFA. According to CVS, this is after my insurance. I need to call them tomorrow.

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Sonnyboy
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Re: Crazy Prescription Prices!! - Its Insane...

Post by Sonnyboy » Thu Nov 26, 2015 3:12 pm

andycole wrote:just cost me $51 for my Pro-Air HFA. According to CVS, this is after my insurance. I need to call them tomorrow.
You can use the GoodRx site to find the cash price at CVS in your area.
If you have Medicare, you can add in your specific plan and see if it makes a difference.

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Re: Crazy Prescription Prices!! - Its Insane...

Post by ClayL » Thu Nov 26, 2015 3:15 pm

I don't know if Advair is an example of this or not but there are some unscrupulous sh*t heads out there buying up orphan drugs that are only produced by one company and then raising the price by outrageous amounts.
My wife requires a drug for her auto immune liver disease and her copay went from $50 to $800 for a 3 month supply. There is no substitute for it. Her primary care doc said this was due to the drug being bought. He said there are Congressional hearings going on now but what they are doing is legal.
See http://healthfully.org/bpw/id19.html
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chunkyfrog
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Re: Crazy Prescription Prices!! - Its Insane...

Post by chunkyfrog » Thu Nov 26, 2015 4:00 pm

Not insane, but cold and calculating.
Legal does not equal right, decent, or moral.
Greedy, cruel, and sociopathic actions like these are destined to be punished;
if not within the law, then outside of it.
The means of their destruction are often created by their own hands.
Martin Shkreli better be watching his back.

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Re: Crazy Prescription Prices!! - Its Insane...

Post by yaconsult » Thu Nov 26, 2015 6:33 pm

andycole wrote:just cost me $51 for my Pro-Air HFA. According to CVS, this is after my insurance. I need to call them tomorrow.
Geez, goodrx.com says that walmart will sell it to you for $55.33 using their free discount coupon: http://www.goodrx.com/proair-hfa?drug-name=proair+hfa.

For CVS, they say that the cash price should be $64 and with their free coupon for CVS, $59.37. So with insurance, it should be a lot less than that!

Note that the prices they give are for a specific zip code so the prices you get could be different from the prices I get.

Some "benefit" from your insurance, huh? Inhaled medications seem to be much more expensive. I'm lucky in that my meds are all generic now and so available cheaply.

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Sonnyboy
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Re: Crazy Prescription Prices!! - Its Insane...

Post by Sonnyboy » Thu Nov 26, 2015 8:25 pm

yaconsult wrote:
andycole wrote:just cost me $51 for my Pro-Air HFA. According to CVS, this is after my insurance. I need to call them tomorrow.
Geez, goodrx.com says that walmart will sell it to you for $55.33 using their free discount coupon: http://www.goodrx.com/proair-hfa?drug-name=proair+hfa.

For CVS, they say that the cash price should be $64 and with their free coupon for CVS, $59.37. So with insurance, it should be a lot less than that!

Note that the prices they give are for a specific zip code so the prices you get could be different from the prices I get.

Some "benefit" from your insurance, huh? Inhaled medications seem to be much more expensive. I'm lucky in that my meds are all generic now and so available cheaply.
Using my zip code and Medicare Plan D plan the cost is $10.29.
If he has Medicare he needs to insert his information and check the price.
Either the pharmacy goofed up or he may want to consider changing plans if he is able.

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chunkyfrog
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Re: Crazy Prescription Prices!! - Its Insane...

Post by chunkyfrog » Thu Nov 26, 2015 8:36 pm

Only a few days left to change your Part D! Better hurry!

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metsfan302
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Re: Crazy Prescription Prices!! - Its Insane...

Post by metsfan302 » Thu Nov 26, 2015 10:57 pm

The Choker wrote:
metsfan302 wrote:But if I did not have insurance i would have to pay that
Is there a pill or inhaler that will stop people from worrying about hypotheticals?
Your cool, your comments to thread's have been very helpful.

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Re: Crazy Prescription Prices!! - Its Insane...

Post by SewTired » Fri Nov 27, 2015 4:45 pm

Sonnyboy wrote:
yaconsult wrote:
How does this work if you have Medicare Part D?
Can I use GoodRx for one or 2 medications and then my Medicare Part D plan for the rest?
The pharmacy can only use the coupon code if your prescription is NOT covered by Medicare Part D. If your coupon results in less cost TO YOU than the Medicare rate, you can ask if they can bypass the Medicare listing OR go to another pharmacy and don't give them your Medicare information. If you use the coupon, the cost you pay does not apply to your Medicare deductible.

Yes, you can pick and choose. My Mom uses her Medicare part D for 2 of her meds (at Walgreens) and the coupon for one (at CVS).

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