by Linda R.
Member since:
August 14, 2006

Prescription Drug Costs

October 25, 2006 11:40 AM EDT
views: 46 | comments: 27

The magic of modern medicine provides treatment options for a wide array of debilitating and life threatening diseases.  But many of these medications carry a price tag so high that they are out of reach for anyone without adequate insurance coverage.  Fortunately our insurance includes a wonderful mail order prescription program.

This week I reordered a 90 day supply of 13 prescriptions (3600 pills and capsules) to treat my husband's Parkinson's disease, heart disease, high cholesterol and high blood pressure.  The total price for the 5 generic drugs and 8 brand name prescriptions was $2573.90.  Of this amount we paid $330 and the insurance company paid $2243.90

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Comments: 27

Lisa W. Oct 25, 2006, 11:42am EDT
Generic is great. Glad you have good insurance!

For people without mail order programs, CVS offers $1 back on every two prescriptions when you use their card.
☃ Aunt Shanny Oct 25, 2006, 11:42am EDT
Must be nice. I have no health insurance, and can no longer take the medications that I once did.
Kathleen G. Oct 25, 2006, 11:43am EDT
That is so great! I'm so glad your husband is able to get what he needs. I wish everyone could..
Sue * Oct 25, 2006, 12:07pm EDT
You are so lucky to have the insurance. We have a good policy as well-I really feel for those who have to choose between food and medicine.
Lori (Dr Devience) Leidig Oct 25, 2006, 12:22pm EDT
The cost of medication in the US is ridiculous. Then when they found out folks were getting them cheaper elsewhere, Bush turned those people into criminals by making it illegal to buy outside the US. That had nothing to do with safety, and everything to do with the big bucks the drug companies lined his pockets with.

And don't even get me started on insurance companies....
Charles M. Oct 25, 2006, 12:28pm EDT
Coming from Canada, I am just shocked at how the healthcare system works over here. It is confusing and expensive.
Lori (Dr Devience) Leidig Oct 25, 2006, 12:30pm EDT
Yes it it Charles, and it is that way by design. It's sickening.
Lori C. Oct 25, 2006, 12:35pm EDT
I can't afford my meds right now. We are looking for an insurance company. My husband is self employed now. Since I have Lupus they want to charge us a fortune for insurance. Around $1000 a month.
Linda R. Oct 25, 2006, 1:00pm EDT
I agree with everyone who said that the cost of medicine is expensive, ridiculous, and confusing.

My husband is retired from federal civil service so our health insurance is automatically deducted from his retirement check. I shudder to think what would happen if we didn't have insurance.
barb w. Oct 25, 2006, 1:05pm EDT
Linda-I picked up a prescription for my mother two days ago and was startled to see the cost: 142.00 for SIX pills. And the diagnosis wasn't even correct. It sickened me that the cost of staying alive is so high for us and our parents.
Linda R. Oct 25, 2006, 1:12pm EDT
That's almost unreal Barbara.
Thanks for sharing that article Angela. I'm sure it will help families in that part of the country.
Charlene K. Oct 25, 2006, 1:46pm EDT
I agree with all of you. Prescription costs are out of control. While i was pregnant I needed to take a medication that was around $400 a month. I know this isn't nearly as bad as what a lot of people have to pay but as a person who'se never really had to take many medications this was a shock to me. Our insurance comapny paid for about half of it and luckily I didn't have to take it that long. We have a much better insurance provider now but I can olny imagine what others have to go through.
Val G. Oct 25, 2006, 3:40pm EDT
Wow! That's amazing. Sure gives a big appreciation for insurance companies, doesn't it !
☃ Aunt Shanny Oct 25, 2006, 4:52pm EDT
While free and low cost prescriptions are a great idea, what they fail to consider is that some of us without insurance are not going to our doctors to get any scrips filled. I have choices of how to spend the savings I have left, and doctor visits and drugs are last on that list.
Julie L. Oct 25, 2006, 5:02pm EDT
There is prescription help out there for those without insurance. If anyone needs help just send me a message and I can find you the help that you need. I was able to get a 100 dollar prescription free from the company because I didnt have insurance. I would be happy to help- others get the help they need.
V Renee Oct 25, 2006, 5:15pm EDT
Have you tried going to COSTCO? They are a membership store, but their pharmacy is open to the public. They have the lowest prices on prescription drugs!!!! If there is one near you, check it out (thered is 1 in Jax). They will give you your cost before filling any medicine if you ask. When you arrive, just tell the person at the door that you are there for the pharmacy. It is usually at the front of the store.
Linda Douglas Oct 25, 2006, 9:34pm EDT
I am just enrolling in my insurance program's mail order prescription drug benefit. By changing to an approved generic and going to mail order I am going from a $40.00 co pay a month to a $30 copay every three months. I am thrilled.
Linda R. Oct 25, 2006, 10:23pm EDT
I'm glad you were able to enroll in the mail order program Linda D. It's a big savings. On our plan we would pay 20 percent of prescription costs at a local pharmacy (about $515 for the 3 month supply). With the mail order program we pay $10.00 for each generic and $35.00 for each name brand medicine ($330 for the same 3 month supply)
judy l. Oct 26, 2006, 7:50pm EDT
The mail order is realy a life saver. Althought coming up with the two months payment at one time is hard sometimes
Diana M. Oct 26, 2006, 8:58pm EDT
The drug companies claim that the high costs are due to the costs of research and development of these new drugs. Why can't they all work together, instead of each company paying out millions of dollars to try to create the same drug that another company is working on? Maybe our government should pay for the R & D and then crug companies buy the formula from the government when it has been determined to do what it is supposed to do, and also found safe.
Kristina G. Oct 26, 2006, 9:12pm EDT
The drug companies claim that costs are due to the costs of research and development, however I would really like to know how that amount compares to the amount that they spend on advertising and political lobbying.
Diana M. Oct 27, 2006, 12:58am EDT
Kristina, you are soooooooooo right!!!!!!!!! Insurance companies and pharmaceutical companies are the biggest contributors to campaigns. That is the real reason drugs cost so much. Because our politicians won't vote to keep costs down because then they would lose their war chests.
Linda R. Oct 27, 2006, 10:05am EDT
I agree with you both Diana and Christina. There's gotta be a better way?
courtney m. Nov 6, 2006, 4:11pm EST
Diana - you are very wrong, while contributions to political campaigns are not always the best way to spend money, the cost to take a molecule to market is huge, for each drug that makes it to markert there are thousands that don't and all of those medications take time and money to trial, even if it is just on a molecular level. Therefore, if even one med makes it to market this has cost a lot. I wish that people would understand the way that pharmaceutials work before commenting on how bad they are. Most pharmaceutical companies offer programs where people without insurance and low income can get the meds for either a low cost or free....

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