Prescriptions and Insurance ( a rip-off )

[SPIKE]

Some of you may remember that I received a layoff in October. Before my insurance was cancelled, I refilled the two prescription that I take.
One was for Lisinopril. While it is normally for high blood pressure, my blood pressure is fine, I take it to make my heart not work as hard. Doctors decided I have an enlarged heart.
The prescription is for 10 mg tablets and I break them into halves, therefore a 30 day supply will last 60 days.

Here is the kicker!!!!!!

With the insurance there was a $10 charge for most any covered prescription. Finally I had to find out what it was going to cost without insurance.
A 30 day supply of 10 mg Lisinopril only cost me $4 out of pocket.
This really burns my a$$!!!!!!!!!
Who got the extra $6? The pharmacy? The insurance company?

$6 is not that big a deal, but it is the principle.

This is something to check into if you take a commonly prescribed medication that is a generic.

SPIKE

[fnfredux]

Some of you may remember that I received a layoff in October. Before my insurance was cancelled, I refilled the two prescription that I take.
One was for Lisinopril. While it is normally for high blood pressure, my blood pressure is fine, I take it to make my heart not work as hard. Doctors decided I have an enlarged heart.
The prescription is for 10 mg tablets and I break them into halves, therefore a 30 day supply will last 60 days.

Here is the kicker!!!!!!

With the insurance there was a $10 charge for most any covered prescription. Finally I had to find out what it was going to cost without insurance.
A 30 day supply of 10 mg Lisinopril only cost me $4 out of pocket.
This really burns my a$$!!!!!!!!!
Who got the extra $6? The pharmacy? The insurance company?

$6 is not that big a deal, but it is the principle.

This is something to check into if you take a commonly prescribed medication that is a generic.

SPIKE


Med ins. is a REAL rip-off. I needed surgery to repair a broken arm that wasn't properly taken care of by the ins. company's "bone man".
Well, cut to the chase, i had to threaten to sue the ins co. (before georgie boy decided we couldn't) so I could go out of the service THEY (the quack) offered. The ins. co promised to pay the Dr. that did the surgery (THANK YOU DR. WHITTAKER) 4k, he actually did three separate surgeries to take a bone graft and repair work on my hand too because the nerves and tendons were damaged. I got a copy of the final payments that I wasn't supposed to get. The ins. co. paid the Dr. that DID the surgery $700. They paid their own anesthesiologist $1200, so they SAY.
Anyway the total bill would have been $23K to me if I was an uninsured person... The ins co paid less than 8K.
That was a one day in and out deal too.
AND it was the FAULT of the Dr. that didn't take proper care of my arm to begin with, THEIR Dr.
We pay for health ins., it is partially paid by my husband's employer. The health ins industry need to be INVESTIGATED and explanations are NEEDED for where the premium monies go, and why health care is not only expensive but so outright BAD.

[DavidOH]

Yup, I found that out too!

My $10 medication was $10 without insurance.
My $10 medication was $7 without insurance.
My $10 medication was $30 without insurance.

Sometimes it pays not to go with the plan. ::)

[Wyobuckaroo]

Howdy

Most people don't get the basic concept of insurance. Most any kind of insurance.

Insurance is to collect premiums, (money) to do other investments with. That's it.

Paying claims is the most "avoidable" expense to the company. If they say "no" then YOU have to fight them somehow. Where as the light and telephone bill they pay in a business like, timely manner. Because the service can be shut off.

Now, here is a thought I had. If they juggle paperwork, etc. to pay one provider, out of network so much, and another provider, in network, more. Who pockets the most ? The insurance company.

SeewhatImean ?
It's that simple, I think.
Wyo

[CarolAnn]

SO TRUE!

I feel sick when I hear some government dinglebrain harping that "we need better health coverage." DUH! We need better health CARE not better coverage.

Insurance really serves no value-added purpose; since its wide-spread acceptance nothing has happened except health CARE has gotten more and more expensive. Much of "healthcare" has become little more than a profit maximization process and insurance is a big part of that.

[gregabob]

If we used insurance only for catastrophic events, costs would drop like a rock. I'd rather pay a reasonable fee directly to the doc for routine stuff- and I do for my FAA Class III medical exam. The cool thing is the Doc will discount for cash payment :). Whenever you have 3rd party payments, costs go out of control, as there's no incentive for you or the doc to control them. Gov't meddling is a huge problem too-mandating treatment regardless of ability to pay. So the hospital charges whomever they can to make up the shortfall-ergo $27 aspirins.

[mom]

I take tyhroid replacement every day - I don't even consider turning it in to insurance. $20 on insurance and 5.00 without. If you can go generic on any meds you can usually find them for less than the insurance co-pay

[fnfredux]

If we used insurance only for catastrophic events, costs would drop like a rock. I'd rather pay a reasonable fee directly to the doc for routine stuff- and I do for my FAA Class III medical exam. The cool thing is the Doc will discount for cash payment :). Whenever you have 3rd party payments, costs go out of control, as there's no incentive for you or the doc to control them. Gov't meddling is a huge problem too-mandating treatment regardless of ability to pay. So the hospital charges whomever they can to make up the shortfall-ergo $27 aspirins.

Thing is... people with medical ins. are more likely to get POORER care and pay more in deductibles etc. than either MEDICARE or MEDICAID recipients.
We must pay $25.00 per visit WITH ins. as a co-pay AND listen to THIS... say you have a back problem and even tho it's been bothering you of late you've just been taking asprin. Now, you have an accident and need a few stiches, while the doc is stitching you up, you mention, "by the way doc, my back's been acting up again, can I get a script like I had the last time?".
Know what? The answer is NO... he cannot even TALK about your back on THIS visit. You need to make an appointment for another "CASE".
Nice, huh?
MY "health care" is just soooo wonderful...
No money for a doc, doc can't even treat me like a HUMAN, but I get a "health coach". Some moron hundreds of miles away whose job it is to call me up and ANNOY me so we (hubby and I) can save $25.00 a month on premiums.
I am just about 61, take no meds, certainly no candidate for any fertility problems/birth/pregnancy or newborn costs. Yet MY premiums are the same as those for someone who demands all of those services. JUST NOT RIGHT...
Medicaid, I had the secretary at one Dr.s office tell me that medicaid recipients got better care than I did...
and I pay health ins premiums...nice huh?