Medicare Drug Plan: Preferred Pharmacies

[ResNullius]

I got my Medicare drug plan with AARP United Health. As it turns out, starting in 2013, they have what they call a "preferred pharmacy" network (as opposed to just a "network pharmacy") where your co-pays for Tier 1 and Tier 2 generics drop from $6 to $3 and from $10 to $5 respectively. That's a 50% reduction if you go in my case to Walgreens versus the locally owned pharmacy in my little town. I called my local pharmacy and they said that their association is trying to sue to stop this, but I don't think there is any way they'll win, and they recommended that I switch drug plans, and why would I do this in order to pay a higher co-pay. Their recourse really is to join the United Health network, which requires them to give United Health $1 or $2 per prescription filled out of the lower co-pay. Walgreens joined in order to increase customer traffic in the store. I don't want to switch pharmacies, but it looks like I'm going to have to if I want to save 50% on my co-pays. Anyone else running into this? By the way, I would save almost $500 per year by switching to Walgreens under this process, since I'm on 10 meds for my heart issues, luckily all generic.

[Grandpaboys]

First Health started this Preferred Pharmacy in 2012 using Walgreens and Walmart. I have both in my small town plus another privite owner pharmacy. I had been using Walmart so made little differance to me. Walmart has gone gang busters in suppling all insurance companies and created a huge learning curve for them to keep up with the business when the town doubles in size from all Winter Visiters from up North.
In one winter season they have got it down pat and has made it good for the locals all year long.

[ResNullius]

First Health started this Preferred Pharmacy in 2012 using Walgreens and Walmart. I have both in my small town plus another privite owner pharmacy. I had been using Walmart so made little differance to me. Walmart has gone gang busters in suppling all insurance companies and created a huge learning curve for them to keep up with the business when the town doubles in size from all Winter Visiters from up North.
In one winter season they have got it down pat and has made it good for the locals all year long.

We also live in a resort area, where the summer population is huge, while the winter population is very small. The only pharmacy in town is a little private one, with the Walgreens being located in a larger town about 10 miles away. With luck, the local pharmacy will find a way to pay/join the AARP preferred network, because most of their customers are above 65 and on Medicare.

[Sam I Am]

My Medicare Advantage plan is through Humana, it is a PPO plan. I can fill drugs locally, but after two fills I have to pay higher co-pays, unless I use their mail-order plan. The mail-order plan gives me 90 days supply, so my doc writes the script for 90 days with three refills, I only have to get scripts once a year, and all but one of my drugs have zero co-pays, thru mail-order. The drugs arrive quickly, and are shipped free. My one drug costs me $40/90 days.

If I need something for just an infection, or something I won't have to use continuously, I get them filled locally, at Publix supermarket, where most antibiotics are filled free, for everyone, no insurance necessary.

So, once a year (next time this Friday) I see the doc who gets my blood work, I get new scripts, a flu shot, and I'm good for another year.

As it turns out, I might get my remaining drug that costs me a co-pay replaced by a similar drug that has recently gone generic, if so my drugs will be free for 2013.

I'm OK with being steered to the mail-order drug provider, as I have been using them for years anyway, as it was always cheaper to do so.

My wife isn't on Medicare, but the drug plan she has is virtually the same, so she uses mail-order, also.

I figure those paying for the drugs get the right to call the tune, so to speak. I can still choose to go to out of network docs and use other pharmacies, but it would be on my dime, at added costs to me.

Sam I Am

[Firewood42]

My wife and I just recently switched to Humana and can buy drugs at either Wallmart or mail order. It costs us 18.75 per month each, a huge savings over our former plans. We also have another way to get drugs. Where we stay in Texas for the winter, we can go over the border and buy prescriptions drugs over the counter for very reasonable prices. Many of our friends have been doing this for years. We went over last year with a friend and he said he saved 300 bucks for his needed supply of prescription drugs by buying them in Mexico.

[Grandpaboys]

I have lived in Texas for 38 years and 140 miles from the Border. I used to buy drugs in Mexico, not any more. I do not TRUST the pharmacies to give you what you paid for. Most of my friends also gave up on buying drugs in Mexico. My Health is to important to me to take chances with drugs from Mexico. Those cheap costs are made up by poor product and are under no controls. Even my mexican friends living in Texas do not buy drugs in Mexico. In fact they will not make family visits to Mexico because there children will be kidnapped and held for ransom. Because of the conditions in Mexico even our State Dept. warns not to go.

[Firewood42]

I have lived in Texas for 38 years and 140 miles from the Border. I used to buy drugs in Mexico, not any more. I do not TRUST the pharmacies to give you what you paid for. Most of my friends also gave up on buying drugs in Mexico. My Health is to important to me to take chances with drugs from Mexico. Those cheap costs are made up by poor product and are under no controls. Even my mexican friends living in Texas do not buy drugs in Mexico. In fact they will not make family visits to Mexico because there children will be kidnapped and held for ransom. Because of the conditions in Mexico even our State Dept. warns not to go.

Understand your concern. Where we go is a place set up for Winter Texans. You park your car and walk across the bridge. This area makes a huge amount of money from "Winter Texans". They strive to keep the place safe, even have the Mexican army located right in the town. In the five years we have been going to get medicine's and dental work there has never been an incident. You have to know which drug store to go to as some are not as reliable but just ask some "Winter Texan" that has been going there for a long time and you will find out which pharmacy or which dentist is the best. I would never drive my car over the border.

We don't buy a lot of drugs but my wife will stock up on her blood pressure pills so when we go on long trips we have extra. The package looks exactly the same as what she gets in the states,

[Jerilynn]

We don't buy a lot of drugs but my wife will stock up on her blood pressure pills so when we go on long trips we have extra. The package looks exactly the same as what she gets in the states,

It's supposed to. I was just reading/watching something (i wish I could remember where) about counterfeit drugs, some of them were so good regarding packaging, that even the pharmacists couldn't spot the fakes and some were actually being sold by US pharmacies.

http://www.fda.gov/Drugs/ResourcesForYo ... efault.htm


Edited to add:
I think I may have read it in consumer reports, in any event here is a video that addresses a similar issue.
http://video.foxbusiness.com/v/18809545 ... ake-drugs/