The DU Lounge
Related: Culture Forums, Support ForumsI think I've calmed down enough to write about this rationally
Maybe.
In July, I filled a prescription for insulin pens - 5 to a box - I was charged a $45 co-pay. Two days ago, I refilled the prescription - same 5 pen box - and was charged $90. Being more than curious about the difference in price, I started making phone calls. First the pharmacy who blew me off by saying it was an insurance matter. Next, called the insurance carrier, who, I must say, handled their end of it quite well. There was no insurance issue. So, the insurance person got the pharmacy on the phone and we finally got to the answer:
I changed doctors. The July prescription was written with a non-specific dose, conditioned on my blood sugar level. I was charged $45. The new doctor wrote it for a specific dose. The pharmacy took it upon themselves to calculate that at this specific dose, the box of 5 pens should last 60 days -- and then charged me $90 for a sixty day prescription. Now we're talking about the same 5-pen box. The size of the box and number of pens has not changed which means the wholesale cost to the pharmacy hasn't changed. But they were seeking, apparently, to increase their profit margin on a box of 5 pens. It would also appear, by this logic, if a doctor wrote a prescription for a lesser amount which the pharmacy calculated to three months, one would be charged three times the amount -- for the SAME FUCKING BOX OF 5.
I used every analogy I could think of to make my point, to no avail. They were determined to have their increased profit on that damned fucking box of 5 pens. Ok, seems I'm still angry.....................................
In_The_Wind
(72,300 posts)[img][/img] I have yet to figure out why.
Aristus
(66,388 posts)I have to say that the price of insulin can sometimes be attributable to the available supply.
Still, that should be the insurance company's worry, not yours. If you pay your premium, the insurance company should pay the claim. End of story. Of course, those money-crazed idiots don't see it that way...
Denninmi
(6,581 posts)Costco has the best prices, and was founded bynavLiberal, treats employees well.
Turbineguy
(37,343 posts)profits are fat, but so is competition. What about finding a new pharmacy?