Sorry, that's not covered.
My surgeon sent me a new pain script, so I needed to go get it filled.
I went on line to the site for my drug coverage insurance to make sure it was covered, and it wasn't on the list, so I called the 800-number.
It is the same pain med I take now, but a higher strength. Same name, just a higher dose.
They do not cover it at all, they said nope, but my doc said to switch to this one so I had to go get it, and that meant paying out of pocket.
I've paid out of pocket for this med before, the lower dose, and it really wasn't bad at all.
It was like $60 something for 90 pills, so I was thinking the higher dose, less pills, 60 of them, it would be about the same price.
Oh how wrong I was.
Mindy took me down to the Publix that has a pharmacy, and I put in my script for it and we went shopping.
I came back to get it, and the cashier said $239.80.
My jaw nearly fell, but I paid it, I had to get it, so I paid it.
On Monday, I'm going to call my insurance and ask them why they won't cover it, why I have to go to different pharmacies, because Walgreen's that has my insurance on file, the employees will tell me over and over again that it's not covered, and they won't let me pay cash for it, so I have to go to Publix and pay cash.
It sucks.
I mean, why the hell won't they cover the higher dose!?
What is it!?
A class 30 drug?
A schedule 5?
A CAT5e to the finite narcotic?!
It's only 5mg stronger than the old pain med, same name, only 5mgs stronger, I do not understand why they won't cover it.
Paying that much is simply not right.
I'm going to have to talk to my surgeon about it because I cannot pay that amount every single month.
No way.
Ooops!
I posted this on the wrong blog.
Comments
Can you buy a double dosage of the old kind ofpill and then cut some of them in half and take 1 and 1/2 to create the new perscribed dosage?
Just a thought---this would cut the cost to half of the $239.
So sorry you are having all this trouble.
Verna---in Oregon
Posted by: Verna | October 12, 2008 11:06 PM
That's a really good idea and works well with some pain medications like Lortabs, because they are instant release.
But the kind I am prescribed are extended release.
Cutting, crushing, or chewing them, can cause you to get a lethal dose of the narcotic very quickly, and that's why they make slightly higher doses, even just 5mg slightly higher.
There are warnings on the bottles, the pharmacist warns me, the doctor warns me, to not cut, crush, or chew, or I could end up OD'ing on the medicine.
Posted by: Kat | October 12, 2008 11:18 PM