Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
My mom was directed to Humana for meds as part of her part D plan (it was a Medicare advisor who determined that Humana online would be her best option, costwise). And it was much less expensive than the local pharmacy she had been using and very dependable, with good customer service.
The only downside for my mom was that Humana does not prepare med packs (pre-sorted day-by-day meds in individual packets). For most people, it is a matter of creating their own “med packs” but my mom got to the point were she was taking multiple meds multiple times a day and keeping it all straight was a task. Humana’s model to keep prices low do not include the option for med packs, so she had to move on to a pharmacy that would. But when she could use Humana, it was very good for her on many levels - no complaints at all (if they added med packs as an option, she would go back to them, no question).
Do the plastic sorters not work for her ? (available at any drug store)
I have one that is for 7 days, and 2 doses per day (morning and evening). I've seen ones that are 7 day and 4 doses per day.
I fill it once a week on Saturday morning with 6 pills for each dose (1 Rx and 5 supplements).
Don't you know buying drugs from Canada and Mexico are unsafe! You need to buy all your Chinese made drugs here in the US for your own safety!
My oncologist said Canada was fine, but avoid ordering directly from China or India because you won't know what you're getting. I've certainly seen that in ordering jewelry supplies from them.
We were far from Mexico then, so we didn't discuss it, but I've since read it's generally safe to get meds there.
Just curious as to the problems you had with Caremark ( mail order, right?). I'm asking as I keep thinking I should switch to our mail order ( Caremark, IIRC) option to get my prescriptions for Eliquis filled as this would cost me $90 for a 3 month supply instead of the $206 for the same amount at an in network retail pharmacy.
When I was first put on Eliquis at the hospital the discharge nurse gave me a Bristol Meyers Squibb manufacturer discount card along with the prescription. Lowered the cost considerably...less than the price you're paying. The card number is kept on file with the pharmacy. The card worked for 2 years. After that I was able to recharge the card on the manufacturer website. Check into that.
I thought it was medicare that required the 2 visits a year to renew the prescriptions. Then the dr makes the prescription good for a number of months. Seems to be true of insulin, Eliquis, etc. for my family member.
Again, not my experience. I have been on Medicare just about as long as I've taken Eliquis. So far, no problem renewing that prescription without biannual doctor visits.
it was all about insulin! they kept putting off the insulin shipment with one excuse after another. We called them a number of times. The last phone call was that caremark said we would have to pay an extra fee to have it overnited. So we did. next day no delivery. we call again and find out there is no active prescription! So they charged us extra money for delivery on a prescription they hadnt bothered to contact the dr! they lied about it!
Wow, that'd make me quit the mail order and find a retail pharmacy too! And playing around with a medication that's needed as much as insulin would be for a diabetic, that's even worse.
And charging you for an essential medication they didn't even send you.......
When I was first put on Eliquis at the hospital the discharge nurse gave me a Bristol Meyers Squibb manufacturer discount card along with the prescription. Lowered the cost considerably...less than the price you're paying. The card number is kept on file with the pharmacy. The card worked for 2 years. After that I was able to recharge the card on the manufacturer website. Check into that.
You know, I did check that out when I read one of your earlier posts where you mentioned being able to use a BMS coupon and get your Eliquis for much less than retail. The only caveat I could see was it looked as though eligibility to use the discount card was means tested, you had to submit proof of income and medical expenses with the application, and our income is above their limit of eligibility. This was in 2021 when I received the first prescription from my cardiologist. Maybe they haven't always had these eligibility requirements to use their discount card, but I kept thinking there are zillions of people on Eliquis, maybe they thought they needed to limit the number of discount cards they hand out? I see there is also a manufacturer's discount card for Xarelto too, which looks as though it isn't means tested.
The only discount card I got for Eliquis was one given to me by a pharmacy technician when I went to fill my first prescription. This was a manufacturer's discount card for the first 30 days free. I happily accepted that.
You know, I did check that out when I read one of your earlier posts where you mentioned being able to use a BMS coupon and get your Eliquis for much less than retail. The only caveat I could see was it looked as though eligibility to use the discount card was means tested, you had to submit proof of income and medical expenses with the application, and our income is above their limit of eligibility. This was in 2021 when I received the first prescription from my cardiologist. Maybe they haven't always had these eligibility requirements to use their discount card
Weird. I never needed to provide any income or eligibility information. Maybe because I already had a card issued before 2021. I am fortunate that my employer-based health insurance transitioned seamlessly as my Medicare supplement, and it does cover prescriptions, but I haven't needed to submit the Eliquis to it yet. My renewed Eliquis card has at least another year on it. Guess we'll see. Maybe the price for the proprietary med will drop before then.
Last edited by Parnassia; 09-20-2022 at 06:39 PM..
Do the plastic sorters not work for her ? (available at any drug store)
I have one that is for 7 days, and 2 doses per day (morning and evening). I've seen ones that are 7 day and 4 doses per day.
I fill it once a week on Saturday morning with 6 pills for each dose (1 Rx and 5 supplements).
She now takes meds at six different set times each day and used her iPhone alarm for it. Each time, it is multiple pills. With med packs - filled by a pharmacy tech and sealed - we know that she is getting the right pills at the right times of day. And the pharmacy does not charge to put them together (two weeks of med packs at a time).
Seriously, it is a LOT of pills. And it her med schedule has been checked by her GP, her neurologist, her oncologist and multiple pharmacists along the way to adjust when/if needed. Lots of people are making sure it is correct and not overmedicating. It just is how she needs to live now.
I thought it was medicare that required the 2 visits a year to renew the prescriptions. Then the dr makes the prescription good for a number of months. Seems to be true of insulin, Eliquis, etc. for my family member.
As far as I know, medicare doesn't require a specific number of visits to renew prescriptions. I think the number of visits per prescription refills/ renewals is up to the individual doctor, and would depend on the medication and patient's medical issues.
I'm thinking a doctor might want to see a diabetic patient more often if his/her glucose or A1C levels aren't well under control, especially if that patient is also suffering from other diabetes-associated problems.
I get most of my medications ( two blood pressure meds, two heart rate/ arrhythmia control meds, and Eliquis) from my cardiologist, and I've recently "graduated" to just seeing him once a year. Though I also have a pacemaker, which is monitored
via a remote monitor sitting on my nightstand, and the cardiologist gets those reports three times a year ( plus any alerts if the heart acts up or something), but I don't have to see anyone or go anywhere for those. They've adjusted my medication several times in response to those alerts or 3 month monitor reports, with no office visit needed (most of the time), but they know exactly what's
happening with my heart and when. I also go into the office once a year for an in-office pacemaker check, that's when they make any adjustments they think are indicated.
I visit my PCP twice a year, that's her call, because I'm old, I guess, and routine labs are done twice a year- I'm not sure Medicare pays for all the lab testing, but I'm not charged either. Until recently I thought the twice a year visits were a bit much
until a significant drop in my hemoglobin over a six month period and a finding of severe iron deficiency led to discovery of
GI bleeding and subsequently a diagnosis of colon cancer. Not expected by anyone, as I had had a clean colonoscopy four years ago, we think it was caught fairly early, thank goodness. But I won't object to 2 visits a year to the PCP from now on. I get one maintenance prescription from her, occasionally others as needed to treat an acute illness.
I don't know if there are laws, rules anywhere that mandate a healthcare provider see a patient at a minimum of once a year to
write prescriptions for the patient, or it's the community standard of care,,because it really isn't good medical practice to provide medications to patients the provider hasn't seen for a while and has no idea how their health is behaving. Most medical practices have a policy for requiring at least a once a year visit by patients to get their maintenance prescriptions refilled, and won't fill prescriptions for patients who keep putting off or refuse their annual visits altogether.
I use Express Scripts and am very satisfied. I use the app to re-order and if they need a script renewal, they contact the doctor directly. Otherwise, the meds show up in my mailbox in a few days.
Doctors seem happy to see me about once a year. If I haven't been in and the request for a script renewal comes in, The doctors' offices will call me to schedule an appt. But they will file the new script with Express Scripts immediately.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
