Shingle Bells, Shingle Bells, Shingles go away (moving, ignorant, adult)
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.
Earlier this week I called my doc, and they are sending a prescription to my pharmacy, which will administer the shot in early April. (The wait is not their issue, it’s mine, that’s my next planned trip to the mainland.) I specified that it was the new shot I wanted. My understanding is that this new one is a two part shot, but guess I’ll find out when I go in April. I’m Doing it because of a horror story, a coworker in his early sixties who was so devastated with pain after getting shingles that after trying a few times to come back to work, he retired a few years before he had planned.
When I asked my doctor about getting the shingles vaccine back in November, he told me to wait for this new one which was going to be released shortly and which is what I'm guessing you are talking about. He also said it was given in two doses and the biggest side effect was that it hurt. I had assumed Medicare would pay for it but I also have Tricare for Life. Hoping between the two of them I won't have to pay $160.
My friend's husband up north has been dealing with the shingles. She said it is the worst pain he has ever been in so I plan on getting my shingles vaccine very soon.
Not this one, you didn't. You received the Zostavax shingles vaccine, not Shringrix.
Yes, Medicare covers it under Part D, not Part B.
I'm not sure what you think "they" are doing on purpose. It's the beginning of a new calendar year, so you are responsible for all your drug costs until you reach your deductible for the year. Medicare covered your injection, but since you haven't reached your deductible, you were responsible for paying for it out of pocket. Had you waited to get the vaccine until later in the year, then you wouldn't have had to pay the full $160. (Assuming you have other medications you take and had reached your deductible by then.)
You sound pretty dang sure of yourself, but, I have had 2 or 3 different Part D's over the last 6 years and none of them work like that. For instance, I take a lot of medication, mostly generic and sometimes my copay was zero or eight or now 12 dollars. I never had to pay the full cost of the drugs period, not in January or whatever. I just pay the co pay no matter what. It is only certain things that go towards your deductible. I may be confused, but, you are more confused and don't even know it. That is not surprising to me after having lived for 70 years on this earth.
Last edited by Dustyroad70; 02-10-2018 at 06:29 AM..
Reason: spelling
What you pay all depends on the formulary of the Part D or Medicare Advantage plan you have. My guess is this new drug will be at least tier 3 which can cost anywhere above $40 (on my plan).
I just looked at the Formulary for my Medicare Advantage plan and it is in fact Tier 3 with a copay cost of $140.
Well anyway, went to the optometrist yesterday, he is very personable and our talk came around to the recent bout of shingles, I have just gotten over, I hope. Anyway, he put the fear of God in me with horror stories of recent people he has seen that have had terrible cases of Shingles. After that, we went to the local Walmart to do some shopping. I decided to inquire at the Pharmacy, to see if they had the new Shingrix vaccine. Lo and behold, they had it and had just received approval to start selling it. I had a little conversation with the pharmacist, who would be giving it to me, explaining anything I knew about myself that could be relevant and anyway, I did it. I got the shot, I was the first one at that store to receive it. So far, the only effect I have noticed is a somewhat sore shoulder, mostly nothing. I sleep on that shoulder and it didn't bother me a bit. Slept 9 hours last night. It is just kind of amazing and scary how many people have and get shingles.
So do you go back to Walmart to get the second shot?
We got it before we left the U.S. and it was free on Obamacare, along with all the other vaccinations, except Yellow Fever. Sorry you guys are getting shafted on the cost!
So do you go back to Walmart to get the second shot?
I asked the Pharmacist about that very thing, before I got the shot. He said I could come back to his store, go to any Walmart and they could pull up my records or if I wanted, I could go elsewhere, he said, that any pharmacy would probably take my word for that I needed my second shot, but, that it could be verified by getting the record from walmart. I actually have some paperwork that indicates what I got and when. I didn't dig very deep though, because it would be easy to go back there or another Walmart which is just a bit closer.
This morning I woke up with my shoulder kind of sore, it's almost lunch time now and it feels much less sore and I've got a feeling that is as bad as it gets. It is a piece of cake! Pain wise. I will just say that Shingles is something you don't want to get. It is a big pain. I don't know what I would have done if I had got a bad and long lasting case. I never want to know. The shot is cheap considering it is the only thing that might keep you from a huge pain the rest of your life.
Dustyroad70 - did they ask how long it had been since you had it? Just wondering if you aren't supposed to get it within a certain time frame, don't have it, just curious. Also, how long between shots. I guess I could google that, wondering what Walmart said.
We got it before we left the U.S. and it was free on Obamacare, along with all the other vaccinations, except Yellow Fever. Sorry you guys are getting shafted on the cost!
If you got a shingles vaccination before you left the US, you got the Zostavax, not the new Shingrix. The new Shingrix vaccination just came out late last month and is a series of two shots given two months apart. It protects MUCH better than the Zostavax vaccination.
My new NP put in a subscription for it to my new health insurance co but doubts it'!l be approved. It costs $200 here & I'm going to put it off as long as I can. Things change once I become 65 in September. We'll see what happens then.
Mine was covered by my Blue Cross policy, but It was the old one, a few years ago. Several years ago, the age approved by insurance companies to get the vaccine was lowered from 60 to 50, so as long as you're over 50 it should be covered.
Even if not, it's $200 well spent. I work in nursing home rehab and it is very common, and in some, quite disabling, it can even cause blindness.
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.
I had assumed Medicare would pay for it but I also have Tricare for Life. Hoping between the two of them I won't have to pay $160. 
