Blogging Away Debt

Another Place to Look for Help with Prescription Drug Costs

Free Money Finance had a great post on how to save money on Prescription Drugs. But here’s another tip that I learned first hand a few years ago that will help those of you who may make too much money for federal or state help – but don’t make enough money to have your own plan.

Ask your doctor, hospital, etc…about any plans that the DRUG companies have that could help you. Yes, I said the DRUG companies.

I have asthma…well, I’ve been told I have asthma and I didn’t necessarily believe it. The doctor wanted me on a name brand inhaler and I wasn’t about to pay over $100/month just for that drug. He told me to go to a woman within the hospital and talk to her about a program.

So I did. I ended up getting my prescription in the mail for free. The program was directly through the drug company that makes the inhaler. From the sounds of it there may be other programs out there that can help with providing free or reduced cost medicines (name brands).

But the thing is…you have to ask for help to find the paperwork to complete. It was hard looking at my doctor and telling him, “I can’t afford that medicine.” But he couldn’t have offered his help unless I let him know I needed it.

I couldn’t say what the income guidelines are, since the paperwork I filled out didn’t really say. But it may be worth a telephone call to just to ask about it.

Ouch!!! $119.00 for a Doctor’s Visit

by Tricia

Normally whenever I start feeling sick, I take lots of vitamin C and drink green tea with honey. Usually, that knocks out whatever I was coming down with and I start feeling better.

Not this time.

As you know, I’ve been fighting something and it was time to get some help from a doctor. There is one place in the area open on Saturdays, so I gave them a call. Then they asked the dreaded question:

“What insurance do you have?”

My reply, “I do not have insurance.”

Their reply, “Oh. Hold on.”

I wait for a few minutes, fearing that because I don’t have health insurance they’ll decide not to see me. She returns to the phone.

“The doctor will see you today if you can pay today.”

I say, “That’s not a problem if you take credit.”

Yes, they took all the major credit cards so I was in luck.

Normally I do not complain that I do not have health insurance until I saw how much that bill was!! I couldn’t believe that the cost of a less than 10 minute visit (would have been less than 5 if I didn’t ask questions of the doctor) was that high. I guess since I don’t go to doctor’s very often I hadn’t realized how high the price had become. The last I remember, a doctor’s visit was around $50.00.

What did I end up having? A viral infection that has been going around as well as a serious ear infection in my left ear with my right ear not far behind. My hearing right now is greatly impaired and everything is very muffled. Drug given – penicillin which thankfully is very cheap. But the doctor hesitated before he wrote the prescription and asked if I had health insurance. My pills ended up costing $8.95 for 30 of them.

Which leads me to wonder…

Am I getting less care and/or less potent drugs because I do not have health insurance?

or…

Am I getting better & more simple care because the pull of drug companies and making more money isn’t coming into play?

It makes me wonder.