by PharmacyChecker.com | Dec 21, 2010 | Drug Prices, Medicare Drug Plans
Earlier this month we reported on the UnitedHealthcare Pharmacy Saver plan for Medicare Part D. This plan offers enrollees many of their generic prescriptions for just $2 (some 30- and some 90-day supplies) at Kroger and Safeway chain stores. Our research found that although a few popular generics were not covered by the plan, there was a fairly low co-pay anyway, so cost-wise, UnitedHealthcare has presented a solid Medicare drug plan.
One of our concerns was that those individuals who do not live near a Kroger or Safeway chain will not have easy access to their prescriptions. Well, we have good news to pass on – last week, DrugStoreNews.com announced that Bloom, H-E-B, Hy-Vee, Food Lion, Harveys, Publix Super Markets, Sweetbay Supermarket and Target chains have all joined as participating pharmacies.
This expansion is great, though we still encourage you to compare this plan with others on MedicareDrugPlans.com. It’s important to fit all plan variables to your needs. And remember, just ten more days until open enrollment closes!
Tagged with: chain stores, generics, Kroger, Medicare Drug Plans, medicaredrugplans.com, Open Enrollment, Part D, Pharmacy Saver, prescriptions, Publix, Safeway, Target, United Healthcare
by PharmacyChecker.com | Dec 16, 2010 | Medicare Drug Plans
Many seniors enrolling in a Medicare drug plan these last 15 days of the open enrollment period may turn to their local pharmacy, presumably a trusted source of medical support and information, for answers and advice. Often pharmacists know a patient’s medical and medicinal history so can give professional and educated advice on which plan could best serve the enrollee; however, this isn’t always the case.
An article in American Public Media suggests that the answers and advice some pharmacy’s give could be guided by the influence of insurance companies. Some drugstores have made deals with and will be rewarded by the drug plan company for steering enrollees toward purchasing their specific plan, whether or not the plan is best for the individual. This is not to say that all pharmacies and pharmacists have a conflict of interest when it comes to Medicare drug plans, but we’re confident that research is the best way you can find your best plan. Ask your doctors and loved ones, check out Medicare.gov and MedicareDrugPlans.com – but do so by December 31st!
Tagged with: American Public Media, Medicare Drug Plans, Medicare.gov, medicaredrugplans.com, Open Enrollment, pharmacies
by PharmacyChecker.com | Dec 3, 2010 | Drug Prices, Medicare Drug Plans, Saving Money on Prescription Drugs
Just in time for the 2011 open enrollment period, UnitedHealth Group Inc. has announced that it will allow its AARP MedicareRx and AARP MedicareComplete Medicare Advantage prescription drug plan participants to purchase 30-day supplies of many generic drugs from Kroger and Safeway chain stores for just $2; 90-day supplies may cost just $4. Between these two pharmacy groups, 397 generic drugs are covered in the program, and both chain stores offer the program via mail-order pharmacy (Prescription Solutions) as well.
Simvastatin, the generic for Zocor – a cholesterol lowering drug, and Metoprolol succinate, the generic of the high blood pressure drug Toprol, are just two of many $2 drugs found on the monthly supply list. You can find a 90-day supply of Ibuprofren 400 – 800mg for just $5. To see which other generics are listed, visit the Pharmacy Saver information and search page. (more…)
Tagged with: AARP, generics, Kroger, Medicare Drug Plans, Online Pharmacies, Part D, Safeway, seniors, United States, UnitedHealth, Wal-Mart
by Gabriel Levitt, Vice President, PharmacyChecker.com and Margaret Rode, PharmacyChecker.com | Nov 23, 2010 | Medicare Drug Plans
Many Medicare enrollees shopping for drug plans this open enrollment season may be lured in by the offers with the lowest premiums, when in fact these plans can make for poor choices. What’s most important when choosing a Part D plan is that the drugs you need are covered; and if the plan doesn’t cover your meds, then plain and simple, it is not a good option for you. To find out which plans include the drugs you take, you can use the government’s website, found here: Medicare Plan Finder.
Blindly choosing the plan with the lowest monthly premium means you’re more likely to neglect researching drug coverage and other crucial factors about your Part D drug plan. For instance, if your plan is linked with a preferred drugstore, location could be a problem. This worry is highlighted in a recent AP article, as the Humana/Wal-Mart plan with the lowest premium on the whole Medicare list is causing trouble for some. While the competitive premium prices from Humana and other Part D providers are drawing attention as factors in picking a plan, accessibility, co-pays, deductible and coverage in the doughnut hole must be considered in addition to the most critical factor – the drugs covered on a plan’s formulary. (more…)
Tagged with: accessibility, affordable prescriptions, co-pays, deductible, doughnut hole, Drug Prices, Humana, Medicare, Medicare Drug Plans, medicare plan finder, medicaredrugplans.com, Part D, premiums, save money, seniors, United States, Wal-Mart
by PharmacyChecker.com | Nov 15, 2010 | Medicare Drug Plans
Open Enrollment is the period between November 15th and December 31st each year when Medicare enrollees can sign up for Part D prescription drug coverage, or if they are already enrolled, cancel their current plan, or switch to a different plan. Open enrollment is the time to research, rate and compare the plan options so that you pick the plan that’s best for you. A month and a half means you don’t have to and should not rush to a decision…
The enrollment period can be confusing enough for Medicare members, and this year’s changes that come with the health reform may make sign-up decisions even more complicated. We therefore recommend MedicareDrugPlans.com as a very helpful site that gives you access to honest plan reviews from your peers.
On MedicareDrugPlans.com you can sort plan options by name, company, location, overall rating or individual rating (i.e.: information received from plan, customer service, choice of drugs, cost of plan, and ease of use). There are plan profiles for all plan options offered in 2011 and forums about the drug plans, and related Medicare issues, on which you can ask questions or add your input. This means you can find important information about the plans and what others have experienced using them. You may discover which plans covered all of a member’s drugs without problems or which have great or not-so-great customer service – all from a community of consumers just like you.
Tagged with: affordable prescriptions, forums, health, health reform, Healthcare Reform, Medicare, Medicare Drug Plans, medicaredrugplans.com, Open Enrollment, Part D, ratings, reviews, United States
by PharmacyChecker.com | Oct 11, 2010 | Drug Prices, Healthcare Reform, Medicare Drug Plans
With open enrollment for Medicare Part D just around the corner, 50% discounts on brand name prescriptions while in the coverage gap seems to be a great new benefit this coming year… or is it? Some patient advocate groups, and we at PharmacyChecker.com, are asking, 50% off what price? Will PhRMA offer the discount on a higher-than-normal base price to cover their losses?
As the market, not the government, controls drug prices, it is a possibility that manufacturers will up the prices on drugs, especially specialty medications that lack brand-name alternative or generic competition, in order to make up for the lost profit. A brand name drug that costs $100 per month now – $50 in 2011 for Medicare Part D enrollees – may likely cost $120 next year – or $60 for Medicare enrollees – so that the manufacturers are able to spare revenue loss little by little. (more…)
Tagged with: affordable prescriptions, Drug Prices, health, Healthcare Reform, Medicare, Medicare Drug Plans, Part D, phrma, save money, seniors, United States
