Medication prices and health care expense.

[Tyme2fish]

Medication prices are ridiculous. My blood pressure med had increased to $170.99 per MONTH. I called my doctor and have been put on a completely different medication in the generic form. Cost for this new med? $10.00 for a 90 day supply. I'll monitor my blood pressure at home to see how this new med works. Too bad my insulin isn't available as a generic. By switching my wife and I to generic BP meds,we will now save over $4,000.00 per year!!

The night time insulin now costs me $174.09/month. I shopped some other pharmacies and found it for $128.31/month. It saves to make a few phone calls. The insulin I inject before meals is $130.00/month. In two more years,I'll qualify for medicare and let the government (you working folks) pay for my diabetes needs. And no, I'm still opposed to Obamacare!!!!!

Mrs.Tyme is (was) on the same hypertensive medication that I was on. That comes to $646.97/month for us for only 4 prescriptions!!!! Add in the health insurance premium we pay and that comes to $1348.36/month for most of our health care bills.

I was aware when I quit work that health care would be a major expense but $13,000/year is a pretty steep expense. That's a lot of good fishing trips!!

I'm still happy I quitired.

[DJD]

Holy crap!!! That's scary stuff!!! I sure hope something changes before I get to the golden years.....those prices are out of control.

[Tyme2fish]

Unfortunately, I was diagnosed with diabetes right after I left the work force but thankfully not before I signed up with an insurance plan. Thus is wasn't a pre-existing condition.

Both Mrs.Tyme and I have the typical "elderly" problems with hypertension and cholesterol control. I actually think we're in pretty good health and my diabetes is well controlled.

Mind you, I'm not really complaining about our health problems, but brand name medications are outrageous in price.

Good health to all!!

[RoadToad]

Mind you, I'm not really complaining about our health problems, but brand name medications are outrageous in price.

Tell me about it! My wife has asthma, and those inhalers are ridiculously priced. Having a $4,800 deductible when the most you're allowed to contribute to your HSA is $6,250/yr makes it tough to keep up.

Still, I'm glad to hear you're enjoying your quitirement.

[Whitebass]

Talkin about High Cholorestal...I actually saw where my father and mother both were able to come off their cholorestal meds by eating a bowl of Cheerio's or oatmeal each morning....So it might be worth the experiement on everyone's behalf to try the cereal or oatmeal for breakfast...Might be able to save yourself some money each month....

[kygorski]

The price of the statins for my chlesterol has come down quite a bit.I'm one of those folks who make chlesterol almost out of water.Been on those meds for almost thirty years.I dont use my drug plan for all my meds, wal mart is cheaper than using insurance for my thyroid meds and hypertension meds, got two pricey ones left.But still paying about 2000 out of pocket per year.

[Tom523]

Medication prices are ridiculous. My blood pressure med had increased to $170.99 per MONTH. I called my doctor and have been put on a completely different medication in the generic form. Cost for this new med? $10.00 for a 90 day supply. I'll monitor my blood pressure at home to see how this new med works. Too bad my insulin isn't available as a generic. By switching my wife and I to generic BP meds,we will now save over $4,000.00 per year!!

The night time insulin now costs me $174.09/month. I shopped some other pharmacies and found it for $128.31/month. It saves to make a few phone calls. The insulin I inject before meals is $130.00/month. In two more years,I'll qualify for medicare and let the government (you working folks) pay for my diabetes needs. And no, I'm still opposed to Obamacare!!!!!

Mrs.Tyme is (was) on the same hypertensive medication that I was on. That comes to $646.97/month for us for only 4 prescriptions!!!! Add in the health insurance premium we pay and that comes to $1348.36/month for most of our health care bills.

I was aware when I quit work that health care would be a major expense but $13,000/year is a pretty steep expense. That's a lot of good fishing trips!!

I'm still happy I quitired.

My stepson's insulin is 1200$ a month without insurance and medicare will not pay for his test strips (appro. 300$ a month. I'm glad I have insurance and he has turned 21 and I have filed for him to be an incapacitated child under TRicare. I hoping it is approved. He is on medicare but they don't pay for much. Maybe retiree medicare pays for more than what he is getting as disabled.

[Bobby Headrick]

The reason for these high prices, is nothing more than GREED. they can charge you what they want, it is a crime what they do the majority of the people that come into my office that have FINAICAL problems is due to MEDICAL COSTS. This is a shame that this country helps so many other countrys but lets our tax paying citizens drown in medical DEBT, due to nothing more than greed.

[psprowler]

The reason for these high prices, is nothing more than GREED. they can charge you what they want, it is a crime what they do the majority of the people that come into my office that have FINAICAL problems is due to MEDICAL COSTS. This is a shame that this country helps so many other countrys but lets our tax paying citizens drown in medical DEBT, due to nothing more than greed.

Greed plays a big part in it, but also the government mandating (in a roundabout way) we have all this high dollar technology just to hand you an aspirin that costs a penny. All in the name of "patient safety".

Now don't get me wrong, I'm all about safety. But they do make a Mercedes that can detect when you're falling asleep at the wheel. A great safety feature, sure it's prevented many from falling asleep and crossing over into the other 3 lanes of oncoming traffic - but why aren't we all driving around with these vehicles? Because the money to afford them isn't there.