Vegas Free-for-All - Speaking of Drugs

malibber

Jul 26, 2011
11:58am

Not at all it puts me to bed with a big smile on my face. Like I said I was on these drugs for a couple of years and nobody thought it was wrong of me to be on them including the insurance company. At the time I didn't know how much they cost or even care as I paid $15 no matter what the price was. Indeed I was shocked when I found out how much they did cost.

Do you check the cash price of your prescriptions to see if you can save the insurance company money? Do you spend hours of your time calling around to various pharmacies to see which one can save the insurance company the most money? When your doctor hands you a prescription and says this what you need do you say no I need something on the $4 list becuase it will save the insurance company money?

Just because I went out and researched the matter myself and found something cheaper doesn’t mean I have an obligation to spend my money for gas to drive 30 miles to Wal-Mart and stand in line for 35-45 minutes to save the insurance company money. I pass by my local pharmacy every day, and never have to wait more than five minutes.

Quote

Originally posted by: BobOrme

Quote
Originally posted by: malibber
It simply will not happen. I was on those other latest and greatest drugs for two years before my insurance ran out. The insurance company, the doctor or even the pharmacy never told me hey do you know you can get this drug that is 99.9% as effective as the one your using now for $4. Nobody ever questioned it. I had a $15 co-pay so I never questioned it either. The bottom line is if you want to know one of the areas where all the money is being sucked out of the health care system this is one of those areas. The pharmaceutical companies slightly tweak an existing drug, call it something new and then send their sales minions out to whine, dine and even 69 doctors to get them to prescribe their new drugs instead of the older cheaper ones.

The insurance companies won't complain even if they don't like it because all three groups are in symbiotic relationship (some might call it a circle jerk) with each other to maximize their respective profits by fleecing the general public.

I'm trying to figure out why you feel good that anyone is getting fleeced by your own admitted intentional actions to increase costs to someone somewhere in the chain. It wouldn't make me feel good. It might make it hard for me to sleep at night....

franksynopsis

Jul 26, 2011
12:34pm

Block User

I have no insurance, so the $8 price I pay for a month's worth of isosorbide mononitrate (which dilates my arteries and keeps me relatively angina-free) is savings enough to help me ignore the fact that Walmart is an evil American corporation -- just like my phone company and my cable company and the people I buy coffee from every morning.

Every ideologue has his price. Mine is apparently eight bucks.

By the way, there are no lines at my local Walmart pharmacy. Ever. If there were, I might reconsider.

snidely333

Jul 26, 2011
12:46pm

Block User

I'm still stuck on the $25 in gas to get to Walmart and back home.

johnzimbo

Jul 26, 2011
12:46pm

Block User

In this day who the heck lives $25 in gas from a Walmart?

Move to civilization dude

malibber

Jul 26, 2011
12:48pm

Block User

Been in that boat myself and just jumped out. I don't know why my Wal-Mart has such long lines in the pharmacy. They even have those Q lines set-up like they do at amusement parks.

Quote

Originally posted by: franksynopsis
I have no insurance, so the $8 price I pay for a month's worth of isosorbide mononitrate (which dilates my arteries and keeps me relatively angina-free) is savings enough to help me ignore the fact that Walmart is an evil American corporation -- just like my phone company and my cable company and the people I buy coffee from every morning.

Every ideologue has his price. Mine is apparently eight bucks.

By the way, there are no lines at my local Walmart pharmacy. Ever. If there were, I might reconsider.

jphelan

Jul 26, 2011
1:09pm

Block User

3rd party payer is the problem.....when people need to pay themselves they make "logical" decisions. Sorry Libber - you are not logical but instead vindictive trying to work the system to your advantage. Free Market is a system that matches supply with demand and prices will eventually reach equalibrium. Unfortunately our medical system is more often than not a 3rd party payer and not a free market system.

Thank you for making my point!

jatki

Jul 26, 2011
1:12pm

Block User

Your as bad as a politician,you'll say absolutely anything to further you crusade of "good vs evil".
I know for a fact that all my drs (and there have been a bunch, a plethora you might say) and they have ALWAYS informed us about costs of generic and name brand as in "be careful and make sure to ask for generic,name is super expensive" Same holds true for our pharmacist(s) which is CVS (they know me by name HEHE). I am well aware of of price diff's because i always check out of curiousity. I tell you one thing i would never try and screw the insurance co just "cause i could" and sure as hell wouldn't laugh and brag about it if i did.

J

BobOrme

Jul 26, 2011
1:13pm

Block User

I don't have insurance so I know exactly what my prescriptions cost. I know exactly what every doctor's office visit and procedure costs because all of it comes out of my pocket. My prescriptions are all written for brand name drugs. If I'm not asked by the pharmacy tech if I want a generic equivalent (which they usually do), I ask if a generic is available. I need two prescriptions to keep my life relatively normal, and have at least a minimal supply of both in my pocket or within reach 24/7/365. I do shop for the best pharmacy prices for what I need, just like most other commodities. The difference between shopping for drugs and shopping for groceries or building supplies or the best odds available at a casino is you want someone else to fund most or all of your drugs and health care at the premium price, even when you can afford those things at the budget price or the premium price out of your own pocket.

You've already stated you want private insurance companies to fail. So does Obama. Taking money from other people to fund your perceived jollies in screwing your own insurance company only drives up the costs for everyone.

Quote

Originally posted by: malibber
Not at all it puts me to bed with a big smile on my face. Like I said I was on these drugs for a couple of years and nobody thought it was wrong of me to be on them including the insurance company. At the time I didn't know how much they cost or even care as I paid $15 no matter what the price was. Indeed I was shocked when I found out how much they did cost.

Do you check the cash price of your prescriptions to see if you can save the insurance company money? Do you spend hours of your time calling around to various pharmacies to see which one can save the insurance company the most money? When your doctor hands you a prescription and says this what you need do you say no I need something on the $4 list becuase it will save the insurance company money?

Just because I went out and researched the matter myself and found something cheaper doesn’t mean I have an obligation to spend my money for gas to drive 30 miles to Wal-Mart and stand in line for 35-45 minutes to save the insurance company money. I pass by my local pharmacy every day, and never have to wait more than five minutes.

Quote
Originally posted by: BobOrme
Quote
Originally posted by: malibber
It simply will not happen. I was on those other latest and greatest drugs for two years before my insurance ran out. The insurance company, the doctor or even the pharmacy never told me hey do you know you can get this drug that is 99.9% as effective as the one your using now for $4. Nobody ever questioned it. I had a $15 co-pay so I never questioned it either. The bottom line is if you want to know one of the areas where all the money is being sucked out of the health care system this is one of those areas. The pharmaceutical companies slightly tweak an existing drug, call it something new and then send their sales minions out to whine, dine and even 69 doctors to get them to prescribe their new drugs instead of the older cheaper ones.

The insurance companies won't complain even if they don't like it because all three groups are in symbiotic relationship (some might call it a circle jerk) with each other to maximize their respective profits by fleecing the general public.

I'm trying to figure out why you feel good that anyone is getting fleeced by your own admitted intentional actions to increase costs to someone somewhere in the chain. It wouldn't make me feel good. It might make it hard for me to sleep at night....

malibber

Jul 26, 2011
1:48pm

Block User

What can I say there is lots of evil in this world. If there were a standardized single payer system the single payer could say look you can take the $4 prescription or pay the difference yourself if you want something else? Think of the savings. I guarantee you very few people currently on private insurance or government insurance for that matter shop for the best price. Yes, they will often say generic if it is a lower co-pay, but that is about it. Its not my fault the insurance company doesn’t have their system set-up to save money. I doubt very many of you (other than the self-payers) would devote an hour (round trip) in the car and another 30-45 minutes in line to save the insurance company a few dollars. For those of you with health problems this would be a particularly onerous burden.

The insurance company certainly wouldn’t hesitate to screw you out of a few $$ if it saved them money and they could legally do it. They would call it looking out for the stockholders best interests. I am only operating on the same bottom line basis they do. It costs me $30 out of pocket plus 5 minutes of my time to get them filled at the local pharmacy. It costs me $16 dollars, plus $25 in gas and an hour and a half of my time to go to Wal-Mart to fill them. Filling them at the local pharmacy provides me with a lower bottom line or the greatest overall profit if you will. I thought you conservatives loved the logic of free market style capitalism where everyone acts in their own economic best interests. I thought you celebrated those who look out for their bottom line above all else or does that only apply to the top 2% and big corporations?

Quote

Originally posted by: jatki99
Your as bad as a politician,you'll say absolutely anything to further you crusade of "good vs evil".
I know for a fact that all my drs (and there have been a bunch, a plethora you might say) and they have ALWAYS informed us about costs of generic and name brand as in "be careful and make sure to ask for generic,name is super expensive" Same holds true for our pharmacist(s) which is CVS (they know me by name HEHE). I am well aware of of price diff's because i always check out of curiousity. I tell you one thing i would never try and screw the insurance co just "cause i could" and sure as hell wouldn't laugh and brag about it if i did.

J

Dan Svatass

Jul 26, 2011
4:03pm

Block User

Quote

Originally posted by: BobOrme
I don't have insurance . . . .

I'm sorry to hear that, I really am. What do you expect us to do if you are hit but that damn bus tomorrow?

Are you very wealthy? Are you counting on the charity of others? Do you believe you are invincible and therefore can't need expensive medical care?

I mean this seriously, lots of people I know and respect are in a similar position. I know I'm too much of a sucker to watch them get sick and do nothing, so I try to find ways to get them covered. What would you have us do for you?

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