Ageless: Lakewood man shocked when his blood pressure medication rose from $8 to $105 [Asbury Park Press, N.J.]
By Michael L. Diamond, Asbury Park Press, N.J. | |
McClatchy-Tribune Information Services |
Conti, 83, of
"I think it's ridiculous they raises prices like that," Conti said. "I didn't have any warning or anything."
Seniors each year can be hit with a spike in their prescription drug costs, mainly because of changes in their insurance plans that can be hard to find in the complex world of
The unexpected cost is potentially another burden on seniors who, living on
It has prompted experts to issue a red flag and encourage seniors and their families to talk to their doctors and pharmacists and visit a
"This wasn't the kind of issue they faced in younger years," said
Conti uses a generic drug that he buys through Optum RX, a mail-order pharmacy -- two steps that can lower the cost.
"I went to order the drug and asked, 'What does it cost?' They said, '
A spokesman for Optum said Conti is a member of a group that moved from one insurance carrier to UnitedHealthcare, the insurance company that operates Optum, within the past year.
Insurers have what's known as a formulary, a list of drugs and manufacturers that get preferred status and are less expensive. Conti's old carrier charged an
Experts said other factors can contribute to unexpected price hikes. Maybe the doctor prescribes an extended release version of the original drug. Maybe patients have a deductible they need to meet before insurance will kick in. Maybe they find themselves in what's known as the doughnut hole, a gap between when a prescription plan reaches the maximum it will spend and when catastrophic coverage begins.
But they sympathized with Conti, noting that
"We see that a lot,"
"You have to do the research yourself, looking through this phone book they give you," he said. "It's really very difficult."
Many seniors' pocketbooks are already squeezed by drug costs.
Hartung, however, said seniors aren't defenseless. They should visit www.medicare.gov, which provides a database in which beneficiaries can type in the drug and their local pharmacy and get a list of insurance plans and costs.
If the cost is too high, they can take the information to their doctor or pharmacist to see if there are other options -- either a similar, but less expensive drug, or a different prescription plan.
"Is there a product similar to that?" asked said
It's too late, at least this year, for Conti and others who have recently seen their drug costs soar. They won't have a chance to switch insurance plans until
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