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How's this for strange: I once witnessed a situation where a relative of mine had insurance and the price of his prescription was $14.50 with insurance, but it

by nickjj 8y ago

How's this for strange: I once witnessed a situation where a relative of mine had insurance and the price of his prescription was $14.50 with insurance, but it just so happens the medication is also available over the counter and sells for $11.00. This wasn't an "almost" match either. It was the exact same brand, exact same dosage, exact same quantity but in a slightly different box (due to store branding). It even said "prescription strength" right on the OTC box. The really crazy thing is the original prescription the doctor wanted to prescribe was $600 for a 5 day supply of something that needed to be taken for 6 weeks but the insurance company denied it (meanwhile he pays $400 a month for basic insurance). Medical treatment is beyond broken in the US.

existencebox 8y ago
Same exact thing happened with my wife's epipen, turned up an order of magnitude. 300$ for a two-pack via insurance. 40$ for a two pack OTC. Pharmacist said _nothing_ and it was only after she called me to be angry about how expensive it was that I realized it was the mylan ripoff and told her to request a generic. And this for a medicine that she'll literally die without. I see red even thinking about this. I don't understand how to get the broader populous to realize how dangerously broken this system is if they haven't by now.
- treyfitty 8y ago
  I used to think "oh, there's probably a good reason for this" in all facets of life, including healthcare in the US. Then my father had a heart attack, and I was exposed to just how stupid the whole system is. By and large, there are policies, procedures, and business practices that were written with good intentions, but we've evolved into a society where the most important P is Profit. People generally just purchase insurance and think they're "covered." If the whole population only knew how dirty the system is, there'd be change. But simply because of the obfuscated nature of the system, there is no good reason for why things are the way they are.
  - vernie 8y ago
    The profits are a great reason. Not necessarily for your dad, but definitely for some people who couldn't care less about your dad.

by nickjj 8y ago

existencebox 8y ago

Same exact thing happened with my wife's epipen, turned up an order of magnitude. 300$ for a two-pack via insurance. 40$ for a two pack OTC. Pharmacist said _nothing_ and it was only after she called me to be angry about how expensive it was that I realized it was the mylan ripoff and told her to request a generic. And this for a medicine that she'll literally die without. I see red even thinking about this. I don't understand how to get the broader populous to realize how dangerously broken this system is if they haven't by now.

treyfitty 8y ago
I used to think "oh, there's probably a good reason for this" in all facets of life, including healthcare in the US. Then my father had a heart attack, and I was exposed to just how stupid the whole system is. By and large, there are policies, procedures, and business practices that were written with good intentions, but we've evolved into a society where the most important P is Profit. People generally just purchase insurance and think they're "covered." If the whole population only knew how dirty the system is, there'd be change. But simply because of the obfuscated nature of the system, there is no good reason for why things are the way they are.
- vernie 8y ago
  The profits are a great reason. Not necessarily for your dad, but definitely for some people who couldn't care less about your dad.