It's the dreaded 'donut hole' time of year!
@AbbyGreenhill (45490)
United States
October 29, 2015 9:06am CST
That's what I hate about this time of year for the last two years. The medical so-called 'donut hole'...the time when you hit the the magic number and you have to pay a lot more for your medications.
I take a Blood Pressure med, name brand, that normally costs $125 for a 90 day supply, and another med for my heart rate that costs the same. That's $250 for both for 90 days. Not all that bad, but bad enough.
However, I'm in the donut hole so those two meds just cost me $417. That is a $167 difference. It makes me sick to think about it.
Thankfully my husband's name brand expense med has been replaced by two generics (mine can be yet) so he is safe from the donut hole, so that helps a little.
And they wonder we I have high blood pressure....
The donut hole is a gap in Medicare's Part D coverage of prescription drugs. The gap is reached when a program member exceeds a total of $xxxx (the number changes yearly) of annual spending on prescription drugs
5 people like this
7 responses
@yukimori (10192)
• United States
29 Oct 15
Have you checked with the manufacturer? Sometimes the manufacturer offers a discount program to people who need the medication but can't afford it. I know of at least a couple who give steep discounts that bring the cost down to $25 for their medications.
1 person likes this
@AbbyGreenhill (45490)
• United States
29 Oct 15
First off, we can afford it so we don't quality for any help. When you make too much you get no discounts. That doesn't mean I like paying so much.
We buy our meds from a specific company thru our health insurance because it's cheaper than buying from a local pharmacy.
@AbbyGreenhill (45490)
• United States
29 Oct 15
@yukimori OK, that's totally different! I would have to look at it to see what they charge, thanks.
1 person likes this
@AbbyGreenhill (45490)
• United States
29 Oct 15
@yukimori I've looked at things like this before - like this one the webite doesn't give you prices...you have to take a script to one of the participating pharmacies and they find out what the cost is. When you live in the boonies that's not always convenient. Which is why our meds are mailed to us. The only way to test this is to get the doc to give me a script and I'd have to do the running around. I'll see if he would do that.
1 person likes this
@Jessicalynnt (50523)
• Centralia, Missouri
30 Oct 15
hopefully you hit that mark soon on that med, so that they come out with a generic.
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@AbbyGreenhill (45490)
• United States
30 Oct 15
I don't think mine is eligible for generics for a few years.
1 person likes this
@AbbyGreenhill (45490)
• United States
31 Oct 15
@Jessicalynnt It could happen in 2016...but the funny thing is generics are going up in price rapidly too.
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@Jessicalynnt (50523)
• Centralia, Missouri
31 Oct 15
@AbbyGreenhill yeah it's like 10 or some gov law that forces them to make a generic after so many years.
@Sheilamarie78 (2586)
• Canada
30 Oct 15
Medications cost so much! It isn't right.
1 person likes this
@AbbyGreenhill (45490)
• United States
30 Oct 15
one that I take to control my heart rate was $4 a month, now I pay $125/3 months. And in the donut hole its $275 - makes me want to cry.
@AbbyGreenhill (45490)
• United States
29 Oct 15
@PhredWreck Thanks for explaining it, I was in no condition to! LOL
@Rosekitty (19368)
• San Marcos, Texas
29 Oct 15
@PhredWreck @AbbyGreenhill..I had no idea what you were talking about Abby and was going to ask but saw Michael explained..
1 person likes this
@AbbyGreenhill (45490)
• United States
29 Oct 15
@Rosekitty I assumed all seniors know about the donut hole...guess I couldn't assume.
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@Marilynda1225 (91126)
• United States
29 Oct 15
When I saw donut hole I immediately thought Dunkin Donuts LOL didn't realize that the donut hole was related to Medicare & prescription plans. Gosh that really stinks that you are in the hole for so much money.
1 person likes this
@AbbyGreenhill (45490)
• United States
29 Oct 15
@Marilynda1225 I have three that are $125/90 day supply, my husband has one, but his others are cheap (thank goodness, and next year will be free). One of mine is my inhaler and that I really depend on that one.
@AbbyGreenhill (45490)
• United States
29 Oct 15
Yes, but it was worse last year when my husband was it in too!
1 person likes this
@Marilynda1225 (91126)
• United States
29 Oct 15
@AbbyGreenhill I have Medicare but no prescription coverage so everything I pay is out of pocket. Thank goodness my prescriptions are affordable
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