Reminder: $4 Generic Prescription Drugs Are Available Without Health Insurance

With the COBRA health insurance subsidy expiring for many who have become unemployed during the economic downturn, we just wanted to remind everyone that $4 generic drugs are available for many commonly-prescribed prescription drugs. Even if you have health insurance, $4 generic drugs can still save you a lot of money on your prescriptions.

Hundreds of common generic prescription drugs are available for $4 for a 30-day supply at numerous large retailers around the country, including Wal-Mart, Sam’s Club, Costco, Target, Kroger’s, and Safeway, just to name a few.

With many prescription drugs having co-payments of $10 or more apiece and retail prices of much more, being able to fill a prescription for $4 for a month’s supply can mean a significant savings to many. It can represent a huge savings to someone with a chronic condition who needs several prescriptions a month as many senior citizens do.

For example, if you usually take 4 separate prescription drugs with a co-pay of $10 apiece, the cost of your prescription drugs would usually be $480 annually. Switch to generic prescription drugs at a cost of $4 apiece, and your annual prescription drug costs drop to $192 annually, a savings of $288.

Getting started can be as easy as taking a list of the prescription drugs that you currently use to your doctor along with a list of the generic prescription drugs available on the $4 generic prescription drug problem at your local Wal-Mart, Sam’s Club, Costco, Target, etc.

If any of the available $4 generic prescription drugs is an acceptable substitute for the drugs on your list, you can switch your prescription to the new pharmacy which is usually as easy as a telephone call. If your doctor is willing to write a prescription for a 90 day supply, your costs can be even lower, usually $10 for each 90 day supply.

For more on saving on your prescription drugs, generic drugs, and other related topics, visit MyHealthCafe.com:

Basic Tips for Saving On Your Prescription Drugs

Generic Drugs-What Are They? Are They Safe?

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The COBRA Health Insurance Subsidy: What to Do If Your COBRA Health Insurance Subsidy Is Running Out

With the latest COBRA health insurance subsidy extension expiring last month, it’s not only the newly-unemployed will be watching Congress closely when it returns from recess this week. The first recipients of the COBRA health insurance subsidy are watching their lifeline to affordable health insurance disappearing and wondering what is next if Congress chooses not to pass another extension of the COBRA subsidy.

The COBRA health insurance subsidy was a godsend to the thousands of unemployed who received it as part of the economic stimulus package. First passed in February of 2009, the COBRA health insurance subsidy gave the thousands unemployed during the economic downturn an affordable way to maintain their health insurance for an extended period of time and hopefully, until they could find another job.

Generally, COBRA allows people who leave their job to keep their health insurance through their former employer for 18 months, as long as they pay the full health insurance premium plus an administration fee or 2-3%. However, with the full cost of a family health insurance plan averaging over $13,000 annually, health insurance even through COBRA isn’t affordable to most on an unemployment check.

By subsidizing up to 65% of the COBRA health insurance premiums of those who were laid off, the federal COBRA health insurance subsidy gave many unemployed Americans a realistic chance to maintain their health insurance until they could find another job with health insurance. However, the COBRA health insurance subsidy only lasts 15 months, and the first recipients of the COBRA health insurance subsidy are seeing their benefits expire.

What To Do for Health Insurance if Your COBRA Health Insurance Subsidy is Expiring

If your COBRA health insurance subsidy is expiring, don’t panic! You still have some options for health insurance even without the COBRA health insurance subsidy. Here are some of your most likely health insurance options:

• Health Insurance through COBRA without the Subsidy. Even though the COBRA health insurance subsidy is expiring, you are still eligible for health insurance through COBRA for another three months. Depending on your health status and if you have a pre-existing condition, this may be your best and most affordable option if you need medical care during those three months.

• Private Health Insurance. If you are young and healthy, your may be able to find an individual health insurance policy that covers your healthcare needs and is more affordable than health insurance through COBRA.

• State “Mini-COBRA.” 40 states offer so-called “Mini-COBRA” programs which supplement the main federal COBRA benefits. Mini-COBRA can provide additional health insurance benefits for up to 36 months but can also be an expensive option.

• Medicaid. If you are a low-income American, you may qualify for health insurance coverage through Medicaid.

• State High-Risk Health Insurance Pools. If you have a pre-existing condition and are turned down for private health insurance, you may be eligible for your state high-risk health insurance pool. (Although the new federal high-risk health insurance pools under healthcare reform will be both more affordable and more comprehensive in coverage than the state pools, in order to qualify for a federal pool, you must have been uninsured for at least six months).

• The Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). Even if you are unable to afford health insurance for yourself, your children may qualify for the Children’s Health Insurance Program (usually called “CHIP”).

For more on health insurance options, visit MyHealthCafe.com:

COBRA-What You Need to Know

Pre-existing Conditions-What You Need to Know

Medicaid-What Is It?

State High-Risk Health Insurance Pools

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What Is the Cost of Non-Vaccination? A Study in Choosing Not to Vaccinate Your Child

It’s no secret that early vaccination is one of the cheapest and most effective ways to prevent many serious childhood diseases such as polio, measles, mumps, rubella, hepatitis, and influenza. Many vaccines are widely available to children for little to no cost, and have been proven to prevent diseases which can cause serious complications. For example, complications from measles include pneumonia, inflammation of the brain, blindness and even death. Nearly 450 people die of measles every day, and more than 90% are children under 5. Even in otherwise healthy people in developed countries, the fatality rate from measles 3 deaths per thousand cases, or 0.3%.

Moreover, the public health costs can be staggering of non-vaccination can be staggering. A single unvaccinated child exposed to the measles virus while abroad resulted in the San Diego measles outbreak of 2008 which included exposures of nearly 850 people to the measles virus, 11 actual cases (all unvaccinated children) and the hospitalization of one infant too young to be vaccinated. Total cost to the public: more than $175,000, enough to cover vaccinations for nearly 180,000 children.

So we thought the Los Angeles Times article by pediatric resident Pamela Nguyen this week was particularly interesting. In the article, Dr. Nguyen describes the an encounter with a mother who despite understanding the dangers of measles and other vaccine-preventable diseases still knowingly chooses not to vaccinate her child:

And yet, many parents continue not to vaccinate their children. I see such children frequently. Last fall, when I entered an examination room, a 5-year-old patient loudly yelled “Get out!” Her mother apologized, then explained. “Sorry, she’s never gotten S-H-O-T-S before.”

Confused, I looked down at the chart to confirm that the patient was in for H1N1 and seasonal flu vaccines. Seeing that she was, I seized the opportunity to offer her catch-up vaccines as well, but her mother declined. She explained matter-of-factly that it was because the flu was “going around” whereas the other vaccine-preventable diseases, she said, were no longer a threat.

She went on to tell me that she was a lawyer who had grown up in a country where measles is still endemic. Since moving to the U.S., she had never known anyone to suffer from measles, but she did know several children who had autism. So, while she understood that vaccinations had not been definitively shown to cause autism, she felt that, here in America, the risk of autism was a bigger threat than that of vaccine-preventable diseases.

So we thought today we would ask you all if you vaccinate your children, and if not, why not?

Want to talk about it? Visit us at the MyHealthCafe.com Forums.

Walk-In Clinics, A New Alternative

Your child has a runny nose and is complaining of a pounding headache. You think it may be a sinus infection, but how to be sure when you can’t get an appointment with your pediatrician for three days?

What to do, what to do? What are your options?

•Take your child to the nearest emergency room Although the emergency room will have the most resources to diagnose or treat your child, usually there is a very long wait, as the emergency room will treat what they consider as potentially life-threatening first. Emergency rooms will also be your most expensive option, potentially costing several hundred dollars and may or may not be covered by your health insurance depending on the situation.

•Go to an urgent care center Urgent care centers tend to be cheaper than emergency rooms, but usually are still expensive. They also may have limited hours. Again, if you have health insurance, check with your plan first – many require a referral from your primary care manager to be seen at an urgent care center.

•Go to a retail walk-in clinic In the last few years, retail walk-in clinics have been opening in pharmacies, stores such as Wal-Mart, and workplaces across the United States. What these clinics offer is relatively inexpensive, same-day treatment for certain common conditions, so they can be a convenient alternative when you need quick treatment for something uncomplicated.

What is a Retail Walk-In Clinic?

A retail walk-in clinic is a clinic set up to treat certain common conditions, usually staffed by licensed nurse practitioners. These staff nurse practitioners have been specially trained to work in clinics and can write a prescription for you, if necessary. If the clinic is staffed by a nurse practitioner, a physician should be on-call in the event the nurse practitioner needs a consultation or an emergency arises.

Why use a Retail Walk-In Clinic?

Generally, people visit retail walk-in clinics for two major reasons: convenience and cost.

Retail walk-in clinics are designed to be convenient. Most are located in major thoroughfares that are convenient to most people such as workplaces, pharmacies and large stores. They often have evening and weekend hours and some even guarantee short waiting times, a huge plus if you have busy schedule or a pressing issue and have been having a hard time getting an appointment with your doctor.

In addition, many clinics also advertise that the price of their services is much lower than if you had waited to see your doctor. Some post their prices for each service on their websites and on a board outside the clinics. While it is impossible to say whether your local clinic does indeed charge less than your doctor, it may well be worth investigating if you have a simple condition that needs treatment.

In addition to cash, check and credit cards, many clinics accept health insurance. However, not all health insurance will cover treatment by a retail walk-in clinic. If you have any doubt, call your insurance company prior to visiting a clinic.

What Conditions do Retail Walk-In Clinics Treat?

This varies from clinic to clinic, so we recommend that you consult with your local clinic’s website or call ahead before making a visit. However, retail walk-in clinics typically treat the following:

•Sinus infections and upper respiratory conditions,

•Skin conditions such as warts and eczema,

•Bladder infections,

•Minor injuries such as burns and sprains,

•Strep throat, and

•Minor eye infections such as pink eye and styes.

Some clinics may also provide other services such as flu and tetanus vaccinations, pregnancy tests, and routine physicals.

Keep in Mind!

If you do visit a retail walk-in clinic, remember to tell your doctor about any care or prescriptions you received afterwards.

You want to make sure that your medical history is complete!

For more on affordable healthcare, visit MyHealthCafe.com:

Some Simple Ways to Cut Your Healthcare Costs

Basic Tips for Saving On Your Prescription Drugs

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Can the Obama Administration and the Health Insurers Get Along?

In the wake of our blog yesterday about the appointments to the new Office of Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight, The New York Times had an interesting analysis of the new uneasy relationship between the Obama Administration and the health insurance industry:

White House officials desperately want to demonstrate that the new law is succeeding, preferably before midterm elections this fall. To fulfill public expectations, they need the cooperation of health insurance companies, the same industry reviled by many Democrats as greedy and amoral.

If insurers do not deliver health care to consumers at a price they can afford, many Democrats will renew their push for a government-run health plan, or public option, to compete with private insurers.

If premiums continue to soar, the administration could blame the industry, as it has in the past. But Republicans could claim vindication for their view that “ObamaCare” was deeply flawed and would not solve the core problem, the rising cost of health care.

Insurers are trying to develop a new business model. They will be regulated somewhat like a public utility. Starting in 2014, they must accept all applicants and can no longer make money by selecting healthy customers and excluding the sick.

Mr. Obama and his team, which includes at least three former state insurance commissioners, also face a huge challenge: how to regulate and work productively with an industry they profoundly distrust.

Major provisions of the law, including a requirement for most Americans to have insurance, take effect in January 2014.

“You can’t beat up on the health insurance industry for three years and then tell everybody that you have to buy insurance from these guys,” said Robert E. Zirkelbach, a spokesman for America’s Health Insurance Plans, a lobby for the industry.

Do you think that the Obama Administration and the health insurers will be able to play nice? Tell us about it at the MyHealthCafe.com Forums.

Retirement: It’s Not Just About Taxes and the Grandkids

If you are close to retirement, you may be thinking about making a number of changes in your life such as post-retirement work opportunities, downsizing, or planning long-awaited travel. One major change that many recent retirees make is moving away from the home they have lived in for many years to a home in a new state.

In the past, the decision to move to a new state has been a relatively simple matter of moving closer to family, moving to a more tax-friendly state and/or moving to a more sunny and temperate climate. However, as healthcare and medical expenses may begin to take up an ever-greater part of your time and budget, here are a few things to keep in mind, especially if you have any medical conditions which require ongoing care:

•If you have a medical condition which requires ongoing care, what access will you have to the necessary doctors and facilities that you will need? If you need to visit a doctor on a weekly basis and the closest appropriate doctor is over an hour away, you should consider that factor. Even if you do not have an ongoing condition, where is the closest hospital that could treat you if you have a medical emergency?

•Does the health plan you are a member of provide coverage in the area you are planning to move to? Group model HMOs such as Kaiser only have clinics and hospitals in limited states and cities. Most Blue Cross health plans are limited to individual states. If your current plan doesn’t have the coverage you need, is there another affordable health plan you can enroll in? Even if you are moving in-state, your health plan may not provide coverage throughout your entire state.

•If you are able to continue with your previous coverage, will your premiums increase? Even if you are able to continue with your previous coverage, health insurance companies are not required to continue your coverage at the same premiums if you move.

•Where are the closest doctors and other providers that are members of your health plan’s network? If there are relatively few in-network providers near your new home, you may want to consider switching to another plan if you can.

•Do you plan to travel a lot? Are you a “snowbird” spending stretches of time in different parts of the country? If so, it is important that you look into coverage when traveling away from home, including air medical transfers back home.

• If you have ongoing prescriptions for medication, how much will your prescriptions cost near your new home? The cost of prescription medications can vary wildly from area to area, and it can be well worth your while to do a little research if this is a significant part of your monthly budget. If you are considering spending stretches of time in different parts of the country, does it make sense to stock up on your prescriptions where they’re cheaper before moving on for the rest of the year? (This may be subject to dosing limits set by your plan for refill). Mail order may also be a good option to explore, if offered by your plan.

It pays to do your research before you move. You don’t want a nasty surprise regarding your healthcare or coverage to ruin the beginning of this new phase of your life!

For more on retirement and related topics, visit MyHealthCafe.com:

Medicare Basics-What Is It? Who Does It Cover? What Does It Cover?

Medicare Part D-The Basics

Medigap-Medicare Supplemental Health Insurance Plans

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Healthcare Reform: Should You Put Your Child on Student Health Insurance or Your Own Health Insurance Policy

If you have been following the healthcare reform news, you probably know that under healthcare reform you now have the option of keeping your child on your health insurance policy under they are 26. However, if your child is currently in college you may be wondering whether it would be better and cheaper just to put your child on his or her college’s student health insurance program (which is usually quite inexpensive) rather than keeping them on your health insurance policy.

Does Keeping Your Child on Your Health Insurance Make Sense?

The answer actually depends on a few different factors and circumstances. If your child is in college across the country, your health insurance policy may not be of much use to him or her in the event she does get sick. Even if your child isn’t across the country, if your health insurance’s network of doctors and hospitals just doesn’t extend to where he or she is going to school, it’s probably not a good idea to try and keep them on your health insurance.

In addition, if you have a relatively expensive “Cadillac” health insurance policy or if you live in a part of the country where health insurance is very expensive (such as New York), you might also want to consider whether a simpler, less-expensive health insurance policy like a student health insurance plan might make more sense for your son or daughter.

But Does Student Health Insurance Make More Sense?

But before you put your child on student health insurance, make sure you go over the student health insurance plan with your child carefully. Starting in October, all health insurance plans, including student health insurance plans, will be required to eliminate lifetime maximums on health insurance coverage and most annual maximums as well. Currently, many student health insurance plans have maximums as low as $25,000.

However, healthcare reform does not eliminate potential other health insurance trouble spots for students (and their families) on a budgets, such as deductibles, copays, out-of-pocket spending limits, and prescription drug caps, as well as health insurance coverage in specific areas such as emergency medical care, maternity care and mental health.

Student health insurance has traditionally been designed at a young, healthy and budget-conscious population, so health insurance coverage has tended to be light and cheap. That may or may not make sense for you and your child, so take a few minutes to take a close look at any student health insurance plan before you sign your child up.

For more on student health insurance and related topics, visit MyHealthCafe.com:

Student Health Insurance

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