About this Wal-Mart $4.00 generic prescription deal.......

[TheDebbieDee]

If you don't have insurance, you can get a 30-day supply of your generic medicines for $4.00 each, right? So, it's a good deal for those of us without insurance.

Well, what if those of us WITH insurance get our generic prescriptions filled at Wal-Mart for $4.00, except we don't give Wal-Mart the information they need to get money from your insurance company.......when they ask for an insurance card, you tell you don't have insurance.

There's no law that says you MUST use your insurance to help pay for your prescriptions!

We can beat Wal-Mart at their own game AND take advantage of the $4.00 generic prescription deal.........maybe Wal-Mart will take a bath on this prescription deal and there will be fewer Wal-Mart billionaires in this world!

What do you think?

[TallahasseeGrannie]

1. I didn't know they were going to ask our insurance info

If you are paying their cash price, they don't need to know anything else. It doesn't seem fair that person A can get drugs for $4 and person B is going to pay 60 or more because they have insurance.

[Rosco T.]

2. "maybe Wal-Mart will take a bath on this prescription deal"

and then you're back to paying $60 for your prescriptions...

good ghod people.. when Wal-Mart does something GOOD for a change, don't try to fuck it up for the people that really need it.

[TheDebbieDee]

5. So, I guess that mean you don't like my idea...........

:sarcasm:

[Nikia]

3. Only certain generics

Mostly generics that cost $10 or less at any other pharmacy including Walmart.

[Sen. Walter Sobchak]

4. I would use this deal,

the deductable on my health insurance is so high for drugs that I am further ahead paying out of pocket as it is. Unless the doctor will give me a 6 month supply on my prescription.

[China_cat]

6. For a while, when I had 2 diabetics in the house

using 2 different insulins, we tried Wal-Mart's generic insulins because they were half the price of Lilly. With really bad results. We'd have lost one if we hadn't gone back to the pharmacy for the good stuff...twice as expensive or no.

I don't trust Wal-Mart's pharmacy, even with generics at $4.00. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

[nosillies]

7. Existing insurance coverage has nothing to do with it.

From the fact sheet for the program:

"Generics under this program are subject to change anytime. This program offers up to a 30-day supply of generic drugs on the current list of covered drugs at commonly prescribed dosages for $4 for each prescription fill or refill. Your participation in certain prescription drug coverage plans may entitle you to pay even less than $4 for certain of these generic drugs. If you are eligible, you will be charged the lowest applicable amount. You can get these prescription drug savings whether
or not you have any prescription drug coverage through your company, under Medicare or any other plan. The list of covered generic drugs is subject to change. Not all generic prescription drugs are covered by this program. Only prescriptions filled in person are eligible for the $4 program. This price does not apply to prescriptions filled by mail order. Prescriptions refilled may be ordered online or by telephone, but must be picked up in person at a participating Wal-Mart pharmacy.
See your Wal-Mart pharmacist for further details."

Therefore, you'd get the cheapest price regardless of your coverage.

And Wal-Mart does not manufacture these generic drugs. They are the same generics that would be found at other pharmacies. So inferior quality is not an issue.

Although it seems that hating Wal-Mart is a requirement here these days, the bottom line is that wider availability of affordable prescription medication will improve the quality of life for many, and in some instances may save lives. And the bottom line is that Wal-Mart is now providing more affordable medication. In many markets, other pharmacies are now matching this offer, so people can take advantage of the deal and still be good Wal-mart haters, if necessary.

[Pugee]

8. A local pharmacy here was interviewed on the news

and stated that most of the drugs on the list are below $4 at any pharmacy. They implied that it is only the common cheap drugs on the list.

[nosillies]

9. I'm actually saving on my prescription.

The generic was $11 at my other pharmacy, $4 at Wal-Mart. Not a big savings, granted, but it would matter to some. And the lower price which can be found at most pharmacies is applicable only for the insured, not the uninsured. Those on Medicare D can especially benefit from this program, as they won't be hit so hard by the after-the-cap payments they must make on drugs.

"The price point on some drugs will be up to 75% cheaper than competitors such as Walgreen ."
http://retail.seekingalpha.com/article/17359

And other big pharms have been quickly matching Wal-Mart's program in areas where it's offered. They wouldn't be scrambling to do so if their prices were going to be competitive anyway.

Sure, there are plenty of reasons to nitpick the program. Wal-Mart's still not paying enough healthcare coverage for their workers. Sure, some drugs on the list, like ibuprofen, are cheap anyway. Yeah, getting people to their pharmacy will lead to other sales. But I seriously doubt the senior who can now afford much-needed meds because saving even $7 a month makes a world of difference really gives a shit. No one is forcing anyone to buy meds at Wal-Mart, so I just don't see the point in knocking a beneficial program.

Nothing to you personally, Pugee, but on the topic as a whole, it's like we're saying:

"Hey, us progressives are all about helping poor people, unless Wal-Mart (or ABC, or Disney, or insert boycotted group du jour) has anything to do with giving help -- in that case, we don't care about you poor person, because we'd rather stick it to 'em."

[Pugee]

13. I am not knocking it at all!!

Just saying...

[Hangingon]

10. My grandmother taught me this is stealing...

[TheDebbieDee]

11. Stealing? How so?

How is not using your insurance "stealing"?

[Hangingon]

12. Withholding your insurance info is dishonest and

it defrauds WalMart of the insurance repay.

[windbreeze]

15. ok, let me tell you a little story about insurance repay

has nothing to do with WalMart Pharmacy, but a local one...and my insurance copay since you were concerned about someone being cheated...I take one prescription per month...so a few years ago...when the insurance co. raised my co pay from $5 to $15 a month...AND...30 pills at a time, was all they would allow....I asked the local pharmacist, how much will 100 pills cost me out of pocket vs insurance w/copay...$29 vs $50 was the answer...so she was telling me, that paying for them OUT of MY OWN POCKET was cheaper, almost half price ...yep...that insurance co pay is quite the racket...for someone...

My question then was..When is a copay, not a copay??? when you are paying full price + for pills, because you are using your insurance card at the pharmacy....I was paying $6 in excess of FULL PRICE for the pills, every month...I thought it was supposed to be a CO-PAY..apparently there was no copay about it for the insurance co..wonder who was getting the kickback???

I will make the best deals I can make...with or w/o insurance..and if Walmart was worried about being cheated, they wouldn't be offering prescriptions of any kind for $4...generic or otherwise...they most likely buy millions of pills...so they are still making money...
windbreeze

[madokie]

17. we had a similar deal on my wifes bp meds a couple years ago

full price is cheaper than her co pay was, when this was brought to the insurance companys attention all we got was a :shrug:

[Nikia]

28. Happened to me also

Luckily, my local pharmacist was honest and I am not using my insurance for the perscriptions that I currently get. I don't know if they are always honest or if it is the fact that I didn't have insurance was I intially transferred my perscriptions to there.
Insurance is supposed to help one pay for medical expenses. If it doesn't, there is no use to using it. Now perhaps if I had a more expensive perscription, the insurance might save me money, but on the two that I take regularly it doesn't save me money.

[windbreeze]

31. So I see some do ask

and that's a good thing....I was pissed at my pharmacy, and they knew it..I figured they should have had the integrity to tell me I was being overcharged, but they didn't, and they did NOT answer the question about where that extra money I was paying every month was going either...unfortunately we live in a very small rural community of only a couple thousand people...to go somewhere else...would mean a 60 mile round trip...

wb

[windbreeze]

30. yep....they don't like questions either

because you aren't supposed to think for yourself...think of the money being made on the sneak, of the millions of trusting people who use their insurance and copays for every prescription....people just naturally believe that their insurance company is looking out for them....that isn't true....people forget it's big business, and the bottom line is...insurance companies, and drug companies look out for themselves FIRST and FOREMOST...

We found the same thing with my husband's blood pressure meds...$15 for 30 pills w/ins....$10 for 100 pills w/o ins....more people should ask questions...
wb

[Spangle]

14. The Uninsured generally pays more

More profit per pill (or service) is made on the uninsured. Because the insurance company pays a 'discounted' rate for meds and doctor services for those who are insured.

Service $250 charge

Sally has no insurance. She has to pay $250 up front to get the medical service.

I have insurance. I pay $20 co-pay. The medical billing bills my insurance $250 and tells them I paid $20. The insurance sends them a statement showing the 'agreed' amount is $75 for that service and cuts them a check for $55.

Same procedure. The medical billing gets $250 for Sally. $75 for me.

Those without Insurance generally are the ones who get the shaft. Because they can't make a worth while agreement with the medical field. And they can't buy meds in bulk. The only 'discounts' for the meds, are those who buy in bulk. For meds that are taken daily, I have to order my meds through the insurance company. This saves the insurance company $$$, cause they can buy the meds in bulk. Striking 'deals' with the manufactors. Those without insurance? They just can't get that price.

If Wal-Mart was doing this just for the uninsured, this would be a very, very rare time that those without insurance would be getting a decent price from the medical industry. If the insured 'jumped in', then wal-mart might have changed their mind. But Wal-Mart knows they can't make a situation where we lied about having insurance. Because then the insured would no longer come to them for their other meds. IT's all on recored. Either you have insurance or you don't.

[DocSavage]

16. The Deal

Wal-Mart offers a 30 DOSE supply of medicine for the 4 buck price. Even then, on some things they are making 3 dollars in profit. Well not really, it does cost money fill the perscription. The whole idea is that the patient will move all of thier perscriptions to wal-mart to be filled. Then they can make some money. But trust me, the margin in persciptions is not like it used to be. The key is volume. Always ask the cash price of your perscription first if you have a high co-pay. Many times you can get a 100 count bottle for less than the 3 month co-pay. Always be aware of when certain drugs go generic. 1 week of december Zofran goes generic, Pravachol just went generic. Ask around and look on the internet. When you go to the doc, he is going to write for the newest drugs out there (if it is a new condition), that is what drug reps do. Get a script for zocor 20mg, ask for 40 mg, buy a pill cutter, cheaper.

Wal-mart is smart and they are going to drive the market, that is what they do. It is a good deal, if you are willing to go and get a script filled more than once a month. Do the math, is 30 Allopurinal 300mg or 30 Atenolol cheaper at 4 bucks per fill than 90 with a co-pay? you have to decide.

[robcon]

18. In other words, the Walmart deal is terrific.

If Walmart wants to use prescriptions as a loss leader - more power to 'em.

[DocSavage]

19. Every drug

store does that. Look at where the pharmacies are in Walgreen's, CVS, Osco, all in the back. You have to walk thru 120 feet of retail space to get your script. Alot of the PBM's have set fees of AWP - 15% with a dispensing fee. Say the AWP of 100 Colchicine is 100 bucks. Cost will be around 67-70. PBM will pay the phmarace $85 plus a dispensing fee of say 7.50 for that 100 count bottle. So the pharmacy has 70 dollars in the drug, gets paid $92.50. Profit of 22.50. What a racket you say. On some drugs yes, the spread is pretty good between AWP and cost. On others it is not, never mind that a pharmacy has to stock a lot of product, some of that very expensive ($10 per dose). Then there is overhead for the store. If the spread is only 1-2 dollars, (we compare spreads on our inventory almost daily) then you actually can loose money each time you fill a script. Oh, and if you are filling for a medicaid patient and they do not want to pay the co-pay, you cannot refuse service. Want to guess how much money we are owed in co-pays?

[Orsino]

23. Their goal is a world in which there are no other stores...

...or one in which most people simply cannot afford to shop anywhere else, which might come to the same thing. Wal-Mart is already too big, with monopolies in too many communities.

AT&T was smaller when we broke it up.

[DocSavage]

25. What?

not afford to shop anywhere else? What the heck does that mean. Wal-mart is not competing with Nordstoms, Dillards, Goldwaters, Macy's or any other higher end store. Wal-Mart is not a monopoly. When ATT was in existence, you had no choice. Well, you can go to Target, K-Mart, Sears, Penny's, even shop at thrift stores. While there may be limited competition available in some communities, in others, Target is going head to head with Wal-mart putting super stores within 5 miles of Wal-mart super centers. Evidently, there is room in the marketplace for a couple of big box stores in the same community.

I heard on CNBC the other morning that 75% of americans shop at wal-mart. Guess that they are doing somthing right. And 75% of americans do not live in a town where wal-mart is the only choice.

[Orsino]

27. "Limited competition available in some communities"...

...is exactly what I referred to. And I said that Wal-Mart's goal is to be the only store.

That they kill local businesses, lower average wages and decrease competition mean that they are doing something wrong. Those wonderful low prices are enjoyed by a lot of people who fail to appreciate the real cost.

[Generic Other]

35. Someone on another thread raised the issue of predatory pricing

Will Walmart drive others out of business, then raise prices when they are the only pharmacy in an area?

[Orsino]

37. "Sixteen Tons" answers that.

If they'll lower prices to kill off competition, we shouldn't expect that any moral fiber will keep them from raising them once they're a monopoly. Wal-Mart will continue to operate in such a manner as to squeeze as much money as possible out of our communities and send it to the Bentonville cabal.

[Nikia]

29. My Atenolol is $4 at a local pharmacy

I don't think that they would sell it at a loss.

[etherealtruth]

20. From the news stories I've heard about this ...

(mainly on public radio)... Walmart does not intend for those with insurance to use it on the drugs that are being offered at $4.00; they EXPECT everyone to just pay the $4.

I'm not a fan of Walmart, but my understanding is that this is a good thing (bad companies/people sometimes do good things).

[rucky]

21. And then they'll stop the policy & the uninsured will suffer.

I say (and I never thought I'd say this) Good On Wal-Mart for starting this program!

[etherealtruth]

22. From what I've heard ....

Walmart's intent is charging everyone the $4, insured or uninsured. I'm with you, this sounds like a good program (regardless of what one thinks of Walmart)

[tammywammy]

24. Well, a coworker of mine

Who does have insurance got a prescription filled at Walmart and it only cost her $2. Having insurance doesn't effect the price at Walmart, unless it's to make it cheaper from what I know.

Walmart did a good thing here, I don't think anyone should punish them over it.

[DocSavage]

26. Agreed

but to some on this board, Wal-Mart is the icon of corporate evil.

[OzarkDem]

33. Agree, its a good start

though some of the drug stores are crying unfair competition.

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

32. Wait. Are You Declaring We Now Have Animosity Toward Them For Doing Something Right?

God it'll never cease to amaze me how narrow-minded and ridiculous some can be.

Talk about cutting off your nose to spite your face. With all due respect, this has to be one of the silliest and most illogical requests I've ever seen here. Just completely ill-conceived.

[Cleita]

34. There used to be a law, at least here in California, that you

couldn't sell anything for less than what it cost wholesale. The reason was to insure more sales tax rather than less, and also to cut out unfair practices in competition. So if those laws are still on the books Wal-Mart could be in violation of the law in states that have similar laws on the books.

[Rosemary2205]

36. Costco is still cheaper.

I am about to get pharm coverage again but have not had it for quite a few years. Costco's cash price for all my drugs combined is $20 a month cheaper than Walmart even with the $4 generics. -- and $20 is a lot of money at my house.

[bleedingheart]

38. check the fine print...there are agreements you must sign

to get these kind of deals and buried deep in that paperwork are things that might make you liable for being deceptive.