I know we are called Taxachusetts, but this is riduclous...

[glo]

picked up my med refills, which I have enough of to do each month, and had a new nasty suprise. From now on there is a tax of $1.30 on each prescription filled. I picked up 5 prescriptions and had to pay $6.50 I still have to fill three more this month Me thinks I will start asking for two month supplies at a time in my prescriptions when I go to the Dr. next time I guess we have to pay for the BIG DIg some way

Can anyone tell me when this happened?

 

[EROS]

Glo, Medicaid (MassHealth) is basically a state administered program with a small federal contribution. To offset increasing deficits, a $1.30/Rx was initiated Jan 1 on ALL Massachusetts Rxs to defray some of the Medicaid overruns. In addition, Medicaid recipients now have to pay $2.00/Rx; previously they only paid $0.50/Rx.

Soooooooooo, your extra $6.50 is helping to assist the poor and disabled obtain meds via Medicaid. You helped some fellow human beings today .......

 

[amid chaos]

Glo, it went into effect January 1....stinks,huh?

 

[amid chaos]

But eros...how is this helping a senior citizen who was barely able to pay for prescriptions before January 1?

 

[TheLionKing]

So healthy people who don't have to buy prescriptions don't have to subsidize MassHealth.

That seems fair.

 

[olena]

Would you have to pay that, if you had your meds delivered in 3 month supplies? I mean, if they did, would you have to triple the tax?

 

[Mackey Mouse]

Oh well.........another reason to move out of MA......when is it enough... 1/3 to the government and 2/3 for us and I do not want to hear you have make it to pay it.. cuz it still hurts..

What did I hear today about legislators about their not paying state taxes or something???? or did I dream it??

 

[janette]

Can you do mail order and get around it? It saves us some to get the regular medications mail order but we don't have any taxes here. With our insurance the co-pay is the same for 30 days or 90 days.

 

[glo]

YOu know EROS I do not mind helping out, but why should those who need meds to survive have to dish out even more. I do not mind helping, but aren't I already suffering enough having this god awful disease? I will help the poor and disabled, but I best not be paying for some 16 year olds birth control pills. I know an once of prevention and all, but I would rather the elderly who can't afford the meds get my contribution. I know you will not agree with my points, but enough is enough. Believe me olena I will be asking my Dr. to do just that next time I go in.

 

[Eeyore2U]

It's one of the reasons I moved.

Eros, my sources tell me the tax is a way to offset budget shortfalls not bail out Medicaid. This was going to passed on to the insurance carriers in MA but the said, if you do that we'll raise rates and we'll have an explanation why. It hits the public and I think the reason was the response may lead to change.

Glo, as far as getting two months filled. It's not likely to happen at the pharmacy. There are dispensing limits set by the FDA as to how much and when you get a refill. Maintenance meds let you get a three month supply. My guess is like any mailorder you get delivered to MA you'll be paying the tax on those too.

 

[EROS]

Originally posted by TheLionKing
So healthy people who don't have to buy prescriptions don't have to subsidize MassHealth.

That seems fair.

LOL........ We look through the looking glass here

Amid Chaos: The Seniors are caught in a different vice. MEDICARE (not medicaid) provides NO Rx relief for outpatients until Congress gets off its butt . Thus many Seniors without 3rd party coverage or Medex have to pay the ridiculous prices demanded by pharmaceutical companies. ......

Massachusetts is running a 3 BILLION DOLLAR deficit next year, but that's "small potatoes" compared to the LION KING'S country, aka Calif, where I think that they running over 30 BILLION in the red............OUCH!!!!

 

[Mskanga]

So let's see if I get this right...it helps people on medicaid but not the elderly on medicare?? how can that be possible??
And now they tax meds so offset the deficit?? why don't they tax lottery gambling or other luxuries that people spend money on? I often see people at work spending $40-50 or more a day in lottery.
They don't tax food at the supermarket but they tax meds, it doesn't make any sense. Somebody needs to be regulated!
Glo , dh and I get 3 months supplies at a time for the meds we have to take for the rest of our lives, good luck!

 

[SeaSpray]

glo:

Thanks for posting this thread because I would not have expected to pay this new "tax" the next time I go to CVS. I hadn't heard about it until just now. It really is ridiculous.

DH is on several long-term medications, including diabetes supplies, that we get in 3-month supply's worth through our insurance company's mail order service. I wonder if we will have to pay $1.30 for each of these now?? That would add well over $10. to our bill. As it is, we were paying over $200 a month for DH's prescriptions, now it's better because we get the 3-months supply, but it's still not inexpensive, that's for sure. I take Zyrtec-D for allergies year round and I get them the same way, 3-months supply, via mail.