ordering medication through mailorder

[hulagirl87]

Has anyone done this? DH uses an inhaler for his asthma and he wants to get 2 at a time (one for work one for home). Insurance will not cover this unless through mailorder. I wouldn't know where to look for something like that. Any suggestions? Anyone done it before?

 

[dawson5]

ask your HR person. Ours has always been included with our health insurance package. We were able to get a 3 month supply for my son's medication for $50. If I went to the pharmacy it was $100/mo. They've switched to a new company and it's now $75 but still a value. They've switched our policy where I can get prescriptions at the pharmacy for $30, so not a huge savings anymore (his prescription is a pain to fill, otherwise I would send off). PrecisionRX is who they recommended the first time around.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

Get it thru mailorder then. With our insurance, ALL maintenance meds MUST be gotten thru mailorder.

Your insurance should tell you the procedure to get this done if it is covered.

 

[golfgal]

With our old insurance we had to do this too. The company we used had a system where you could set it up that they would automatically mail you your meds if you are on a maintenance med. I never had a problem doing this but I still prefer to go to a drug store.

 

[dakcp2001]

I have been using Express Scripts for years, I just pay one copay and get 90 day supply. Its a PITA if you wait until the last minute, due to the turnover of the mail but if you order early it is great!

 

[MIGrandma]

My Mom gets her meds from Medco, and I'm considering calling my insurance company and asking if I can use them as well.

I get my prescriptions filled at Wal-Mart and I'm getting tired of having to pick them up there. Many times I'd like to pick them up in the evening, but the pharmacy closes at 6:00 and they aren't open at all on Sundays. Getting them through the mail would be so much easier, and hopefully 3-mo. supplies on ALL of them, not just a few.

 

[lovetoscrap]

Your company should have a contract with a specific mail order place. Check with HR or your insurance paperwork/website. We have this option but it is actually cheaper for us to get our meds locally than through our mail order place. Especially with the discount programs many places offer these days ($4 meds). Check with Walmart and Target and see if his inhaler is covered by one of those.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

Your company should have a contract with a specific mail order place. Check with HR or your insurance paperwork/website. We have this option but it is actually cheaper for us to get our meds locally than through our mail order place. Especially with the discount programs many places offer these days ($4 meds). Check with Walmart and Target and see if his inhaler is covered by one of those.

True. We have the list at WalMart for the 4 dollar meds. If we can get those we buy our meds without insurance.

I can't tell you how many times you have to tell them you are not using your insurance.

 

[piglet50]

dh company policy works with express scripts. we get 3 months prescription for the price of 2 months. agree with the above poster, once you get set up, don't wait to late to re-order because of mailing time. also, our dr. can fax prescriptions in to save mailing time. for us it's a good bargain and if you plan ahead a good service and time saver.

 

[TaraPA]

Ditto. Our Aetna plan ONLY pays for mail-order rx anymore for maintenance meds. You asked where to shop for them - with ours we have no choice, they must be ordered through Aetna Prescription At Home Delivery. You should have info on this in your enrollment packet or from HR. It's VERY convenient once it's set up, and for us it's much cheaper than going to the pharmacy.

 

[Micca]

I've been getting mail-order scripts for years. It's a snap once you get it all set up. As someone mentioned, just don't wait till the last minute to get your refills. I don't miss standing around in a pharmacy to wait for my meds and the huge expense one little bit.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

Ditto. Our Aetna plan ONLY pays for mail-order rx anymore for maintenance meds. You asked where to shop for them - with ours we have no choice, they must be ordered through Aetna Prescription At Home Delivery. You should have info on this in your enrollment packet or from HR. It's VERY convenient once it's set up, and for us it's much cheaper than going to the pharmacy.

Ours is CareMark, no choice here either.

We are only allowed 2 scripts filled in the pharmacy for maintanance meds. The rest must be thru mail order.

You cannot be late otherwise you have a headache although I have never had a problem with getting an order too late.

When my dd was on growth hormone, they did contract that out to someone else, I think. It was a "special program" or a different dept in Caremark, not sure really.

Or now that I think about it, it was Pfizer sponsored so I guess it was thru them.

 

[2binak]

I'm another person who's prescription plan has a specific online pharmacy that we must order all maintenance meds through. I love the mailorder though - it's so simple and will send you a reminder about 1-2 months out for your next refill.

 

[Morganpics]

We do mailorder almost exclusively. It works very well, we renew through the internet, and within 10 days we have our refills. My plan has changed, name brand is $65 for 90 days, generic is free.

 

[Christine]

I've been mailordering through CareMark for years. Not a big deal. I do hate doing it in the dead of summer though when it is so hot outside. I'm not home during the day and many meds are sensitive to heat. I try real hard not to order in the summer.

 

[DebbieB]

My company uses Express Scripts. It is required for maintenance medications, they will only fill it once at a local pharmacy and then you get hit with surcharges if you continue. When you get a maintenance medication, ask your doctor for a 90 day supply and enough refills to last a year. It's easier to just go online to order refills rather than sending new prescriptions.

 

[DancingBear]

We can get maintenance scrips filled at any pharmacy, but our insurance company has an arrangement with ICORE pharmacy where they can send me 3 months' supply at a time for the cost of 2 co-pays. They send everything 2-day FedEx so it gets here quickly (and in fact they call me a week before my current supply runs out to confirm a delivery date for the resupply). My scrip is for pre-filled syringes that have to be kept refrigerated; they send them in a styrofoam cooler box with ice packs inside. Never had a problem with them except that the receipt in the box does not show payment; I have to call each time to get a receipt that shows payment and the medication that I can use for flexible spending account reimbursement.

 

[3boymthr]

I love the mail order program - we have express scripts.

I pay one co-pay for three months of meds. It's great for DH's meds and for anyone who forgets to re-order on time, check with your dr. We ran into a slight snafu with one of his scripts earlier this year and they prescribed and interim script for 5 days for us. I like that I can order online or via phone. Very easy. He's on all generic's so it doesn't save us a ton, but it does save running to the pharmacy every month. the meds show up in our mailbox about a week after the order no problem.

For DS's ADHD medication it a huge money saver ($250+/yr). He has one of those annoying scripts that's a controlled substance so no matter what it's a pain to get it refilled, but there is an extra annoyance with the timing as the script HAS to be mailed and it HAS to be signed for so I have to make sure I'm home when I know it's been ordered. I know the reasons for this; understand why they do it - my employer was involved in the brouhaha that resulted in the law - but it's still a pain especially as it has to go to my home address

 

[james'mommy]

can your DH doctor prescribe 2 inhalers as one prescription? my sons doctor does this. each time i get it filled we get 2 inhalers and only 1 co pay. my doctor does the same thing with my epi pens.