Vent: I was overcharged for my prescriptions

[Heidi Loves Disney]

I am so freaking mad about a stupid $12.

I got 2 prescriptions today after my doctor appointment. My regular pharmacy didn't have one of the prescriptions and wouldn't have it until Wednesday, so I was advised to go to CVS.

CVS had the 2 medications. They asked if I had insurance, which I did. I didn't have my insurance card with me. I asked how much the prescription was for cash and was told they couldn't tell me. I was told they couldn't do anything for me without my prescription card and like an idiot I drove 10 miles back and forth to get the prescription card I left at my house.

I was charged $10 copay for each prescription. Then later I found out that each prescription cost less than $4 cash each.

I was charged $20 for 2 prescriptions that would have cost me less than $8 had I paid cash, and they refused to tell me the cash price when I asked.

My friend who works there told me that if they know you have insurance, they aren't allowed to tell you the cash price. Instead they just charge you the copay price even if your copay is 3 times more than the cash price.

I can't believe CVS can get away with that. I don't want to make waves because my friend works for CVS as a pharmacy tech, but I am just so angry.

I know it's only $12, but I could have bought something else for my family with that $12 instead and feel like I've been ripped off.

It just doesn't seem right, and I wanted to vent about it.

I won't be going back to CVS for prescriptions again. If they do that to me, I wonder how many other people they do that to. It just doesn't seem right.
How can they do that?

 

[Michelle and crew]

It may not just be cvs. Rite Aid wouldn't give me a cash quote, either. I don't know about other places.

Have you asked to talk with the manager for a price adjustment?

 

[kelly1218]

wow....that's crazy!!! I would be PISSED. $12 is 3 gallons of milk.... and my kids would rather have the milk


Thankfully, my insurance is different.

I pay $20% of the cost of the prescription...up to $20 max.

 

[wdwfan16]

What does your regular pharmacy charge?

It is possible that the $4 price they lose money on the deal. They make up the difference by the cost that is paid by the insurance.

 

[Diabolicdesire]

I get all my prescriptions filled at Target and my co pay for generics is 8 dollars. My Loratadine (Generic Claritan) is on their $4.00 prescription list and that is all I get charged. I would call a manager and raise a stink. I've boycotted CVS a long time ago, hate getting anything filled there cause it either takes forever or there is some issue.

I once had waited for a prescription I brought there only cause I had a coupon for 25 gift card with a new prescription. When I went to check out they told me I couldn't use it because the cost of my prescription had to be 25.00. I told them to give me my prescription back and took it to my reg pharmacy.

 

[Heidi Loves Disney]

My regular pharmacy would have charged me $3.86 for one prescription and $4 for the other.

I just called CVS to ask them the price. They wouldn't tell me without looking it up on my chart. I did give them my name, and after being put on hold for about 5 minutes, I was told that the 800 mg of ibuprofen would have cost me $128 cash, and they took a huge loss by only charging me $10. How can that be?

I asked if I heard it right that it's $128 for 800 mg ibuprofen, and was told that is correct.

My other prescription was Amoxicillin.

Both were generic.

 

[mrsklamc]

I asked if I heard it right that it's $128 for 800 mg ibuprofen, and was told that is correct.

Well that is straight up a lie.

 

[Heidi Loves Disney]

Well that is straight up a lie.

I know. I can get 40 tablets of 200mg Ibuprofen from the Dollar Tree for $1. That's why I asked her to repeat. I could see this huge butt economy sized bottle that lasts for a year being that much, but not one prescription.

 

[JoiseyMom]

Can you have your DH call the CVS, or can you call another CVS and say that you need these 2 perscriptions filled, you have no insurance, your name is Jill Jones, and you want to know if these are part of the 4.00 generics??


I usually go to Target, and they always give me the cheapest, if it's my insurance or the $4.00 generics. I personally hate CVS, I think they have the worst customer service in the world.

 

[Mandychelle79]

With my insurance if its less than the what my copay is supposed to be I pay the lesser amount. For example

My dh's insurance is 20 percent or 5 dollars (after a 50 dollar per yr per person deductible) is the script is 4 dollars I pay 4 dollars.

 

[gatormom2tots]

With my insurance if its less than the what my copay is supposed to be I pay the lesser amount. For example

My dh's insurance is 20 percent or 5 dollars (after a 50 dollar per yr per person deductible) is the script is 4 dollars I pay 4 dollars.

Same here and I get mine filled at CVS.

We recently had some questions about the price of my scripts and CVS gave me cash price with no issues- it was a 3 month supply and it explained why my copays were not coming out right (cash price was cheaper than copay). So this policy of not quoting a price is definitely not all CVS stores.

 

[Tink-aholic]

I know. I can get 40 tablets of 200mg Ibuprofen from the Dollar Tree for $1. That's why I asked her to repeat. I could see this huge butt economy sized bottle that lasts for a year being that much, but not one prescription.

I'm outraged for you and I think you're doing the right thing by making a stink (and telling us) about it.

I'm sorry, but this line just made me giggle. Where is the tag fairy when you need her?

 

[GoofyMomInOhio]

Whenever we have prescriptions filled at CVS, we are always charged the lesser amount. If the co-pay is less, we pay that amount. If the actual cost is less, then we pay that amount. I would call CVS customer service 800# and ask them. The store may not be doing it right.

 

[Mandychelle79]

I would also call your insurance provider because if they are charging them more then the cash price for the medicine, there might be an issue there too.

I know a lot of my dd's meds have a higher cash price then what the insurance will pay for the med, so I only have to pay 20 percent of what the insurance covers, but I dont know how it works in reverse.

Though my health insurance did pay more than was billed for my dd when she was in the NICU, because of their agreement to pay x amount per day in the NICU.

 

[Heidi Loves Disney]

I told my DH about what happened.

He told me that it's no big deal because it's only $12, and to just not go back there for prescriptions again. There are a lot of people who can't afford to even go to the doctor, buy groceries, get school clothes for their kids, etc. That's so true.

So, my vent is over, and I'm letting it go.

 

[kelly1218]

I told my DH about what happened.

He told me that it's no big deal because it's only $12, and to just not go back there for prescriptions again. There are a lot of people who can't afford to even go to the doctor, buy groceries, get school clothes for their kids, etc. That's so true.

So, my vent is over, and I'm letting it go.

Happy Friday

 

[DisneyDreams4]

i just went to cvs for my ds antibodic eye drops. there was no generic only brand and with my insurance it cost me $77.00

so next time i go to the doctors office i will make sure all prescriptions are generic.

 

[Green Tea]

I would also call your insurance provider because if they are charging them more then the cash price for the medicine, there might be an issue there too.

.

I agree. There is likely an agreement between the insurance and the participating pharmacies that you pay the generic copay or the price, whichever is less.

 

[susianew]

But it's not just $12....it's $12 to you; who knows how many other people they are doing it to?? And does it say on your receipt how much your insurance was charged, in addition to your $10 copays? That's money that goes directly in to CVS's pocket, which comes from the insurance company , which comes from your employer, which comes, ultimately, out of your premium dollars.

I work in a pharmacy, and while I don't have access to the actual contracts corperate signs with insurers, I have been told they always have a U&C (usual and customary) or UCR (Ususal, customary and reasonable) price specified, OR THE CASH PRICE, whichever is lower. I know for a fact it is against federal laws to bill any RX paid for with federal funds (Medicare, Medicaid,Tricare) at a higher rate than the cash price...this was a HUGE issue when Wal-Mart rolled out their cursed $4 program and everyone had to match it.

At the very least, I would report this via mail or email to your insurance company. Either CVS is in violation of their pricing contracts, or your insurance company really, really needs to get better contract lawyers!

 

[ajh88]

As a current pharmacy intern and soon to be pharmacist, I couldn't just let this one go. Perhaps the policy has been incorrectly mis-interpreted by the staff at this particular store (and I don't work for CVS so I can't really speak to their corporate policies). However, mis-interpreted or not, what they did was not right. And while I might not be so quick to report them to my insurance company (without giving management a chance to explain), I would certainly be writing a letter to the pharmacy manager, store manager, and corporate to report my dis-satisfaction.

If I really understand correctly how things occurred in this situation, it isn't just the $12, it is illegal, period.

Hope you have a great weekend.