Insurance question

[dkev]

I'm not sure if this is the right place to ask this, but do any of you guys use your insurance company's mail order pharmacies, specifically Cigna's Tel-Drug home delivery? What are the pros and cons?

[Funnygrl]

I use Medco mail order and they suck like crazy yet I am tolerant cause it's cheap. They wouldn't ship my insulin or strips cause my prescription wasn't specific enough. My doctor had to add "via insulin pump" to the order for it to be accepted. And it took them a week to process the two word change.

[spike]

I use Precision Rx, but I don't like it. Use it only 'cause it's cheaper to get 90-day supplies instead of 30 day.

[poodlebone]

I use Caremark. I get 3 months at a time for 2 months co-pays. I started getting just some pills from them (Lipitor, fosinopril) and Advair, and had no problems. I then started having problems getting my strips/insulin scripts filled properly at the local pharmacy so I switched those to Caremark and it's worked fine. No problems getting what the script was written for. Insulin shipped overnight and arrived well chilled.

[TenderVittleS]

Yes I actually use Cigna's mail order but only for test strips. You can get a 3 month supply pretty cheap too. I don't use it for insulin because I like it fresh from the pharmacy. The shipping is actually really fast too.

[JediSkipdogg]

I forget who I use now, but for about a year I used Walgreens Mail Order and they were great. All of my prescriptions were packaged nicely. I find it easier to do mail order than the pharmacy. One reason is I get more. I'm on 80 units a day (well, that's what my script is for) and in a month that is 2400 units. The pharmacy only gives me 2 vials (2000 units) and says if I want that 3rd vial then I have to wait aobut 30-60 minutes for them to get authorization from my insurance. They do it EVERY single time. So I switched to mail order, and there I recieved 8 vials, which actually gives me extra in a 3 month order.

Many times also the mail order is cheaper. I use to be on an insurance that was 15/30/45 for prescriptions at the store, but the mail order was just doulbe that for 3 months, so 1 month free.

My new mail order is something like RightSource (it's the one my insurance chooses) and they put the BG strips under the insulin and ice packs, so basically, they arrived all smashed up.

[jeggeman31]

I use Medco mail order and they suck like crazy yet I am tolerant cause it's cheap.

AMEN to that! However for me I only save about $60 a year using mail order so I will eat the $60 and use my local pharmacies.

[Cyborg]

I use Advanced Medical and once the kinks were worked out, they seem to be pretty good.

[clee]

I use Medco mail order and they suck like crazy yet I am tolerant cause it's cheap. They wouldn't ship my insulin or strips cause my prescription wasn't specific enough. My doctor had to add "via insulin pump" to the order for it to be accepted. And it took them a week to process the two word change.

I use Medco also...they've been doing a great job. There have been times I am almost at the end of my prescription but I just go to the web site of my insurance company and order more. Even if I need new a new script to be written because there are no more refills on the previous one, when I use the web site and order they will notify me that they will call my physician for a new script. You can also expidite the order and it will usually arrive over night.

clee

[clee]

I use Medco also...they've been doing a great job. There have been times I am almost at the end of my prescription but I just go to the web site of my insurance company and order more. Even if I need new a new script to be written because there are no more refills on the previous one, when I use the web site and order they will notify me that they will call my physician for a new script. You can also expidite the order and it will usually arrive over night.

clee
Oh yea!!! Having my physician write my script for 90 days and definitely a money saver!!!

Clee

[JediSkipdogg]

Oh yea!!! Having my physician write my script for 90 days and definitely a money saver!!!

Clee

It's also easier to fudge those with one extra box/vial of the supplies as it would be less noticed in a larger quantity. That's if your doctor doesn't mind overwriting stuff to save you some money.

[Funnygrl]

I use Medco also...they've been doing a great job. There have been times I am almost at the end of my prescription but I just go to the web site of my insurance company and order more. Even if I need new a new script to be written because there are no more refills on the previous one, when I use the web site and order they will notify me that they will call my physician for a new script. You can also expidite the order and it will usually arrive over night.

clee
Yeah, but why should I pay $10 for expediated shipping, when it's their fault? Seriously, it took them a MONTH to fill my insulin and strips, and longer for another one of my medications. That's ridiculous. And then they dared to call one of my doctors and ask if I could have Priloec instead of Prevacid. I have severe GERD and Prevacid is the only thing that works, yet they held my prescription up further by fighting with my gastroenterologist over this minor detail. I was disgusted.

IMO any company that takes that long to do something and cares about your business should expediate for free. But Medco doesn't care about your business, or your health, only their profit.

[gettingby]

I haven't really looked into who my insurance has contracted with but I will visit their website shortly and see.

[poodlebone]

It's also easier to fudge those with one extra box/vial of the supplies as it would be less noticed in a larger quantity. That's if your doctor doesn't mind overwriting stuff to save you some money.

My CDE really overwrote my last insulin prescription. I can get by mostly with one vial a month, although lately I've been going carb crazy and have gone over 30 units/day a bunch of times. I wanted to get 2 vials a month, or at least get 1 extra vial for the 3 months supply. I ended up getting NINE vials of Humalog back in July. I still had two from my previous script, plus I found 3 Humalog pens leftover from MDI. I haven't even touched those 9 vials yet. The pens have been used and I just opened the last vial that I had gotten in the regular pharmacy. I still have all 9 from the mail order place in my fridge. I only pay $20 for a 3 months supply so I wasn't looking to save a bunch of money or screw over insurance. I don't know why my CDE wrote for so much!

[Funnygrl]

Oh man, I have insulin coming out my ears too. I use about 30 units a day, plus priming. My endo wrote my script for 6 bottles for three months, and that's a lot. I can't imagine 9 bottles, especially since you use less than I. I told my endo to write script for less, but she wanted me to have extra. Ok, but do I need that much extra? I gave away two bottles, and still have 5 bottles at the moment.

[jeggeman31]

LoL I feel like an insulin Junkie I use 12 vials every 3 months

[JediSkipdogg]

LoL I feel like an insulin Junkie I use 12 vials every 3 months

Do you need to go to IA? (Insuliners Anonymous)

[dkev]

My endo writes scripts for a years worth. He doesn't accept phone in or faxed requests from pharmacies for scripts. So it can be a pain. I either have to go in or send in a request for a script, then they will mail it to me. Right now Im trying to get my insurance to cover the mini med glucose transmitter, so that should be fun.

[Cyborg]

Good luck! You'd probably be the first...

[jeggeman31]

Do you need to go to IA? (Insuliners Anonymous)
I just always end up at IAB not IA :frown:

[Cyborg]

IAB? What's that?

[barbarac]

I use Caremark and have had pretty good success. They are usually very quick if you call in refills--say to allow 14 days, but usually get shipped out the next day. They fill a 3 month supply for $35. It would have been $10+ each had I gone to Walgreen's. Always come well packed and cold (last time there was still ice in the little freezer pack). Only once did I have problems. I wasn't home and Fed Ex brought it, put it on my front porch which we never use. Not sure how long it sat there--couple of days, in the heat. I called and they sent me new right out, and a label to send back the other. I don't like Fed Ex anyway!! I thought for a while about getting insulin at the drug store to make sure, but then I thought about it. It probably sat on a truck or in a shipment center anyway. Hard telling how long it sat out or changed hands. Once when on Lantus I went to pick it up, and they didn't have it in the refrig.

To go back and try to make this short. I have been very satisfied with Caremark--other than the price went from $20 to $35 for a 3 month supply. Wasn't happy with that. Can get generic cheaper through them, but for some reason I don't seem to get generic anything.

[dgrilli]

I used Medco for the first time this week. I ordered 9 vials of Novolog and it just arrived by UPS today 10-13-2006 The charge was $50.00 is this good?

I was running out so on thursday I picked up 3 vials at Walmart and no Co-Pay.

I now have 12 Vials of Novolog. So if the Arabs turn off the Oil Spigget and Nothing moves in America I have a good Supply. Now how do I keep it cold when the Iranians explode a Nuke Bomb 200 miles above the surface of America? This would turn the lights out for months as EMP would take out the entire grid?

It is winter but it would freeze outside?

I figure the Store Shelves will be empty within hours when this happens.

I guess all valid questions since they will allow Iran to get the Bomb. It's only a matter of time now how ever short time is.

I'm only thinking of the inevitable. How will you survive?

[Cyborg]

I'd pack up the family and drive to Canada or Alaska. Nice and cold up there...

[JasonJayhawk]

I used Medco for the first time this week. I ordered 9 vials of Novolog and it just arrived by UPS today 10-13-2006 The charge was $50.00 is this good?

Be careful with Medco. They may have changed their policies after dealing with me, but perhaps not.

I ordered a refill from them and they failed, twice (taking a week each) to deliver it to the proper address, despite me calling each order to confirm the address, and once again after ordering to confirm the correct address. (They had these confirmation calls in their system, so they knew it was their fault).

I was running desperately low on fast-acting insulin, so the telephone rep said to go to my local pharmacy to pick up a bottle, and that they'd transfer the prescription.

I waited at my local pharmacy for two hours for Medco to call it in. They never did, so I called them, and was told they couldn't "transfer" it because they would be shipping my order (again, for a third time) within 2 to 3 days.

I told the rep that I needed the insulin to survive, and things got dirty.

She repeated back, like a sarcastic child, "So you'll die without insulin? Can't you go without it for a few days, we'll ship it in 2-3 days with two-day express UPS, so you'll have it within 5 days." (This was on a Friday night, so it would take even longer).

They refused, but the Walgreens pharmacist was able to give me Novolog vials without an Rx, since she could override the limit in the system using vials (rather than pen form). Walgreens was a life saver.

When I got home at nearly midnight, a VP from Medco called to basically say, "Sorry we can't help you, even though it's our fault." A few minutes later, the pharmacy director for Medco called, saying she was powerless, but agreed that I needed the insulin to survive, and apologized for the three different phone reps that I spoke with that mocked me for saying that it was a life-preserving drug.

With MEDCO, I'm sure they've improved things -- this was over a year ago -- but it still leaves me worried for others that use it. I now use Cigna Tel-Drug, and haven't had any problems with them... and I really like their on-line refill system.

[dgrilli]

JasonJayHawk,

I wished you have contacted an Attorney one of those Mal Practice ones and Sued them personally and then Sued them as a Class Action (Shot Gun Effect).

I now jump within hours very fast without insulin. My K tones rise also as my BG rises. I even rise BG's when Fasting.

I guess I would get really sick if I stopped taking insulin.

[JasonJayhawk]

I'm not sure if this is the right place to ask this, but do any of you guys use your insurance company's mail order pharmacies, specifically Cigna's Tel-Drug home delivery? What are the pros and cons?

I use TELDRUG. No problems with it thus far, though they won't accept "rebate checks" from drug companies. (I've tried--they just act like they never received it, and won't acknowledge you even mailed it in -- they just mysteriously disappear). (I had one for $25 off Novolog that was to be handed directly to the pharmacy -- the FAQ said to use it just like a check, so I figured they'd deduct $25 off the cost).

Check with your company for the benefits of using it -- there might be some. Some people with CIGNA TELDRUG get 3 months' worth of prescription for the cost of two months, and free shipping, so you actually save money.

Their online system is always 24-48 hours behind "real life" (don't use it to track orders). In the old days, they used to send a tracking number the moment it was shipping, but now, you'll find that they call one or two weeks after you received the item with a voice robot that says, "If you have any questions about the drug you received..."

In most (but not all cases), you can expect to receive the item 20-30 days after you mail in the Rx. But refills typically take 10 days or less. Even when you mail in your doctor's prescription, they will have a human call your doctor's office to confirm the prescription. (That's why it is so slow.)