Looks like my insurance company is dropping CVS.

[Lost_in_the_HTTP]

I've never been a big fan of CVS and there have been some things in the news lately, but have you heard of any major problems?

My current medical insurance policy uses CVS Caremark for mail order prescriptions and I get a quarterly allowance to order over the counter items by mail.

I just got the new outline for next year and the changes are highlighted in a chart. The OTC mail order is eliminated and replaced by a new type of reloadable debit card that covers those and several other categories of expenses including utilities and gasoline. The mail order prescription provider is changing from CVS to a company I've never heard of called 'Express Scripts'.

At least that's what the mailing says, but there are some other changes in progress that make me wonder if I'll even be on this plan at all.

 

[stargazr]

I have Blue Cross/Blue Shield, and they haven't accepted CVS prescriptions for several years.

 

[allisolm]

I use Express Scripts and have for many, many years. I believe they are the largest prescription manager in the US. I used to have my prescriptions sent to the house but lately the grocery store pharmacy is cheaper so I have been getting them there. Husband gets a couple of prescriptions from them that would be much more expensive locally.

They do have a compare prices feature that lets you know which local places are in your program and exactly what prescription prices would be for Express Scripts and for the locals. I don't know if its the same for every program using them, but they do need home delivery prescriptions written for 3 month periods (at least for me).

They have 24hr phone assistance and are pretty reliable. I say pretty as there have been a couple of times they were unable to fill a long-standing prescription and we had to go local for one refill even though the cost was much higher. Takes about 10 days for us to get an order, less if it is on auto refiill.

They are the only home delivery prescription service we have ever used so I can't say how good they are.

 

[sactoking]

CVS is finding out that after they purchased Caremark and became an insurance company that other insurance companies don't want to do business with direct competitors.

 

[Brainonska511]

Express Scripts is just Cigna's version of Optum Rx (United Healthcare). My last plan required me to use OptumRx for maintenance medications, which was fine, since it was cheaper than the price I'd have to pay at a CVS or whatnot, and they were mailed to me every 3 months.

 

[Lost_in_the_HTTP]

So far, any and all 'scripts I've had have been at $0 to me regardless of source. Not sure of that will continue next year.

 

[Brainonska511]

If it's open enrollment season, don't they typically provide a summary of benefits that you could potentially use to estimate your costs?

 

[jameny5]

I've used Express Scripts for the last couple of years. They list all my meds, refills left and the cost I have spent for each one. My meds are pretty low using them all though I work for the Federal Government. I just can't stand all these insurance providers being dropped for lower costing ones. Yes it saves the employer money for the employer but, puts some of the costs 10 to 20 percent on top of your copay to the doctor, hospital or specialist on you. It adds up depending on the services provided. Lots of people are being surprised by all these bills from them. It is getting onerous for a lot of us on top of high inflation and everyone else sneakily raising prices for the hell of it and making astronomical profits off of us.

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[sdifox]

Shake head at American insurance nonsense. I fill prescription in any pharmacy. If it is the first time I am at a pharmacy, I show them the card with the policy number, pharmacist put it on file and I just pay whatever percent not covered. I think current plan is 80% covered. Haven't filled prescriptions recently.

 

[WilliamM2]

Shake head at American insurance nonsense. I fill prescription in any pharmacy. If it is the first time I am at a pharmacy, I show them the card with the policy number, pharmacist put it on file and I just pay whatever percent not covered. I think current plan is 80% covered. Haven't filled prescriptions recently.

That's just how mine works, in America. $5 max co-pay.

I have the option for mail order, but the idea of my meds being in a 100+ degree truck for a week in the summer isn't appealing.

 

[repoman0]

That's just how mine works, in America. $5 max co-pay.

I have the option for mail order, but the idea of my meds being in a 100+ degree truck for a week in the summer isn't appealing.

I have bad news about how the meds get to the pharmacy.

 

[Lost_in_the_HTTP]

'Scrips I've received so far have come by mail and have only been in transit 2-3 days at most.

 

[Meghan54]

That's just how mine works, in America. $5 max co-pay.

I have the option for mail order, but the idea of my meds being in a 100+ degree truck for a week in the summer isn't appealing.

Understand the sentiment but you realize the drugs have already sat in high heat situations, if it’s summer. They were transported in some sort of semi-trailer at least from the mfgr…

And drugs imported from Puerto Rico, Asia, etc have been in shipping containers on boats, so while I wholeheartedly agree that excessive exposure to high heat prob ain’t good, at least with pills, it’s prob not a huge issue. Heat exposure is kinda baked into the creation of said meds.

Fluids, otoh, can and often are a whole other issue.

 

[Brainonska511]

Understand the sentiment but you realize the drugs have already sat in high heat situations, if it’s summer. They were transported in some sort of semi-trailer at least from the mfgr…

And drugs imported from Puerto Rico, Asia, etc have been in shipping containers on boats, so while I wholeheartedly agree that excessive exposure to high heat prob ain’t good, at least with pills, it’s prob not a huge issue. Heat exposure is kinda baked into the creation of said meds.

Fluids, otoh, can and often are a whole other issue.

If something is extremely temperature sensitive, it will be shipped accordingly. We have the technology for cold shipments. When I worked in a lab as a graduate student, we routinely got sensitive things shipped to us in styrofoam containers with either ice packs or dry ice (depending on how cold it needed to be kept).

 

[nakedfrog]

That's just how mine works, in America. $5 max co-pay.

I have the option for mail order, but the idea of my meds being in a 100+ degree truck for a week in the summer isn't appealing.

$5 co-pay? Better insurance than I've ever had available to me.

 

[BoomerD]

I have Regence Medicare Advantage. Express Scripts is one of two mail pharmacy options. $0 copay for (most) 90 day refills. When I had Humana M.A., they had their own by-mail pharmacy...much easier IMO.

 

[Captante]

I switched to a small local pharmacy in 2020 and have never looked back.

CVS = Best Buy levels of suckage IMO. (Walgreens is even worse)

 

[Lost_in_the_HTTP]

I can't remember why, but using my local, I couldn't get 90 day refills. I could only get 30 days at a time. I gues I'll have to see what the new plan offers.

 

[iRONic]

I have Regence Medicare Advantage. Express Scripts is one of two mail pharmacy options. $0 copay for (most) 90 day refills. When I had Humana M.A., they had their own by-mail pharmacy...much easier IMO.

Humana MA for myself now. We switched to CenterWell for mail order this year. Haven't had any issues yet - zero co-pay. Any scripts ordered by the doctor or a specialist have to go to a local pharmacy. 30 day limit. We've been using Kroger only because we're there for groceries, points for their gas and coupons and it's close. But their pharmacy sucks!

 

[Captante]

The place I use is a small local chain and they seem to have BETTER supply than the big guys.... plus the real human beings who take care of you are super-nice and really act like healthcare professionals.

And as a bonus it's (literally) right next door to my local medical weed dispensary. (no, they're not affiliated lol)

 

[WilliamM2]

$5 co-pay? Better insurance than I've ever had available to me.

Best I've had too. But I should clarify, it's $5 max for generics, which all my meds are. It's $15 for non generic, and they are only covered if there is no generic. Pretty typical there.

 

[IronWing]

I have Regence Medicare Advantage. Express Scripts is one of two mail pharmacy options. $0 copay for (most) 90 day refills. When I had Humana M.A., they had their own by-mail pharmacy...much easier IMO.

We never had any luck with mail order. The insurance companies would overrule the doctor and send what they considered a 90 day supply, not what the Rx said.

 

[IBMJunkman]

I used Express Scripts when I was employed. Good service.

Since retiring I am using OptumRx. Also great service.

 

[BoomerD]

We never had any luck with mail order. The insurance companies would overrule the doctor and send what they considered a 90 day supply, not what the Rx said.

Heh...I used to get my prescriptions filled at the local clinic. 90 day supply of all of them was never more than $25...then, earlier in the year, that price jumped to more than $75. Regence said it was because they no longer had a contract with the clinic's pharmacy. I immediately switched to Express Scripts...and a $0 co-pay.
HOWEVER, neither the local clinic nor E.S. seem to be able to count. Every fckn time, at least one script runs out before the others.