Donny Carlson
08-05-2004, 07:32 PM
I have been dealing with a torn tendon in my right knee that, so far, is being treated without surgery. My orthepedic surgeon prescribed Celebrex to help with immflamation and with some degenerative arthritis that I have in both knees. Once the 9 day supply he gave me ran out I had to submit a script, and here's where the hassle starts. My insurance company subs out prescriptions to another company, who shall remain nameless, that promptly refused to pay for the prescription. It turns out Celebrex is rather pricey, something on the order of $370 per 100caps of 200 mg, my prescribed dose, or like $3.70 a cap. I appealed to my primary heath insurance company, who shall also remain nameless, and they traded faxes back and forth between my doctor for a week. When I got back from MVII, a letter was waiting from the medical director for the insurance company, saying my request for reimbursement for Celebrex had been denied because he needed to review ALL OF MY MEDICAL RECORDS before he would approve the medication. All of them. He helpfully suggested that I could, of course pay for the meds myself.
Today, I went online and found Celebrex for $137.12 for 100 caps of 200mg.
That's over a 90 day supply. My prescription from my doctor was for a 30 day supply, with two refills, or 90 caps. Each prescription would require me to pay a $50 brand name co-pay, so for the 90 day supply my out of pocket expenses would be $150.
So, for the first time ever, I've bought prescription medicine from Canada. I went to my primary care physician, who was happy to write the prescription I needed for the Canadian pharmacy and who gave me a 10 day supply of samples. He also told me that the insurance company I was dealing with were a bunch of idiots, because the alternative - knee surgery - would cost them thousands of dollars PLUS the cost of meds to treat the surgical procedure.
Today, I went online and found Celebrex for $137.12 for 100 caps of 200mg.
That's over a 90 day supply. My prescription from my doctor was for a 30 day supply, with two refills, or 90 caps. Each prescription would require me to pay a $50 brand name co-pay, so for the 90 day supply my out of pocket expenses would be $150.
So, for the first time ever, I've bought prescription medicine from Canada. I went to my primary care physician, who was happy to write the prescription I needed for the Canadian pharmacy and who gave me a 10 day supply of samples. He also told me that the insurance company I was dealing with were a bunch of idiots, because the alternative - knee surgery - would cost them thousands of dollars PLUS the cost of meds to treat the surgical procedure.