JustCare

Tag: Costco

  • Case study: Costco saves one couple hundreds of dollars over Medicare Part D

    Case study: Costco saves one couple hundreds of dollars over Medicare Part D

    If you ask me, often the smartest way to save money on prescription drugs is to import them from abroad. But, though no one has ever reported a safety issue from importing drugs from verified pharmacies abroad, importation is still not legal, even for personal use. One Just Care reader, D Busa, wrote in to explain how he saves money on prescription drugs without relying on importation and, with his permission, I am sharing Busa’s story.

    Busa takes a good bit of time to check out all his options under Medicare Part D, which provides prescription drug coverage, each year. Most people with Medicare don’t take that time, even though it’s super important. Whether you’re in Traditional Medicare or in a Medicare Advantage plan, the Part D plan or Medicare Advantage plan offering Part D coverage that met your needs one year, can cost you a lot more than expected the following year.

    Unfortunately, with Part D, your prescription drug costs can change at any time. And, if you need new drugs, the plan you chose because of its lower cost for the drugs you had been taking could end up costing you more than other Part D plans because of new drugs your doctor prescribes. Curiously, even when you are a careful shopper of Part D plans, you can sometimes save a lot of money getting your drugs without relying on Part D coverage.The system is INSANE. It works very well for the insurers at the expense of people with Medicare.

    Busa saw his prescription drug costs rising in Medicare Part D even though he shopped around for the best possible Part D plan. So, he looked to see whether he could get the single prescription drug he takes for less without using his Part D coverage. He found that by using Costco mail order, he could reduce his annual out-of-pocket costs by $459,  $275 through Part D premium savings and $244 for drugs through Costco minus the $60 for annual Costco membership.

    Again, the only word to describe Busa’s discovery that his Medicare Part D plan was effectively ripping him and Medicare off is INSANITY. How in god’s name does Medicare agree to pay its share of the cost of a Part D drug or say it is providing Medicare coverage for a drug that costs so much less at Costco without prescription drug coverage?

    Busa found that his wife was also better off getting two of her drugs through Costco. On Part D, she paid $280 for the drugs. At Costco, she paid $57, saving $223 over three months.

    Busa explains that sometimes Part D is less expensive than Costco. Two other drugs his wife takes cost her $6 through her Part D plan and $14 at Costco.

    Busa’s strategy is to pick the Part D plan with the lowest premium. By doing so, he says, “overall I save $550 on Part D premiums and $1,684 on drugs or $2,234 annually.” INSANITY.

    Here’s more from Just Care:

  • Facebook, Uber and Walmart, among others, expand further into health care

    Facebook, Uber and Walmart, among others, expand further into health care

    Health care has become such a lucrative enterprise that health care businesses are expanding and non-health care businesses are moving into health care, reports Healthcare Dive. Before you know it, Facebook might be reminding you to get your flu shot, Walmart might be providing your flu shot, and Uber might be taking you to your doctor’s appointment. As more corporations push health care, what does that mean for health care costs?

    Recently, Walgreens partnered with UnitedHealthcare to assist people with Medicare. Walgreens will answer questions about United Healthcare’s Medicare Advantage plans and steer its customers to enroll in these private plans. Walgreen’s will also help its customers already enrolled in UnitedHealthcare’s Medicare plans to schedule medical appointments and other services.

    These partnerships are designed to generate additional revenue for both Walgreens and UnitedHealthcare, while expanding access to care for their customers. UnitedHealthcare makes tremendous profits from its Medicare Advantage members. But, it can cost UnitedHealthcare more than $1,000 to enroll each new member.

    Presumably, Walgreen’s services can give UnitedHealthcare excellent marketing reach and save UnitedHealthcare enrollment and retention costs. The partnership should also earn significant revenue for Walgreens both from helping to secure new memberships for UnitedHealthcare and attracting more customers into Walgreens.

    CVS Health, which offers insurance through Aetna, is opening 1,500 HealthHUB stores. CVS Health is allocating about a fifth of its retail store space in these pharmacies to health care services, including preventive care and wellness.

    Walmart has opened its first health superstore in Dallas, Georgia, an underserved community. Walmart offers a range of primary care services, including dental care, vision care and psychiatric and behavioral health counseling. It also offers lab services and imaging, along with nutrition and fitness classes. Walmart also now has 16 centers of excellence across the country that offer hip and knee replacements for its more than one million employees.

    Kroger, a grocery chain, is offering more health care services through its new 360care program. It claims to be expanding access to care at lower cost through partnerships with local hospitals. It has more than 200 “LittleClinic” locations in nine states. It is also testing a program to help customers with depression.

    In South Carolina, Publix, a grocery store chain, partnered with a hospital in an effort to make it easier for its customers to get health care services and prescriptions. Publix has arranged to provide prescription drugs to patients upon discharge. It also is offering video-conferencing telehealth services for people in non-emergency situations.

    Costco is testing a partnership with Instacart to deliver prescription drugs to its customers.

    Meanwhile, Facebook has launched a preventive care tool. And, Uber has gotten into the business of taking people to the hospital and doctor’s office.

    These ventures show the increasing corporatization of health care. And, the range of companies that stand to profit from it. These companies will likely drive up health care spending further. Their services are designed to increase access to care, creating more volume and, with it, higher costs.

    Here’s more from Just Care: