Medications while full timing

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The company that I worked for provided prescription drug coverage through Express Scripts.  Express Scripts does everything in their power to point you towards using their "mail order" pharmacy.  My experience with them has been mediocre at best.  The biggest issue being that they don't seem to be able maintain a record of the # of remaining refills with any sort of accuracy.  Seems like without fail, my doctor would write me prescriptions for a one year supply of my "long term" mediations - written as a script for a 90 day supply with 3 refills.  These would go to Express Scripts who would fill the initial script with no problem - however, a subsequent visit to the web site would show one or more of the medications had "no refills available" meaning that it required my doctor to get involved to write "emergency" scripts to ensure I had a steady supply. 

I recently left took an buyout - and retired early.  Being too young for Medicare - I'm now obtaining my medical / prescription coverage under COBRA.  As a result of the administrative change from a "company paid" medical plan - to the same coverage paid by me personally under COBRA - Express Scripts apparently discarded the prescriptions that were on file - meaning that I had ZERO refills available to me.  This time I took the time to research the policy - and discovered that I am not required to use the Express Scripts mail order pharmacy - and can use any "participating" pharmacy.  While Walmarts (who was my first choice) isn't a "participating" pharmacy for Express Scripts coverage - Walgreen's is.  My wife and I both visited our doctors and obtained "hard copy" prescriptions that we in turn took to our local Walgreen's pharmacy.  There, we talked with the Walgreen's pharmacist and explained our need to be able obtain prescription refills while traveling from a Walgreen's Pharmacy local to wherever we happen to be.  We both opened Walgreen's web accounts - and now have all our prescriptions AND the year's worth of associated refills on record and visible in the Walgreens system.  We're keeping our fingers crossed that we've finally gotten our prescription medication needs under control!

This time I took the time to research the details - and found that I under the company's prescription plan - I can
 
rockin rockwood said:
  So, we're in the middle of replacing the standard sleeper sofa and dinette for more comfort while looking for a new house in Az, should take 3 or 4 months total. Now the coach is super spacious and comfortable so the DW now says Why rush getting a house, lets travel!!
Go for it.
rockin rockwood said:
Our family doctor here in NJ says he is ok with giving us up to 3 months of Rx's (blood pressure,etc) but after that he would have to see us again. Thats not going to happen as we will be travelling on the west coast for an undetermined time and finally winding up in Az. How does a vagabond like myself maintain Rx's? Can you go to these urgent care places? The thought of going to Mexico just freaks me out. What can we do?
Are you in Medicare?
 
.Are you in Medicare?
[/quote]
No, I have a ways to go before that
 
Ok, no Medicare.

So, yes you can go to a different Doctor and get a new Rx. The question is only who is going to pay what.

Ask your insurance company if your plan works for what you're planning. Understand that emergency care is typically covered by any policy, normal routine care out of network is the wild card.

If it's a PPO plan it will probably work fine, it may just cost a bit more (e.g. 50 instead of 30) for an out of network doctor visit; if it's an HMO plan it probably does not cover routine care out of town and you would foot the whole bill at the doctor office (maybe 300 or ?)

My advice is to 1) get your current doctor to write you a three-month prescription and tell him that you will be sending him an address where he can forward your medical records. 2) On your way out west make the town in Arizona where you think you might want to live the first stop, find a doctor that seems to be a decent fit and make an appointment that leaves you a little bit of room to get a prescription on time. 3) if needed get yourself in mailbox at some place like a UPS store that counts as a street address and Find an insurance agent in the same town that can sell you a PPO medical policy. 4) go have fun, come back on the day of your appointment.

Don't sweat about being locked into that policy or town, if you fall in love with St. George UT instead of Tucson you just get a new address, when ever you move out of an insurance company's service area you get a new open enrollment and can choose a different policy.
 
SeilerBird said:
I use Walmart to fill my prescriptions on the road and there is never a problem getting a refill.

Assuming you have endless refills which is not an option for narcotics.
 
I saw a specialist who wanted me to get blood tests every 90 days, but he would not let me get them while traveling all across the country.  He insisted he had to see me in person every 90 days!!  That would have meant flying into that city three times a year, since I normally only go there once a year. 

So, I found another specialist who is happy seeing me once a year with blood work every 180 days.  He even gave me a prescriptions for blood tests in 180 days and said to call him if I had trouble getting it accepted in another state.

So the first specialist lost a patient and the second gained one.   
 
One very important thing--Check the storage temperatures on your prescriptions.  Most require what would be room temperature in a regular home, but RVs can get very hot while driving or even parked. 

I bought a very small Styrofoam cooler and keep all my medications in it, except for the week's worth I keep in the bathroom counted out. 

No ice in the cooler unless you are going to leave your vehicle parked in the heat for a long time because that will be too cold.  (I did toss in a couple of small ice packs when I left my motorhome at Salt Lake City airport for five days while I flew to Atlanta in 90 degree temps.)
 
6x16inside said:
Assuming you have endless refills which is not an option for narcotics.

My wife's been seeing her Dr. for 20+ years.  She calls the office, has them send the refill to Walmart in whatever state and away we go.
 
My problem has some of the issues discussed. I had back surgery and a hip replacement 5 yrs ago. Hip a success, back not so much. Cronic pain, on meds all the time. Also have restless leg. after many meds tried, now take Clonazapam, a schedule drug.
Lived in Fl for the last 20 yrs. Went full time last Nov. Saw a pain Management Dr every month.
Had prescription for my Vicodin in hand when we went to NY state for the summer. Also had refills at Walgreens for my clonazepam.
Got to NY(upstate) and went to a Walgreens. They would not fill an out of state prescription for Vicodin OR fill a refill for the other drug. Told NYS law will not allow an out of state script to be filled for controlled substances.
No Dr here would write a script. Talked to my Dr in Fl, he tried to call a DR here in NY to help. No help.
I ended up flying to Florida to see my Dr there and getting a new script and filling it there.

Do not know what I will do next year when we plan to go out west.Any suggestions.
Thank you, in advance.
John
 
I went from 17 drugs to 1 but still it's a pain to keep up with it traveling.

That one, I get filled overseas mail-order and it saves me a bundle.

A hospice nurse turned me onto this place. First check to see if they have your drug or the equivalent.

Then order a year's supply. They charge $25 for delivery no matter how much or little you order. I had to fax a prescription at one point, but you still have to assemble your own order. They haven't asked for a prescription on refills.

Eventually the medication shows up in the mail, 2-3-4 weeks, but it always shows up in great condition. My meds come in blister packs. I think all of them are packaged that way as my friends get theirs in blister packs too.

Usually their credit card system isn't working right, so I pay by bank draft. Never a problem but occasionally the bank has called to verify I am bank drafting to an overseas business.

If they have your drug, you can save a bundle. Same drug made in a different country and this company supplies them. It's up to you to see if you can get money back from your insurance. My medicine cost went from $700 a month to $148 a year. Same drugs, different supply system. Amazing! I don't even bother to file for reimbursement at that kind of savings.

That hospice nurse knew her stuff when she steered me this way. It's an option for those who want to save a bundle.

https://www.alldaychemist.com/

 
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