And now a few words about the Veteran's Administration Pharmacy.
Most people do not know that as VA patients, we have to both pay co-pays for our medical care ($50 per visit, $1100 per hospitalization) and $27 for each prescription, until recently, up to 3 months.
Many, but certainly not all, of these prescriptions are available at, among other places, Fred Meyers, Costco, Walgreens and the like for $10 for that same 3 months.
I had to go through Patty Murray's office to make it happen, but many of my prescriptions are now on script and I can get them at Freddies.
Huge savings, that, and odd that those of us who HAVE served are charged 170% more than those who haven't.
Which brings us up to today.
A few days ago, I saw my care provider at the Vancouver Clinic.
He wrote me two, long term, prescriptions.
But... BUT.... instead of writing them for 90 days (Which has been the practice for the last several years... he wrote them for 60.
Which means instead of getting 4 refills at the VA for $108, I now will have to get SIX refills for, well, $162.
Same number of pills, you understand... just paying $54 more for them.
In many instances, this means that now, many of my fellow veterans could get these SAME prescriptions at Fred Meyers for $40 per year that we will now have to pay $162 for through the VA.
I've brought this sort of thing to the attention of our cardboard cut out of a congresswoman's office, and naturally, nothing happened.
Here's the thing: I'm fortunate in that I can actually afford this "free" medical care. But many on fixed incomes?
Not so much.
The VA will make hundreds of millions off this policy... with zero improvement in care.
And that's this week's VA update.
Most people do not know that as VA patients, we have to both pay co-pays for our medical care ($50 per visit, $1100 per hospitalization) and $27 for each prescription, until recently, up to 3 months.
Many, but certainly not all, of these prescriptions are available at, among other places, Fred Meyers, Costco, Walgreens and the like for $10 for that same 3 months.
I had to go through Patty Murray's office to make it happen, but many of my prescriptions are now on script and I can get them at Freddies.
Huge savings, that, and odd that those of us who HAVE served are charged 170% more than those who haven't.
Which brings us up to today.
A few days ago, I saw my care provider at the Vancouver Clinic.
He wrote me two, long term, prescriptions.
But... BUT.... instead of writing them for 90 days (Which has been the practice for the last several years... he wrote them for 60.
Which means instead of getting 4 refills at the VA for $108, I now will have to get SIX refills for, well, $162.
Same number of pills, you understand... just paying $54 more for them.
In many instances, this means that now, many of my fellow veterans could get these SAME prescriptions at Fred Meyers for $40 per year that we will now have to pay $162 for through the VA.
I've brought this sort of thing to the attention of our cardboard cut out of a congresswoman's office, and naturally, nothing happened.
Here's the thing: I'm fortunate in that I can actually afford this "free" medical care. But many on fixed incomes?
Not so much.
The VA will make hundreds of millions off this policy... with zero improvement in care.
And that's this week's VA update.
No comments:
Post a Comment
If I cannot identify you, then your post will be deleted.
No threats (Death or otherwise) allowed towards me or anyone else. If you have allegations of misconduct, they must be verifiable before I will publish them in comments.
Enjoy!