Wellness

[Marp]

Under the Medicare Advantage plan I've selected for 2024 one of my medications at my current (non preferred) pharmacy will cost $60 per refill but will cost $0 at the preferred pharmacy.  Theprice difference for the remaining medications between the two pharmacies only amounts to pennies.

Question:  Will the plan cover all the medications if I transfer the $60 prescription to the preferred pharmacy and leave the other two at my current pharmacy?

[Group 5 minus 1]

Why are you asking us?

[grandma2pkmh]

 @Marp   I say yes.  As long as you don't try to process same  prescription at both pharmacys.  The Advantage plan doesn't care.

[Marp]

@Group 5 minus 1,  I'm asking here because I have more faith in those that have personal experience than I have in corporate replies, particularly this time of year where there are so many seasonal employees performing customer service.

[spumoni99]

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@Group 5 minus 1 wrote:

Why are you asking us?

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More kindness to make the forum enjoyable????

[BlueFinch]

I believe it's true for all plans, that you can choose to use a preferred pharmacy, or not. It's up to you, but they often offer savings.

Use the preferred pharmacy for good discounts and leave the others where it might be more convenient for you, if the costs are similar. 

I've never used my preferred pharmacy because there is no significant savings for my particular medications. I use a pharmacy in my favorite grocery store so I can shop and pick up meds at the same time. 

[avid shopper]

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@Group 5 minus 1 wrote:

Why are you asking us?

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Because it is frustrating to get someone on the phone and once you do they often don't have the answers

[Marp]

@BlueFinchsaid:  I use a pharmacy in my favorite grocery store so I can shop and pick up meds at the same time. 

That is one of the main reasons I don't want to use the grocery store pharmacy.  My "no power" is weak when I get to the grocery store.

[CelticCrafter]

I don't have an answer but if it were me I'd just switch them all as a matter of convenience give the fact that it's only pennies for the other two.

[Trinity11]

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@Marp wrote:

@BlueFinchsaid:  I use a pharmacy in my favorite grocery store so I can shop and pick up meds at the same time. 

That is one of the main reasons I don't want to use the grocery store pharmacy.  My "no power" is weak when I get to the grocery store.

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@Marp , I have a retiree Medicare EGWP Advantage Plan and have 4 prescriptions with CVS and the rest with Walgreens. I have never had a problem as long as I fill my prescriptions with an approved pharmacy on the list.

I understand what you mean about asking here than the toll free number. Yesterday I was sent a letter that both my long acting and short acting insulin will no longer be on the formulary in 2024. Even the manager at Aetna had no idea what I was talking about and gave me a substitute that only would work for a Type 2 diabetic.🥺