Who loves you? Wal-Mart or the US government?

Tired_Old_Man · September 24, 2006

I hope you are right about the pricing. A Wal-Mart spokesman said on TV that people with Rx insurance would not be eligible for the discounted prices. How they would work that remains to be seen.

My Rx plan is wonderful for long term medication. We usually pay 25% or less for Rx drugs when the Doctor prescribes them in 3 month units, renewable 4 times.

However, for drugs bought at pharmacies, like anti-biotics, my plan is terrible. I needed an anti-biotic for a sinus infection recently and I paid $52 for a $57 drug at Wal-Mart.

As I mentioned, by long medication Rx benefit costs my x-employer very little, because they use mass buying power to negotiate low prices. That leverage is greatly reduced for short term usage.

green · September 24, 2006

My drug plan carrier is Green Shield. For any prescription I pay 5 dollars. It used to be 35 cents but the company raised this to 5 dollars during contract negotiations a couple of contracts ago. The plan has saved me a fortune over the years. I am being treated for depression, something that runs in my family, and am on a raft of drugs for this as well as something for cholesterol and something else for incipient osteoporosis. The drug plan also permits my GP to prescribe high-tech antibiotics whenever I do have an infection.

The fact that we have universal health care up here in Canada has also saved my butt. My GP is comfortable sending me off for tests in order to ensure that none of these drugs have adverse side-effects.

Tired_Old_Man · September 24, 2006

My drug plan carrier is Green Shield. For any prescription I pay 5 dollars. It used to be 35 cents but the company raised this to 5 dollars during contract negotiations a couple of contracts ago. The plan has saved me a fortune over the years. I am being treated for depression, something that runs in my family, and am on a raft of drugs for this as well as something for cholesterol and something else for incipient osteoporosis. The drug plan also permits my GP to prescribe high-tech antibiotics whenever I do have an infection.
The fact that we have universal health care up here in Canada has also saved my butt. My GP is comfortable sending me off for tests in order to ensure that none of these drugs have adverse side-effects.

According to the politicians here in Florida, you people in Canada really have it bad. In the USA, they claim, only about 45,000,000 people go without health insurance, but in Canada, everyone has second rate health care.

They tell me that 45,000,000 people doing without is a small price to pay so that the other 250,000,000 can have the wonderful capitalistic medical system provided in the USA.

Carlene · September 24, 2006

According to the politicians here in Florida, you people in Canada really have it bad. In the USA, they claim, only about 45,000,000 people go without health insurance, but in Canada, everyone has second rate health care.
They tell me that 45,000,000 people doing without is a small price to pay so that the other 250,000,000 can have the wonderful capitalistic medical system provided in the USA.

The politicians in Florida told you that Bush won the election, too. I'd watch out for those people, if I were you.

Tired_Old_Man · September 24, 2006

The politicians in Florida told you that Bush won the election, too. I'd watch out for those people, if I were you.

I live in BuSh country. In 2008, Jeb will ascend to the Presidency followed eight years later by Barbara BuSh (not Jeb's mother; His niece).

Carlene · September 24, 2006

Thank you for bringing my worst nightmare into the cold, clear light of day. Just shoot me now.....please!

green · September 24, 2006

Ah, when politicians say that about the Canadian health care system that is just their big business backers talking. Canada is not as densely populated as the U.S. is and thus the majority of the folks up here who do have trouble with health care are those who live in small communities, particularly those that are remote from cities. These communities have troubles attracting doctors and of course are far from those centres where the big ticket high-tech diagnostic machines are. For someone who lives in a large city, as I do, treatment is good, even stellar. For those individuals who live in smaller centres falling sick can be a nightmare because it involves travel and sojourns out of town. I don't think that private health care would change this. It is unlikely that these resources would be shifted to thinly populated regions. They are simply too expensive.

My brother now practices medicine in the States. He says that one difference is that he can no longer freely pursue an avenue of investigation when treating a sick individual. He must juggle what he would like to do with what the economics (i.e. insurance) will permit him to do. This wasn't a concern before. (He is, by the way, very fond of his new country and is now a citizen.)

Meow=^..^= · September 24, 2006

Well can I take his place????? LOL I mean hey, I wanna move to Canada...I also have seen my greatest fear now materialized onto the computer screen.....GRRRRRRRRRRRR

Another Bush for president???? I am with Carline, shoot me too!!!!

And back to the topic of Wal-Mart...I boycotted them many years ago, due to the evils of their company.... but right now I pay over $100 for drugs each month....So maaaaaaaybe I will have to regroup when the savings get to Vegas.... Sucks not to have insurance!