Cost of a Stitch?

A New York Times article recently found that a cost of ONE stitch can cost up to $500.

You can fine the whole article here.

From the NYT article, a hospital called California Pacific has the following inflated prices (market prices in parenthesis):

Tylenol with codeine pill

$36.78 ($0.50)

IV fluid bag

$137 (Under $1)

Neck brace

$154 ($19.99)

Echocardiogram

$1,791 – Hospital fee only ($358 -Includes doctor)

Knee arthroscopy

$14,110 ($2,037)

Without insurance, these bills can really add up. Let us know any crazy markups you have experienced in hospitals (or anywhere) in the comments below.

Generic Drug Increase?

Have any of our Florida customers seen a rise in their generic medication prices?

If you’ve seen your generic or brand medication prices soaring, feel free to ask us for a price check or visit our website. We may be able to help.

No Health Insurance? You Aren’t Alone

A new study published by the Economist shows where in America fewest people have  health insurance. Massachusetts had the lowest rate of uninsured residents at 5.2% while 26.3% Texans do not have any coverage. The article also references President Obama’s recent health reform that was cut down by the Supreme Court in June. The judgement removed the aspect of the reform that required “states to have to cover everyone who is poor, defined as all those with incomes of up to 138% of the poverty level.” Varied health care coverage is one of the biggest hot topics in the presidential debates.

Would you have benefited from President Obama’s reform?

Purchasing from Your Physician Could Cost Big Bucks

A new article published in the New York Times is shining light on another extra expense you may be subjected to.

Purchasing your medications directly from your physician means you could pay almost 10 times as much. The article uses Zantac as a clear example.  If the patient takes the prescription to their local pharmacy they will pay on average 35 cents per pill. If the same patient purchases the drug from their physician the cost skyrockets to $3.24 a pill. This cost is forwarded onto insurance companies.

Barry Meier and Katie Thomas report that “experts say that doctors, middlemen and drug distributors are adding hundreds of millions of dollars annually to the costs borne by taxpayers, insurance companies and employers through the practice of physician dispensing.”

Much more information can be found in the original article and we encourage you to stay informed.

Have you been given the option to purchase medications from your doctor’s office? Did you notice a mark-up?

 

Fines Heavy for “Off Label” Promotion

Monday, July 2nd saw the largest recorded fine for health care fraud in the United States.

In an article by ProPublica, it is reported that GlaxoSmithKline agreed to pay a $3 billion fine for promoting some drugs for their “off label” uses. GSK is not the first company to be charged with off label fraud (see more in the original article) but this most recent fine is making headlines. A statement by the US Department of Justice reads as follows:

“Global health care giant GlaxoSmithKline LLC (GSK) agreed to plead guilty and to pay $3 billion to resolve its criminal and civil liability arising from the company’s unlawful promotion of certain prescription drugs, its failure to report certain safety data, and its civil liability for alleged false price reporting practices, the Justice Department announced today.”

The fine is a result of marketing the drugs Paxil, Wellbutrin, and Avandia for uses unapproved by the FDA.

Have you been prescribed or told about alternate uses for common medications?

One Week Only – 15% Off Your Order!

We’re giving customers 15% off prescription orders if they order within the next week.
Check out our Facebook page for more info – or just use the coupon code ‘FB15‘ when you checkout.

Doughnut Hole Patients 57% More Likely to Stop Taking Heart Meds

A new study by the the Harvard Medical School, Boston’s Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and CVS Caremark shows disconcerting results about the Medicare “Doughnut Hole.”

The study focused on senior citizens with prescriptions for heart medicine. It found that those who reach the gap in their coverage and are then required to pay full price for their medicines are 57% more likely to stop taking their prescriptions. These medicines are used for high-risk ailments such as high blood pressure and heart disease.

A new blog post by NPR quotes the study as saying, “Researchers have observed increased rates of drug discontinuation and adherence across both essential and potentially unnecessary drugs but have not observed higher rates of switching to generic drugs during the coverage gap.”

Switching to the generic version of a medication once coverage for the brand name stops could be a low cost option for many patients.

Have you had to stop medications because you reached your Medicare limit?

Progressive RX Now Offering Pet Meds!

Progressive RX has expanded its products to now include your four-legged family members!

Check out the new website to see what medications we are offering. Many of the most popular pet meds are now available and we will continue to expand the medications offered over the next few weeks.

As always, if there is a product you or a family member  need that you don’t see on the site, please let us know – we’ll do our best to get it for you.

OTC Pain Killers Quiz

How much do you know about the over the counter pain medicines you buy?

CNN Health has released a new quiz testing your basic knowledge and putting an end to the myths surrounding them.

Take the quiz and then tell us how you scored.

Generic Drugs Will Be Available Sooner

A new article from Smart Money reports that the Supreme Court has ruled that drug patents will undergo a new patent process. This will require patents to be made available sooner so that generic versions of brand name drugs can be brought to market sooner.

As reported in The Wall Street Journal on Tuesday April 17 “generic-drug companies, can file certain legal counterclaims against brand-drug companies in an effort to get their cheaper copycat medicines on the market.”

It is estimated that generic drugs cost only 10% of their brand name counterparts so making them available to consumers quicker will immensely help with those struggling to afford their medications as well as lower insurance and Medicare costs.

Do you have any medicines where a generic is not available? What is the most you currently pay for a medication?