Medication Mix Up

This is a story about a man named Don.  It really happened, and it really happened to Don.

Don really enjoys playing his guitar.

Tuning it, he says, is so much easier than getting into tune with his Medicare prescription provider, called Medco, (one of the largest Medicare medication distributors),  which kept telling pharmacies Don's benefits had ended.

He recalls his first trip to the pharmacy this year.

"I gave them my card, they looked it up and they said that's been terminated."

Since Don needs seven different prescriptions every month for his heart, blood pressure, and diabeties, he started getting concerned, as those bottles were nearly empty.  Many  of us can relate to that situation.  I get nervous when the number of pills I have left gets low , especially if my doctor is out of town, I don't have a new prescription or my check hasn't arrived.  I take 6 different pills every day for heart, blood pressure and a few other issues.

Back to Don.  He kept calling Medco.  Over and over until it was ridiculous.

"I probably made 35 calls to them."

Medco kept telling Don he wasn't covered, while Medicare kept telling him he was.

"I was getting really frustrated about it."

Then he thought the frustration would finally end, when he got this letter from Medco, which said he was covered.

But despite that letter, the pharmacist said his records showed Don still wasn't.

"I call Medco and I fight with them on the phone about it, they keep telling me I'm terminated."

Now, Don really started getting worried.  When you are in a situation like this it seems like you get stuck in the middle and everybody is going back and forth with no end in sight.

He says he certainly can't afford the $700 it would take every month to buy his meds without Medicare's help.

"I just figured I'm going to have to quit taking them and take my chances, whatever."

Most local news channels in every city and state have some sort of consumer problem solvers segment where the news channel will help you with your problem.  Don definitely had a problem and it could have turned out to be fatal for him.  With his pills running out, Don finally called the 2News problem solvers, and they contacted both Medicare and Medco.

Later that very same day, Medco called Don, to clear up his situation.

"They just wanted me to know that they had updated everything in my file and the card is now working and I could go pick up my prescriptions anytime I wanted to."

Finally, Don finds himself in perfect harmony, with his music, and his meds.  If you find yourself in a similar situation, don't give up. Keep trying to deal directly with your drug company, medicare and your pharmacy.  If that doesn't work, do what Don did and get extra help.  There is usually a way to work it all out.

Filed under: General-Medicare

Tags: drug company, General-Medicare, medco, medication, pharmacy, prescriptions