I am a frugal sort by necessity and over the years since I became single again I have become rabid about bargains. Nothing galls me more than paying too much for anything.
Y'all. I'm sure, remember my throwing a hillbilly fit back in March over receiving my Golden Buckeye Card -- a little reminder from the State of Ohio's Department of Aging that one is not a spring chicken anymore, as my mom, the farmer's daughter, used to say. We Ohioans receive it around our 60th birthday and it provides discounts at various businesses -- mostly restaurants and pharmacies. I hadn't paid much attention when it was announced that they were merging Golden Buckeye Card and the Best Rx Program -- a free state program for prescription discounts for elders that I hadn't explored as I was only taking one low cost scrip.
Today when I got home there was my new Golden Buckeye Card with a letter explaining the merger and they touted that it could save one big bucks. Fortuitously, I needed to go get the two new scrips the doctor had phoned in for me yesterday as well as pick up a refill of my thyroid medication so I figured I'd try it out.
The thyroid meds I get at a deep discount pharmacy we have here and the new scrips were at my grocer's pharmacy as both were available as four-dollar prescriptions a la Wal-Mart -- both are in a shopping center near my home. When I picked up my scrip at the discount pharmacy who already had my Golden Buckeye info on file when I tried to give my new card, I was stunned and amazed when the clerk said $12.71, please. This is the same stuff that I paid about twenty-two bucks for a month ago! I was thrilled to say the least.
I finished my shopping there and headed to the grocery and picked up few things I needed and headed to the pharmacy and handed her my Golden Buckeye Card and the following conversation ensued:
Tech: "I don't know if this will lower your cost or not since these are four-dollar prescriptions and your bill is only sixteen dollars."
Kay: "Sixteen dollars? I only had two prescriptions! I was figuring on eight dollars."
Tech: "Well,, your doctor ordered the one prescription to be taken three times a day so you pay three times four dollars."
Kay: Grrrrrrrrrrr That doctor and I have to talk about that but it's okay -- it's not your fault."
She went ahead and looked to see if further discounts were available with my GBC and came back and rang up my meds and said with a smile, "$7.21, please." I grinned and handed her my debit card and left the store feeling like I'd just committed highway robbery!
I estimate I saved about seventeen to eighteen dollars today. I am smiling!!!
Thank you, Ohio! There's actually a program in this state that does something good for us elders!
Happy Blogging!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Kay
I take my discounts wherever I can get them. Medicare is great; I take 4-5 Rx's every day and none of them is more than $4 per month. The exception is a gel I use on my face, and a tube of it is $60. There is no generic available for it, but since a tube last's a whole year, it isn't too bad.
ReplyDeleteI think I need to move to Ohio! The state I live in does nothing to help us as well as nothing to protect us from every scammer that wants to try.
ReplyDeleteGood for you Kay!
Making a mental note here to take back some of the bad things I've said about Ohio!
ReplyDeleteDang, girl, sounds like you hit the jackpot. Wish there was one of those cards available in Florida.
ReplyDeleteDang, girl, sounds like you hit the jackpot. Wish there was one of those cards available in Florida.
ReplyDeleteBravo for you AND for the state of Ohio!
ReplyDeleteThat's a great saving and the way it should be. I'm glad you're able to partake of it!
Being of the same frugal upbringing you are, Kay, this is good news. Others are saying how great it is for the Medicare RX--NOT! If you don't take many drugs, it is. If you are like me with exotic cancer and asthma drugs, you reach that $2,250 (which they arrive at by what you've paid in co-pays and they have paid for the drugs themselves) very quickly--like in four months. Then you pay full price until you reach catastrophic coverage ($5,500) and then they pay 90%. The exception is if you sign over to an HMO senior plan; then your drugs are paid for. But, I am one who would only use an HMO if I have absolutely no other choice. Especially after seeing Sicko.
ReplyDeleteMy doctors think I would be better off getting my drugs in Canada once I reach the $2,250 donut hole, but so far I've hung in there. I made medical deductible last year though thanks to my drug copays and full pays.
But--I am privileged to be one of the people who even have health insurance--Medicare 1st, private Blue Cross plan second.