Hi all
Today I had to pay over $500.00 for meds I have reached doughnut hole in just 3 months.
Can someone explain what the doughthole does and does it change back to copay after another tier is reached. When I call and ask I seem to understand less each time. Then they hide behind; "We are just doing what Medicare tells us to do." "I'm sorry, there's nothing we can do". End of story. I have even had insurance folks say it's all new to them and they are learning what's going on.
I can't determine if I will have to pay high meds rest of year. They can't seem to figure or get across to me how the donught hole is figured and if at some point in time can I surpass hole and go back to copay. I have private insurance picking up all it's allowed to pick up. I get two bills, one Medicare and one from private insurance. I have, I believe, the best the private offers. I have also asked around if there is any kind of medical insurance that would pay for what insurance doesn't pay. Forget the book I got at signup. Folks at insurance office should be able to answer queations. I also find book sent with package of rules is hard for me to understand.
I'm new to medicare since Sept. . I have reached donught hole in 3 months. For a while I had 3 doctors giving me meds for a cough since mid 2010. Each doctor had some meds that I "needed" to get. The icing on cake; Keep taking what the other doctors ar giving you. Then one prescribed Prednisone. What a change! I felt good for 7 days. Then everything shut down, especially kidneys. New team of docs gave me new meds and much less. Couple of meds are the latest and greatest which translates to expensive.
I'm sure that $500, may be small compared to what some pay. But , I feel bad for all of us in the "system" I'm just looking for ideas that might help me and others.
Cheers.....Coffeeman
Today I had to pay over $500.00 for meds I have reached doughnut hole in just 3 months.
Can someone explain what the doughthole does and does it change back to copay after another tier is reached. When I call and ask I seem to understand less each time. Then they hide behind; "We are just doing what Medicare tells us to do." "I'm sorry, there's nothing we can do". End of story. I have even had insurance folks say it's all new to them and they are learning what's going on.
I can't determine if I will have to pay high meds rest of year. They can't seem to figure or get across to me how the donught hole is figured and if at some point in time can I surpass hole and go back to copay. I have private insurance picking up all it's allowed to pick up. I get two bills, one Medicare and one from private insurance. I have, I believe, the best the private offers. I have also asked around if there is any kind of medical insurance that would pay for what insurance doesn't pay. Forget the book I got at signup. Folks at insurance office should be able to answer queations. I also find book sent with package of rules is hard for me to understand.
I'm new to medicare since Sept. . I have reached donught hole in 3 months. For a while I had 3 doctors giving me meds for a cough since mid 2010. Each doctor had some meds that I "needed" to get. The icing on cake; Keep taking what the other doctors ar giving you. Then one prescribed Prednisone. What a change! I felt good for 7 days. Then everything shut down, especially kidneys. New team of docs gave me new meds and much less. Couple of meds are the latest and greatest which translates to expensive.
I'm sure that $500, may be small compared to what some pay. But , I feel bad for all of us in the "system" I'm just looking for ideas that might help me and others.
Cheers.....Coffeeman
