I Had To Drop My Pharmacy...I Was Informed They Are No Longer in Network.

Judycat

Judycat

Well-known Member
Location
Pennsylvania
Oh no! What do you do? You call your Part D provider and ask who else is in network. That's what I did and had my prescriptions transferred to a different pharmacy.

You'd think this is a correct, understandable thing to do, but my former pharmacy called upset and huffy that I would dump them like that. They wanted me to wait until their lawsuit changed things back. Ya! I'm going to wait and pay full price until class action makes a decision. No thanks. 🙄

What makes them think they can demand loyalty? I told them I'd rather stay with their pharmacy but I needed them to be in my Part D network which they will no longer be. "Well we already transferred your prescriptions (so there)!" I thanked them and said goodbye. Sheesh. You were my drugstore not my family. Gah.
 

What a ridiculous response from your pharmacist ! You should have said you'd continue to get your prescriptions from there if they guaranteed in writing to charge you what they've always charged until their suit (they're not likely to win) is settled. :LOL: When changes in how and where we can receive medical care and our meds can be sucky. It's good that you were able to find another pharmacy right away.
 
OneEyedDiva said:
What a ridiculous response from your pharmacist ! You should have said you'd continue to get your prescriptions from there if they guaranteed in writing to charge you what they've always charged until their suit (they're not likely to win) is settled. :LOL: When changes in how and where we can receive medical care and our meds can be sucky. It's good that you were able to find another pharmacy right away.
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Thanks Diva. It did seem ridiculous to me too. My insurance carrier and the new pharmacy were great though.
 
I thought Walmart was okay with all advantage plans - apparently not. I have UHC and I use Walmart. But, I think UHC perfers I use mail order. I won't do that. I wouldn't know what day the prescriptions would arrive, or what time, because the postman never comes at the same time. When it's 100 degrees outside, it's probably 150 degrees inside my metal mailbox at the street, where heat sensitive medications could sit for hours.
 
My insurance coverage is a little different from an Advantage Plan. I have Original Medicare and Part D is covered by Extra Help from the state. May be why Walmart doesn't want to be involved.
 
MACKTEXAS said:
I thought Walmart was okay with all advantage plans - apparently not. I have UHC and I use Walmart. But, I think UHC perfers I use mail order. I won't do that. I wouldn't know what day the prescriptions would arrive, or what time, because the postman never comes at the same time. When it's 100 degrees outside, it's probably 150 degrees inside my metal mailbox at the street, where heat sensitive medications could sit for hours.
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That's exactly why I don't want to get prescriptions by mail; having 'em sit there in an old hot mailbox or getting stolen out of the box. And having them delivered to a P.O. box? Then you've gotta drive maybe quite a ways to pick them up and there are long waiting lists to get P.O. boxes around here anyway.
 
Judycat said:
You'd think this is a correct, understandable thing to do, but my former pharmacy called upset and huffy that I would dump them like that. They wanted me to wait until their lawsuit changed things back. Ya! I'm going to wait and pay full price until class action makes a decision. No thanks. 🙄
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The part I made bold above, makes me think they are trying to leverage customer’s opinions to get whomever they are suing to back down. Maybe, I read too many conspiracy books.
 
Judycat said:
I wanted Walmart but the insurance said Walmart wasn't a preferred pharmacy. I was afraid I'd have to go to one 20 miles away but they found me one closer. That was a relief since my car is close to 20 years old and I live in a very rural area.
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Does your insurance pay any part of the cost of a prescription that you would have filled at a preferred pharmacy?
 
Brookswood said:
The part I made bold above, makes me think they are trying to leverage customer’s opinions to get whomever they are suing to back down. Maybe, I read too many conspiracy books.
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Yeah you're probably right, but I'm small potatoes and don't have time or the patience to play that game. Sometimes you just gotta take care of yourself.
 
I was actually seriously considering a Medicare advantage plan that would have given me a free Costco card every year. I would have gone with that pharmacy there, but it turns out that instead I end up with a card that gives me $146 a month.

So instead I just deal with my Walmart. 90% of the time they're pretty decent as long as of course I remember which one I'm filling my prescription at. 😂😂😂😂
 
Judycat said:
Yes they are the middle man if that's what you are asking. They make the deals between Big Pharma and the State.
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Sorry, I just read what I wrote which makes no sense. I'll try again. What I was asking if you had to have your script filled at Walmart or any other pharmacy that was a not a preferred pharmacy, would your insurance pay enough that it would be an option if you can't get to another drug store?
 
MACKTEXAS said:
I thought Walmart was okay with all advantage plans - apparently not. I have UHC and I use Walmart. But, I think UHC perfers I use mail order. I won't do that. I wouldn't know what day the prescriptions would arrive, or what time, because the postman never comes at the same time. When it's 100 degrees outside, it's probably 150 degrees inside my metal mailbox at the street, where heat sensitive medications could sit for hours.
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@MACKTEXAS I have UHC & thought mail delivered prescriptions would be a problem. I was wrong!
We have high heat days & like you & mail delivery has no set time, even that hasn't been a problem. OptumRx notifies us by email that a prescription will be refilled & gives us an expected delivery date

We have auto refill & that works really great. We don't have to worry about looking at the prescription bottle to see if we need to call our PCP for a refill. No need to contact the pharmacy for refills & drive to go get them.

Auto refill takes care of all that & maybe most important the meds are or have been a month & 1/2 ahead of when a refill might be needed. .
 

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