We have insurance with RX copay, it is still cheaper to get drugs from
Walmart for $4 for a month supply. We have one of the drug companies located here, they supply meds to people who can't afford it for nothing. Sometimes it only takes making a phone call to get help from the companies. Montel used to have a program to assist in medicine for the public, but I don't know it that is still operating.
Retail prices on drugs are a exaggerated listing like many things in our society. Computers would be one of them, where the MSR is WAY above what the actual selling price is. There is probably reasons for this, but who knows, we even do it ourselves with anything we sell we ask more for the item than what we are willing to accept.
Most times when you use a copay or other RX insurance program the insurance does not pay the full price past what the patient pays. The price is usually a much lower price. And what we also have to consider that the expensive medicines would never have been developed if not for the profit, even though to us it seems unreasonable. But those life saving drugs in time will be on that $4 list at
Walmart eventually instead of never.
Some drugs have a high liability factor and that is the reason for their cost, such has medicines that actually have radioactive particles added to them. One cannot expect these to be cheap, but again the drug companies themselves will sometimes step up to the plate, also the church we used to go to had at times collected money for help. I am sure others have to, the generosity of our people is enormous once you get off of the backs of the people.
When anyone gets in over their head they should start to contact social services in your local hospital for assistance, contact medical universities for programs, Catholic Services even if you are not Catholic, and the county or city health dept for assistance.
