Hi! My Name is DeAnna Lax. I am a nurse on the Bernard Health Team. Although I have a Bachelors in Nursing, I am now taking care of patients in a whole new way! I have taken on a brand new role in health care: helping people save money. You can just call me DeAnna the Discount Drug Diva! My primary role with Bernard Health is helping our clients save money on prescription medication and medical procedures. It can be scary when your company makes changes to your group health insurance plan. Did your company just switch to a Health Savings Account plan? Nervous about the changes? I can help you!Hi! My Name is DeAnna Lax. I am a nurse on the Bernard Health Team. Although I have a Bachelors in Nursing, I am now taking care of patients in a whole new way! I have taken on a brand new role in health care: helping people save money. You can just call me DeAnna the Discount Drug Diva! My primary role with Bernard Health is helping our clients save money on prescription medication and medical procedures. It can be scary when your company makes changes to your group health insurance plan. Did your company just switch to a Health Savings Account plan? Nervous about the changes? I can help you!Wow! I can not tell you how excited I was Sunday when I got my Tennesseean newspaper! (Yes, I still walk out to my driveway and pick up and read a real newspaper). I was looking through the Publix sale paper to find some grocery bargains and instead found a prescription bargain!!!! I saw the words:
Well that got my attention! I have recommended this medication hundreds of times because it is a tried and true $4 generic. Who knew it would get better? Wow Publix.... Free Lisinopril, Metformin and free antibiotics... You rock!
While we are on the topic of free medication, do not forget about free diabetic medication at Harris Teeter!
This deal is great for anyone! HSA health plan or traditional co-pay health insurance, either way free is free! If you switch from a $4 generic pharmacy to this free offer you can have an extra $48 in your Health Savings Account every year! Publix and Harris Teeter are both in several locations in Nashville Tennessee. Our Bernard Health Tennessee group and individual clients should take advantage of these offers.
Well that got my attention! I have recommended this medication hundreds of times because it is a tried and true $4 generic. Who knew it would get better? Wow Publix.... Free Lisinopril, Metformin and free antibiotics... You rock!
While we are on the topic of free medication, do not forget about free diabetic medication at Harris Teeter!
This deal is great for anyone! HSA health plan or traditional co-pay health insurance, either way free is free! If you switch from a $4 generic pharmacy to this free offer you can have an extra $48 in your Health Savings Account every year! Publix and Harris Teeter are both in several locations in Nashville Tennessee. Our Bernard Health Tennessee group and individual clients should take advantage of these offers.
The IMS (Institute for Healthcare Informatics) reports that Americans spent $307 billion on prescription drugs in 2010. The drugs on which we spend the most money are those that are still new enough to be protected against generic competition.
The 10 drugs on which we spent the most were:
- Lipitor, a cholesterol-lowering statin drug -- $7.2 billion
- Nexium, an antacid drug -- $6.3 billion
- Plavix, a blood thinner -- $6.1 billion
- Advair Diskus, an asthma inhaler -- $4.7 billion
- Abilify, an antipsychotic drug -- $4.6 billion
- Seroquel, an antipsychotic drug -- $4.4 billion
- Singulair, an oral asthma drug -- $4.1 billion
- Crestor, a cholesterol-lowering statin drug -- $3.8 billion
- Actos, a diabetes drug -- $3.5 billion
- Epogen, an injectable anemia drug -- $3.3 billion
I have price shopped all but one of these medications for Bernard Health clients. No matter what type of health insurance plan you are on, these are expensive medications. A traditional health plan will have the co-pays in the highest tier. For someone with an HSA (Health Savings Account) health insurance plan these are significant costs. The average cost for a one month supply of the medications on this list is over $160.Eight of the medications have savings programs from the pharmaceutical company. The average monthly savings offered is $35 a month. Even with a savings card a person with a Health Savings Account plan will still be spending over $125 a month.
If you read my blog Health Care Costs Report you know that for the first time, the top 10 most prescribed medications are all generics! So it is not all bad news. Over half of these top grossing medications have a generic that is similar that could be an option to discuss with your doctor.
Click the Seasonique logo above to get your coupon. The program offers up to $90 off per pack.
If you are a Bernard Health client (individual or group insurance plan) with a traditional health plan you pay only a $40 co-pay. If you have a Health Savings Account Health Plan you save up to a maximum of $90 off your out of pockets costs.
Happy Savings!
I just read a Time Magazine Article titled "What Millions are Taking". Below are some interesting facts reported from the Institute for Health care Informatics.
The reports' authors suggest that the recession — along with high rates of unemployment, lack of health insurance and rising health-care costs — may be the main contributing factors to the downturn in drug use.
Other interesting facts from the 2010 IMS report:
- For the first time, the top 10 most popular prescription drugs are generics.
- The rate of doctor visits fell: the number of visits to American doctor's offices dropped 4.2% in 2010.
- The number of patients starting new drug treatments for chronic conditions declined by 3.4 million.
The reports' authors suggest that the recession — along with high rates of unemployment, lack of health insurance and rising health-care costs — may be the main contributing factors to the downturn in drug use.
Well, I'm no expert... but I think these changes might be due to Bernard Health Group and Individual Clients price shopping!!!! Keep reading... It sure sounds like those of you with Health Savings Accounts are listening to our advice.
Other interesting facts from the 2010 IMS report:
- Doctor visits were down 4.2% since 2009.
- Patients filled more than half of their prescriptions -- 54% -- at chain drugstores, possibly because of discounts on generic drugs.
- Drug companies offered $4.5 billion in rebates to assist patients with the high cost of brand name drugs for which there was no generic alternative.
Several of the top selling drug patents are about to expire. This is great news for those who are on these expensive branded medications, and even better news for those with Health Savings Account eligible health insurance plans! The decrease in cost will not only help individuals save more money in their Health Savings Accounts, but hopefully, it will help offset rate increases for companies that offer group health insurance plans. FYI, here's a list of drugs affected by patent expiration in 2011-2012.
Expiring in 2011
Accolate
Actos
Caduet
Lipitor
Tazorac
Expiring in 2012
Avalide
Avandamet
Avandia
Avapro
Diovan
Geodon
Levaquin
Lexapro
Lunesta
Plavix
Seroquel
Singulair
I wish I could say the savings would be instant. But, it will take time for the generics to be available at local pharmacies. Once available, it generally takes 6 months for prices to decrease. Over the next few years, however, you could see significant savings on prescription medications.
Hello again Bernard Health price shoppers! I have some more good news about prescription savings for all of you with Health Savings Account eligible health insurance plans! While price shopping for an employee of one of our group health insurance clients in Nashville, I came across a savings card for Crestor.The Crestor savings card saves up to $75 of your out-of-pocket costs each month if you are currently taking Crestor. Sign up for the savings card here. Since Crestor costs about $140 a month, this savings card can cut that is half!
The One month free offer is still available for new Crestor prescriptions. You can sign up here.
But..... If you want to keep even more money in your Health Savings Account, there are other alternatives. These generics cost much less and are very similar. An alternative medication you could discuss with your doctor is simvastatin which costs under $10 a month.
Lovastatin and prevastatin that are both on the $4 generic lists at many pharmacies. These would also be a great alternative to discuss with your doctor.
***If you have a traditional health insurance plan with drug co-pays, the Crestor Savings Card states you will not pay more than $25.
I have just come across a Savings program for Lipitor. Of all the medications I price shop for our Bernard Health clients, this is one of the most popular.
That makes me very happy to know that those of you on Health Savings Account health plans can save $50 a month! Yes $50 a month! If you are on a traditional health insurance plans with co-pays for prescription medication you will pay no more than $4 a month. You can get more information and sign up for the savings card here.
That makes me very happy to know that those of you on Health Savings Account health plans can save $50 a month! Yes $50 a month! If you are on a traditional health insurance plans with co-pays for prescription medication you will pay no more than $4 a month. You can get more information and sign up for the savings card here.
This one is for the ladies. Specifically the Ladies who take Yaz or Yasmin.
As some of you may know, the Yaz and Yasmin savings program just expired. But never fear! Bayer has a new product that you can discuss with your doctor. It is called Safyral. It is the birth control Yasmin with added B vitamin Folate. They now offer the $25 saving card for this medication.
If you want more information you can check it out here:
To sign up for the savings card click below.
The offers states "Pay no more than $25 for each months prescription". The savings will be greatest if you have a health savings account based health insurance plan. It will also save money if you have a traditional group health plan since brand named medication co-pays are usually over $35. This savings card is great for all Bernard Health clients in Tennessee, Indiana, Kentucky or any state for that matter.
As some of you may know, the Yaz and Yasmin savings program just expired. But never fear! Bayer has a new product that you can discuss with your doctor. It is called Safyral. It is the birth control Yasmin with added B vitamin Folate. They now offer the $25 saving card for this medication.
If you want more information you can check it out here:
To sign up for the savings card click below.
The offers states "Pay no more than $25 for each months prescription". The savings will be greatest if you have a health savings account based health insurance plan. It will also save money if you have a traditional group health plan since brand named medication co-pays are usually over $35. This savings card is great for all Bernard Health clients in Tennessee, Indiana, Kentucky or any state for that matter.
For all of you that have Health Savings Account based health insurance plans, it's important to find good deals on prescription and over-the-counter drugs. As of January 1, 2011, you can no longer buy over-the-counter medication with your Health Savings Acco debit card unless it is accompanied by a doctor's prescription. But, that doesn't mean there aren't still great ways to save money.
One of the most popular over-the-counter drugs for employees of group health insurance clients in Tennessee is Prilosec, so I wanted to pass on three money saving options:
1. Free Sample 14 day sample:
2. $10 off coupon:
One of the most popular over-the-counter drugs for employees of group health insurance clients in Tennessee is Prilosec, so I wanted to pass on three money saving options:
1. Free Sample 14 day sample:
2. $10 off coupon:
3. $25 Rebate
For most of you, the end of the deductible year is approaching. Whether you have an individual or a group health insurance plan, now is the time to make some money saving decisions. Here are a few tips that will allow you to keep as much money as possible in your Health Savings Account.
Tips for those who have met or almost met their deductible:
As of January 1, 2011, your deductible will reset to zero and you will begin incurring out of pockets costs again. Now is the time to complete tests or procedures you haven't completed this year, including:
Tips for those who have spent very little or are not close to meeting their deductible:
Wait until January 1, 2011 to spend any more money if possible. If your deductible resets after the new year, any money spent now that will not put you above your deductible amount will, in a sense, be lost. Obviously there are emergency situations and those should be treated immediately. But if it is a new medication or a new test your doctor has prescribed ask if you can wait a few weeks.
Tips for those who have met or almost met their deductible:
As of January 1, 2011, your deductible will reset to zero and you will begin incurring out of pockets costs again. Now is the time to complete tests or procedures you haven't completed this year, including:
- A Colonoscopy
- Lab work
- Diagnostic Testing
- Surgery
- Outpatient Surgery
- Heart Catheterization
- Prescriptions refills
Tips for those who have spent very little or are not close to meeting their deductible:
Wait until January 1, 2011 to spend any more money if possible. If your deductible resets after the new year, any money spent now that will not put you above your deductible amount will, in a sense, be lost. Obviously there are emergency situations and those should be treated immediately. But if it is a new medication or a new test your doctor has prescribed ask if you can wait a few weeks.
I read the results of a Wall Street Journal / Harris Interactive Healthcare Poll and found it very interesting. The results of the poll showed that only 12% of people polled had attempted to negotiate cost with their doctors but of those who did, 61% were successful in getting a discount.
When we have meetings with the employees of a new group before they make the change to a Health Savings Account health insurance plan, it is important to let then know to discuss costs. I always say "Talk to your doctor and ask questions." Whether you have a group or individual HSA medical plan, it is very important to do everything possible to lower your medical costs. Don't be nervous just ask! I think 61% odds are worth asking!
Don't stop at your doctor. Many hospitals will reduce the cost of a medical procedure down to what it charges Medicare. If you are not sure where to begin your negotiation price, you can look at Healthcare Blue Book for your procedure and find the fair price.
When we have meetings with the employees of a new group before they make the change to a Health Savings Account health insurance plan, it is important to let then know to discuss costs. I always say "Talk to your doctor and ask questions." Whether you have a group or individual HSA medical plan, it is very important to do everything possible to lower your medical costs. Don't be nervous just ask! I think 61% odds are worth asking!
Don't stop at your doctor. Many hospitals will reduce the cost of a medical procedure down to what it charges Medicare. If you are not sure where to begin your negotiation price, you can look at Healthcare Blue Book for your procedure and find the fair price.
I'm not just cheap when it comes to medical insurance and prescription costs. I'm cheap about everything, and I came across a great deal while shopping for my $0.39/lb turkey at Harris Teeter in Nashville this morning! Speaking of Cheap... Guess who was also shopping for deals? Ms. Cheap!
Those of you who have group or individual health insurance with Bernard Health here in Tennessee will probably recognize Ms. Cheap from the Tennessean newspaper. How exciting! For those of us to love to save money on everything from groceries to health insurance coverage, she is kind of a celebrity! OK DeAnna.... focus... your job here is to help people save money on health care and medical costs....Get to the point!
So, as I was shopping I saw this banner:
My inspiration:
FREE Diabetic Generic Medication!!!!
- Up to a 30 day supply FREE for 5 generic diabetic medications*
- *The price for more than a 30 day supply of these medications is prorated.
- Save at any Harris Teeter Pharmacy location
- $4.95 annual enrollment fee, per VIC card
Having an open discussion with your doctor is the BEST way to start saving money on healthcare expenses. This is extremely important for people with an individual HSA health insurance plan or group health insurance coverage in Nashville or Indianapolis (or anywhere for that matter).
Doctors want to help their patients. The best way for them to help is to give them a treatment that they will follow. If you have a talk with your doctor about the costs of your medications or procedures, they will be very willing to look into other possible options. Before your doctor hands you a prescription, you need to let him know you have a Health Savings Account insurance plan and that you are concerned about the cost of your medication. Ask for a generic option if one is available.
Well, what if there is no generic for the medication he thinks will work best for you? He may not know the costs of the medication. Ask him what type or class of medication he is thinking is the best treatment. Once you have that information, you can research different options in each class. Look for savings programs on the medication website. Call around to pharmacies and ask about the cost of each medicine. Then call your doctor with the options that will be the easiest to pay each month.
If your company has group health insurance with Bernard Health, you can just call me an I will do all the research for you!
If you are on Medicare, you might benefit from a Medicare Prescription Drug Coverage plan. You can call us or walk into our retail store at 720 Thompson Lane across from Vanderbilt 100 Oaks in Nashville, Tennessee. Who knows... you might even run into Bernie!
Doctors want to help their patients. The best way for them to help is to give them a treatment that they will follow. If you have a talk with your doctor about the costs of your medications or procedures, they will be very willing to look into other possible options. Before your doctor hands you a prescription, you need to let him know you have a Health Savings Account insurance plan and that you are concerned about the cost of your medication. Ask for a generic option if one is available.
Well, what if there is no generic for the medication he thinks will work best for you? He may not know the costs of the medication. Ask him what type or class of medication he is thinking is the best treatment. Once you have that information, you can research different options in each class. Look for savings programs on the medication website. Call around to pharmacies and ask about the cost of each medicine. Then call your doctor with the options that will be the easiest to pay each month.
If your company has group health insurance with Bernard Health, you can just call me an I will do all the research for you!
If you are on Medicare, you might benefit from a Medicare Prescription Drug Coverage plan. You can call us or walk into our retail store at 720 Thompson Lane across from Vanderbilt 100 Oaks in Nashville, Tennessee. Who knows... you might even run into Bernie!
For many Bernard Health group health insurance clients, the transition to Health Savings Account based health plans involves price shopping for prescription drugs. They often turn to me for help, and I'm pleased to share that I've found a terrific discount for Levitra! ... this is great news because those of you who have price shopped erectile dysfunction (E.D.) drugs know this stuff is expensive!
Target has just added a great Levitra offer - one tablet for $9. You are allowed up to 10 tablets a month at this price. This is the branded medication, not a generic. This price is much less than any prices I have searched. If you are on another E.D. medication such as Viagra or Cialis, you can talk to your doctor about the possibilty of changing to Levitra.
Here is a link to the Target generic drug list where you can find this discount listed - just scroll down to "Men's Health".
Target has just added a great Levitra offer - one tablet for $9. You are allowed up to 10 tablets a month at this price. This is the branded medication, not a generic. This price is much less than any prices I have searched. If you are on another E.D. medication such as Viagra or Cialis, you can talk to your doctor about the possibilty of changing to Levitra.
Here is a link to the Target generic drug list where you can find this discount listed - just scroll down to "Men's Health".
If you have an HSA based health insurance plan, paired with a Health Savings Account, you know that looking into money saving options is very important. It is very rare that I say use a branded medication, but I just found a savings program for Yaz and Yasmin! This is much less than the cost of the generic, so you might be better off and spend less money each month with the branded medication.
The Savings card offer states:
"Pay no more than $5 for your first month’s prescription and pay no more than $25 for each monthly refill."
This card should help keep more money in your health savings account. The savings card will work with individual HSA medical insurance or group health plans. It is unlikely to save money with a traditional medical plan since a generic co-pay is generally less expensive than $25 a month.
The Savings card offer states:
"Pay no more than $5 for your first month’s prescription and pay no more than $25 for each monthly refill."
This card should help keep more money in your health savings account. The savings card will work with individual HSA medical insurance or group health plans. It is unlikely to save money with a traditional medical plan since a generic co-pay is generally less expensive than $25 a month.
I recently posted a suggestion about saving money on prescription medication by buying an over the counter (OTC) equivalent and having your pharmacist run it as an Rx. By doing so, you not only save money, but you're ensuring that cost is being counted towards your health insurance deductible. It's important to remember that your individual or group health insurance plan is separate from your Heath Savings Account bank card. You can use money in your Health Savings Account to pay for OTC medicine, but it does not count towards your deductible and I wanted to make sure every dollar you spend out of your account is being counted! In the blog, I was discussing buying OTC medication that is accompanied by a doctors prescription. I didn't go into much detail about what can and can't be paid for with an individual HSA in Tennessee.
Still, I want to be sure that you all know changes are coming concerning HSA eligible expenses. Under the new healthcare reform legislation, OTC medication can be paid for using your HSA only if accompanied by a doctors prescription. These changes will take effect on January 1, 2011.
If you want to read a little more about the 2011 changes, penalties, and contribution limits you can take a look here.
Still, I want to be sure that you all know changes are coming concerning HSA eligible expenses. Under the new healthcare reform legislation, OTC medication can be paid for using your HSA only if accompanied by a doctors prescription. These changes will take effect on January 1, 2011.
If you want to read a little more about the 2011 changes, penalties, and contribution limits you can take a look here.
Are you on a prescription medication that is also available over the counter? But you have an HSA (Health Savings Account) based health insurance plan and you want all your medications to count towards your deductible?
It is usually much less expensive to get your medication over-the-counter, but it won't count towards your deductible. Generally the over-the-counter (OTC) version of the exact same medicine will cost about half the price as the same medicine when filled through your health insurance.
What do you do? Having your medications count towards your deductible is one of the benefits of a Health Savings Accounts.
You can ask the to pharmacist run the OTC medication as an prescription so that it will count towards your deductible. As long as you have a prescription for the medication and your prescription is the same as the over the counter version the pharmacist should be able to do this for you. It's worth a try to save money on your monthly prescription costs.
Whether you have an individual HSA or a company HSA, it is ALWAYS a good idea to ASK ASK ASK. Talk to your doctor and your pharmacist! Ask questions! Let them know your situation. Ask if they know of a way to help save money. They might just give you an idea that you never thought about! How do you think I learned this information? Yep, by talking to a pharmacist and asking lots of questions!
It is usually much less expensive to get your medication over-the-counter, but it won't count towards your deductible. Generally the over-the-counter (OTC) version of the exact same medicine will cost about half the price as the same medicine when filled through your health insurance.
What do you do? Having your medications count towards your deductible is one of the benefits of a Health Savings Accounts.
You can ask the to pharmacist run the OTC medication as an prescription so that it will count towards your deductible. As long as you have a prescription for the medication and your prescription is the same as the over the counter version the pharmacist should be able to do this for you. It's worth a try to save money on your monthly prescription costs.
Whether you have an individual HSA or a company HSA, it is ALWAYS a good idea to ASK ASK ASK. Talk to your doctor and your pharmacist! Ask questions! Let them know your situation. Ask if they know of a way to help save money. They might just give you an idea that you never thought about! How do you think I learned this information? Yep, by talking to a pharmacist and asking lots of questions!
I received a postcard in the mail yesterday that had offers for $25 worth or groceries for prescription transfers. Some of you may have also received them so check your mailbox!
I know Bernard Health has several new companies that have recently switched to a Health Savings Account (HSA) group health insurance plan. If you have contacted me lately about prescription pricing and are thinking Kroger might be an option to save you money, I will be more than happy to mail these certificates to you!
Kroger has a $4 generic program that I have mentioned many times. I think switching to a $4 generic and getting $25 worth of groceries is a great deal! Please let me know if you would like one or more of these coupons!
I think I have mentioned this briefly in some of my posts, but I wanted to take a minute to discuss it in detail. I know price shopping and comparing alternative medications is very important to those of you with a Health Savings Account (HSA) based health insurance plan. It can save hundreds of dollars every month! These savings are not as immediately apparent with co-pay based health insurance plans. That's where I can help.
The most obvious reason to be aware of your healthcare costs is simple: the less you spend on prescription co-pays, the more you have in your bank account. Co-pays range in cost, and its a pretty wide range. I am going to base all my math on a co-pay of $50 for two reasons. First, its a good mid range cost. Second, math is not one of my favorite subjects so I need to keep it easy.
Lets say you take 5 prescription medications a month, and each is a branded drug. Your co-pay for each of these medications is $50. Each month you spend $250 on co-pays which equals $3,000 annually.
5 X $50 = $250 month
$250 X 12 = $3,000 year
Now lets say you talk to your doctor about generic alternatives and have your prescriptions changed. Your monthly co-pays for your 5 medications drop to $10 each. Your monthly medication cost is now only $50 a month which equals $600 annually.
5 X $10 = $50 month
$50 X 12 =$600 year
A savings of $200 a month or $2,400 annually. What could you do with an extra $200 a month? Probably a lot.
If you were to take this one step further and have those medications switched to $4 generics, the scenario looks something like this. Five medications at $4 equals $20 a month or $240 annually.
5 X $4 = $20 month
$20 X 12 = $240 year
So, you have gone from an annual cost of $3,000 to an annual cost of $240.
But, it gets better than that! A 3 month supply of a $4 medication costs $10. Your 5 medications now cost $50 every 3 months. An annual cost of $200. By making this switch you can save $2,800 a year.
That is like finding a $2,800 bill in the pocket of your winter coat!
Saving money immediately and directly is the most obvious benefit of paying attention to your options when it comes to prescription drugs. But there's another benefit that is just as real but less immediately obvious. I will do my best to explain it clearly. Side note: It works almost the same with an individual or a group insurance plan. I am going to describe the importance of the savings based on an individual. But the rate increases are the exact same if you have a group health insurance plan through your company.
If you have an individual health insurance plan and you are getting a branded medication at a copay cost of $50. But, that medication actually costs $200. Who is paying that extra $150? Your insurance company! And what are they gonna do at the end of the year when they review your renewal? It is VERY likely they will increase your monthly premiums. This increase in premiums will add up and your overall health care costs can grow quickly. Not to mention, if you decide to switch health insurance companies you can be denied based solely on your medications!
Being cost conscious is always important!
Powered by Compendium