Consumers Reducing Health Care Spending to Save Money
New research from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) reveals that the weakening U.S. economy is taking a toll on the health of Americans.
According to the NAIC, 11% of American consumers say they have cut back the number of prescription drugs they take or have decreased the dosage of those medications to make their prescriptions last longer.
Skipping your pills or postponing getting refills can put you at risk, especially if you have a chronic health condition such as diabetes or heart disease.There are ways to save on medications without making abrupt changes to your therapy:
What do you think? Leave a comment below or in the Medication Forum.
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Comments
I don’t tak meds, but still voted Yes, because I unable for the past couple of years to afford either insurance or doctor visits.
I hate to admit it, but yes, I’m making my last two months of Singulair last twice as long by taking it every other day, and then I’m not buying it again if I can help it. I know that drug companies need to cover the cost of years of research and development, but the price of some medications is just astronomical. Something’s gotta give.
Yikes, it is a really contentious issue. In the UK we don’t quite have those issues but certainly have some now coming up as money gets tighter and the NHS gets squeezed even tighter.
My husband was off work for a few months, and we were trying not to use COBRA because it was so expensive. I paid for my essential meds (thyroid), but didn’t do one that I figured I could get by without (if not as comfortably).
My problem isn’t not paying for medications - it’s not taking them. I have a cabinet with some Vicodin in it. I was prescribed 30 and took 4.
Just last week I filled a scrip for my daughter to take pulmocort via nebulizer. When the pharmacy said it would be $200, I thought hard and decided we’d wait a few days to see if she got better without it. I had been on the fence anyway since it would’ve been her third medication for one illness and I didn’t think she was that sick.
The problem with not using COBRA is that if you are uncovered for more than 61 days, when you try to get insurance, you can be denied for having a pre-existing condition. There should be a better way for people who are unemployed. Perhaps unemployment should have a medical benefit as well.