What is a "30 Day Supply" of My Medication and How Much Does It Really Cost?
Yesterday a reader wrote in with a question about her Lotrel, a blood pressure medication. She was taking 1 pill per day. Her Doctor then prescribed 2 pills per day
to control her condition. This had caused her drug plan to charge her for 2 co-payments for the same prescription and she was wondering how they could do this.
Every drug plan arbitrarily decides what they consider a “normal” 30 day dosage
for each medication would be….or what a doctor would normally prescribe to control each illness. If your individual prescription goes over this “normal” range, the drug plan will charge you for two 30 day supplies, or 2 co-payments, even though your doctor says you need them.
You do have a recourse however, by requesting your Doctor write your drug plan a “letter of exception”. He can state in the letter that for YOU and YOUR CONDITION
a 30 day supply is 2 pills per day instead of just one.
After your doctor writes the letter for you, call your drug plan’s customer service number and ask if you should fax it to them and get the fax number OR if you should send the original copy to them in the mail. ALWAYS KEEP A COPY FOR YOURSELF OF ALL CORRESPONDENCE SENT TO YOUR DRUG PLAN.
Once the drug plan receives your letter, they have 72 hours to respond.
If they deny the doctor’s request, you can appeal. Also, there are free lawyers that will take your case by contacting
Medicare Rights Center at
MedicareRightsCenter.org and clicking on Medicare Law.
