My trip to the pharmacy

[Dirty Hippie]

I regularly pick up prescriptions for my adult son who is disabled.

When I went yesterday... surprise surprise!

Medicaid as of Jan 1 no longer covers diabetic glucose test strips or insulin syringes.

I guess diabetics are suppose to eat their insulin?

The test strips are very expensive and those who do not test regularly risk grave complications and even death.

My son will be ok because he has the support of his family. But I know their are a lot of people getting a rude awakening when they go to pick up their meds.

BTW: We are in Florida - Thank you Jeb! (Asshole)

[BOSSHOG]

1. And military retirees will find

a lump of coal in their health care stocking later this year as tricare fees rise and standard service which now costs nothing if not used will now have a price tag. Can you feel all that compassionate conservatism? Don't want to inconvenience the rush limbaugh's of the world, let us slash their taxes but continue to defend their constitutional liberties.

[salin]

2. very foolish, policy wise

it will cost taxpayers much more to pay for hospitalization due to lack of preventative care, than the prevenative care.

Am guessing this is a state-wide decision? I believe that the govs have been given greater and greater discretion for how to spend/cut costs of medicaid at the state level.

[ncrainbowgrrl]

3. are you kidding me- no longer covers test strips?!!?!

THAT is insane. Those things are really expensive- especially if you have one of the "newer" devices- (like freestyle flash) that requires less blood, and thus is nicer to use on a daily basis. I think when we went to get another vial of test strips it was like $90 for either 50 or 100 of 'em. (Don't remember- that night was a blur.)

[SmokingJacket]

7. People will start going without, and will suffer enormously

expensive complications. How STUPID are these people?

[BiggJawn]

4. That must be that "slowing the rate of growth of entitlements"

The Asshole was just talking about on his weekly radio blow-job.
I feel lucky that my insurance covers my strips and spikes.

And it just tickles the diddley-doo out of me that those pweshush widdle bay-bees are getting flushed down the drain instead of being used for research (stem cells) :sarcasm:

[BlueEyedSon]

5. Write an LTE to your local paper. nt

[Dirty Hippie]

6. Good idea! n/t

[BlueEyedSon]

8. What you are talking about is some serious sh*t. nt

[deutsey]

9. Excellent idea. If we don't speak out, who will?

[Dirty Hippie]

15. Critique my letter here

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x74121

[hyphenate]

10. Does he have the medicare as well?

Check out the medicare.gov website on the new prescription plans. They switched me over to a plan that is supposed to be equal to my medicaid coverage.

[Dirty Hippie]

12. He is not yet eligible for Medicare

as he has not been receiving disability for two years.

He will be soon, but there has to be a lot of people in his situation, or worse.

[kdmorris]

11. OMG

I guess this is their attempt to get all the poor people to shop at Wal-Mart (You can get a Reli-on monitor and then the test strips only cost $45 for 100. Of course, the monitor is not very accurate, but who cares, anyway? It just blood sugar.)

This is absurd. I live in Florida, but I have Aetna insurance. I'm constantly fighting with them to "let" me test more than twice a day. I just started on a new drug (Prandin) that can possibly cause low blood sugar, so I'm "allowed" to do it 5 times a day now (fasting, Post-Prandial for every meal, and before I exercise). I cannot believe how bad this is going to be for diabetics on Medicaid. I guess this is just another example of letting the poor people die, or something. Of course, with Aetna, I'm only allowed to use the OneTouch products, or I have to pay full price for the test strips. Luckily, the OneTouch Ultra and Ultrasmart are supposed to be the most accurate monitors out there.

I digress. I just woke up and this is just crazy. The most fundamental supplies needed to care for yourself as a diabetic are no longer covered? That means more people will end up with complications and hospitalization due to those complications.

[RagingInMiami]

13. Isn't there some type of program where you can exchange the needles?

I've only heard about it so I don't know if it's federal or state, but it might be worth looking into.

[kestrel91316]

17. Needle exchanges are for IV DRUG ADDICTS so they don't

share their works and spread HIV.

[RagingInMiami]

20. Yes, but they are not limited to IV drug addicts

[qanda]

14. That is outrageous

Is that a state or federal decision? I'm just wondering if diabetics across the country are being affected by this.

[Dirty Hippie]

18. It is Florida

The "leader" in Medicaid reform.

[txindy]

16. I keep reading how even the pharmacies are clueless about the changes

Hours can be spent at the pharmacy trying to get a handle on what's covered. Un-freakin'-believable.

I'm glad your son has your support. I can't imagine being disabled or elderly and trying to work this out on my own while my medication dwindles away. Think the kinks will be ironed out before people without the money to pay run out of medicine? Suuuuuuure.

[peekaloo]

19. I was in Florida last weekend and went to a pharmacy to pick up

a 'script for my dad. I stood in line behind three people who were telling the pharmacist about their medications and that they didn't know how they would pay for them after the first of the year. The pharmacist was giving them quotes on the actual cost of each med and all three were worried that they would no longer be able to afford them since their drugs weren't covered under their Medicare program.

The shit storm is a brewin'.

:-(