With $1.7 trillion in budget cuts to Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security in the horizon, Medicare Part D beneficiaries will expect more than ever to seek out and find discounts on medicines at different stores or pharmacies, obtain samples, buy bulk, use mail order or buy over-the-counter medicines on sale.
On hand to offer these medication services to seniors enrolled in Medicare Part D are such drug manufacturers as Baxter, pharmacies such as CVS, grocery stores such as Sam’s Club and insurance providers such as Amerigroup.
Baxter offers seniors drugs that treat chronic illnesses such as Alzheimer’s disease, end-stage renal disease and other kidney diseases, immune deficiencies and disorders and trauma, as well as public health problems such as pandemics, pneumonia and the flu.
The company, which also specializes in medical devices and biotechnology as well as drugs, makes its products available for seniors in hospitals, kidney dialysis centers, nursing homes, rehabilitation centers, doctors’ offices, clinical and medical research laboratories and at home for patients under doctors’ supervision.
Baxter sells its medical devices to deliver blood products and other fluids and drugs for senior patients. Products include intravenous (IV) solutions and administration sets, premixed drugs and drug-reconstitution systems, IV nutrition products, infusion pumps, and inhalation anesthetics, pharmacy compounding, drug formulation and packaging technologies.
CVS pharmacy presents drugs and product lines to seniors, accepting 5,000 insurance healthcare coverage plans, including major ones such as Medicare Part D and Medicare Part B.
The pharmacy chain provides a service called MinuteClinic with family nurse practitioners and physician assistants to diagnose, treat and write prescriptions for the most common illnesses with most insurance coverage plans accepted.
It manages a program called ReadyFill to select a convenient refill service and reminder calls for drugs and easy drug transfer and consolidation.
CVS allows seniors to perform easy drug transfer and consolidation to talk to a pharmacist or visit CVS.com/transfer for the easy three-step process.
It also provides an electronic prescription service called ePrescribe to deliver seniors’ drugs from a doctor’s office to a pharmacy.
The pharmacy’s online tools include easy prescription refills with drug history and information, mobile apps that permit seniors to scan prescription barcodes for refills at CVS.com/onthego and text alerts services.
Sam’s Club staffs pharmacists and pharmacy technicians to fill prescriptions in 20 minutes or less, provide easy prescription transfers and to refill prescriptions with the company’s mobile app.
The grocery delivery service holds free monthly health screenings on the second Saturday of each month between January and October. They range from blood pressure and body mass index to glucose, cholesterol and PSA (prostate-specific antigen). Seniors can find screenings on SamsClub.com/healthyliving.
Through its optical services program, seniors can receive $40 off a second pair of eyeglasses, eye exams by an optometrist and a selection of brand-name frames and contact lenses.
Sam’s Club also has a hearing aid center with the provision of a free hearing test and exposure to the latest technology for personal hearing devices and ear plugs.
Under the Amerigroup Community Care insurance coverage plan, seniors can receive special discounts on over-the-counter drugs such as antacids, analgesics, topical and vaginal antifungals, antihistamines, decongestants, cough and cold preparations and laxatives.
Members receive an over-the-counter benefit every three months at no cost to include vitamins and health supplies.
Pill Pals also offers programs that may benefit seniors via our Individual and Employer Sponsored Plans. If you are looking for a way to supplement your medication costs, Pill Pals may be able to help. Learn more at:
SOURCES: Amerigroup, http://www.myamerigroup.com, Baxter, http://www.baxter.com, CVS, http://www.cvs.com, Sam’s Club, http://www.samsclub.com,
