HealthWell Foundation: Helping People Get Their Prescriptions Filled

Are Your Prescriptions Too Expensive Even After Health Insurance?

HealthWell May Be Able to Help You

Although I am fortunate enough not to be taking any prescription medications right now, I know how much they can cost even with good health insurance coverage. There was a time several years ago when I was taking seven prescription medications−− two for depression and anxiety and five for cough variant asthma. I had a good health insurance plan, but even with co−insurance, filling those prescriptions amounted to over $200 a month.

Fortunately, my husband and I were able to move from our moldy apartment to a house with wood floors. My cough variant asthma subsided to the point at which I no longer need medication. And I was eventually able to wean off the medications for depression and anxiety. I also gave up my expensive civilian health insurance and became a member of Tricare Prime, courtesy of my husband’s service in the Army. That makes healthcare less expensive for me.

But what about you? Are you struggling with paying for your prescription medications? If you are, you’re not alone. According to a June 2010 article in Managed Care Magazine,more and more Americans are abandoning their prescriptions at the pharmacy or refusing to get them filled in the first place. Healthcare costs are continuing to rise as more and more people are finding themselves unemployed or underemployed. Many people are having a hard time paying for basic necessities like food and housing. Expensive prescription drugs can seem easy to cut from the household budget when a family is just getting by.

Sometimes it’s okay to skip a prescription medication. If, for instance, you have a mild acute illness and are reasonably healthy, you might get well without a trip to the pharmacy. But if you have a more serious, chronic illness like diabetes, heart disease, or cancer, not taking your medication may lead to an expensive trip to the hospital or worse. So what can you do if you have health insurance but your prescription drug costs are still too high? You might want to look into applying for assistance from the HealthWell Foundation.

What is the HealthWell Foundation?

The HealthWell Foundation is a non−profit organization that has been helping Americans with health