Tux of Borg Posted January 2, 2007 Share Posted January 2, 2007 What Does Wal-Mart's Prescription Drug Plan Mean? Retailing giant Wal-Mart announced a new program that will offer consumers $4 prescriptions for generic drugs (you can see the full list here: WMT-druglist). $4 Generic Drug Program Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zevo Posted January 2, 2007 Share Posted January 2, 2007 It is just another way to promote their stores and get more bodies in the stores to buy goods. Its actually quite a genius plan as they will grab alot of the uninformed people that think they will be paying only 4$ for their prescriptions. If you actually look at the drug list, you see multiple versions of amoxicillin and other very cheap drugs such as hydrochlorothiazide and whatnot. It may be a good deal if every medication you are on falls under that list. I'm sorry but walmart is not lookin out for the people on this one, it is all about the money. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Poojer Posted January 2, 2007 Share Posted January 2, 2007 its not really their job to look out for people, their job is to maximize profits, if that means getting more bodies into the store by offerring good prices on medications, so be it. Personally I want to look out for myself..I do not need a business or government to do that It is just another way to promote their stores and get more bodies in the stores to buy goods. Its actually quite a genius plan as they will grab alot of the uninformed people that think they will be paying only 4$ for their prescriptions. If you actually look at the drug list, you see multiple versions of amoxicillin and other very cheap drugs such as hydrochlorothiazide and whatnot. It may be a good deal if every medication you are on falls under that list. I'm sorry but walmart is not lookin out for the people on this one, it is all about the money. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beerball Posted January 2, 2007 Share Posted January 2, 2007 its not really their job to look out for people, their job is to maximize profits, if that means getting more bodies into the store by offerring good prices on medications, so be it. Personally I want to look out for myself..I do not need a business or government to do that You are correct, they are in business to make money. I think zevo may have issues with how it is portrayed by Walmart and in the Media. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stuckincincy Posted January 2, 2007 Share Posted January 2, 2007 It is just another way to promote their stores and get more bodies in the stores to buy goods. Its actually quite a genius plan as they will grab alot of the uninformed people that think they will be paying only 4$ for their prescriptions. If you actually look at the drug list, you see multiple versions of amoxicillin and other very cheap drugs such as hydrochlorothiazide and whatnot. It may be a good deal if every medication you are on falls under that list. I'm sorry but walmart is not lookin out for the people on this one, it is all about the money. Yes, it is a promotion. Of course it's about money and luring customers in. As well as hurting the pharmacy competition. True, there are some that are indeed dirt cheap already - but also some that can cost the consumer without a drug subsidy 30, 40, or more $ per month, perhaps some even higher. For one item on the list, I would save $11 per month over my plan's generic cost, and $26.00 over the plan's name brand cost. Even more, if I had no coverage whatsoever. Several years ago, I heard a knowledgeable guest on the local AM talk show here discuss drugs and pricing. One thing he suggested was some sort of a national formulary - with many of the commonly-prescribed items be available and cost levels like these of Wal-Mart. Such a formulary would help many. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zevo Posted January 2, 2007 Share Posted January 2, 2007 You are correct, they are in business to make money. I think zevo may have issues with how it is portrayed by Walmart and in the Media. you are correct sir. I am on the front line of fielding questions on this topic on a daily basis being a soon-to-be graduate of the school of pharmacy. I absolutely encourage those who can save money using this plan. I just dont believe people are receiving full disclosure of what walmart is actually offering ( and Target will follow). I find patients telling me they are going to walmart because they will be able to get all of their prescriptions for 4$. I then ask them what they are taking and they will respond with "Lipitor or Zetia etc etc". I then tell them that those drugs will not be 4$ and they are shocked. In the end, if it helps you save money, great, but please do not make claims that this will end the healthcare crisis. The problems are much greater than a 4$ prescription generic plan that covers 200-300 cheap, repeated medications. The problem with healthcare is that you have leaches abusing the Medicaid system (New York State is by far one of the worst). I see it on a daily basis and it pisses me off! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Poojer Posted January 2, 2007 Share Posted January 2, 2007 i can buy this argument/concern...but again I will reiterate my stance...on their website they clearly have all medications offerred listed as well as a medication look up...short of holding people hands, i do not know what else they need to do you are correct sir. I am on the front line of fielding questions on this topic on a daily basis being a soon-to-be graduate of the school of pharmacy. I absolutely encourage those who can save money using this plan. I just dont believe people are receiving full disclosure of what walmart is actually offering ( and Target will follow). I find patients telling me they are going to walmart because they will be able to get all of their prescriptions for 4$. I then ask them what they are taking and they will respond with "Lipitor or Zetia etc etc". I then tell them that those drugs will not be 4$ and they are shocked. In the end, if it helps you save money, great, but please do not make claims that this will end the healthcare crisis. The problems are much greater than a 4$ prescription generic plan that covers 200-300 cheap, repeated medications. The problem with healthcare is that you have leaches abusing the Medicaid system (New York State is by far one of the worst). I see it on a daily basis and it pisses me off! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zevo Posted January 2, 2007 Share Posted January 2, 2007 i can buy this argument/concern...but again I will reiterate my stance...on their website they clearly have all medications offerred listed as well as a medication look up...short of holding people hands, i do not know what else they need to do Agreed. But by working in the community I have come to realize some people are idiots. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Poojer Posted January 2, 2007 Share Posted January 2, 2007 sad but true!!!! Agreed. But by working in the community I have come to realize some people are idiots. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExiledInIllinois Posted January 2, 2007 Share Posted January 2, 2007 The healthcare crisis will end in this country when the healthcare industry and the people that work in it start earning salaries that are closer to their customers... Throughout the whole profession you have most making exorbitant wages and benefits... How will this ever lower the cost of said service, mgmt/admin, Rx, tech, etc... It is time to start passing the savings on to the customer... How is the industry going to do it, when they are literally the fox guarding the henhouse? Of course everybody wants to make as much as they can or the market will bear... I have nothing wrong with that... But, they are literally ruining their customers finacially in the process... The sweet thing for the industry is people will pay anything for the chance to live and in the end die anyway... How do people propose the indusrty "correct" itself in regards to the over-pricing of its customers? It is either gonna be the gov't or something like Wal-Mart??? That is the crux of the issue... Right? Wal-Mart can pass its savings on to you because of their labor practice or huge buying power... What is gonna be the "silver bullet" with regards to the health profession? I see this crisis as I do a governmental crisis in this country... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stuckincincy Posted January 2, 2007 Share Posted January 2, 2007 The healthcare crisis will end in this country when the healthcare industry and the people that work in it start earning salaries that are closer to their customers... Throughout the whole profession you have most making exorbitant wages and benefits... How will this ever lower the cost of said service, mgmt/admin, Rx, tech, etc... It is time to start passing the savings on to the customer... How is the industry going to do it, when they are literally the fox guarding the henhouse? Of course everybody wants to make as much as they can or the market will bear... I have nothing wrong with that... But, they are literally ruining their customers finacially in the process... The sweet thing for the industry is people will pay anything for the chance to live and in the end die anyway... How do people propose the indusrty "correct" itself in regards to the over-pricing of its customers? It is either gonna be the gov't or something like Wal-Mart??? That is the crux of the issue... Right? Wal-Mart can pass its savings on to you because of their labor practice or huge buying power... What is gonna be the "silver bullet" with regards to the health profession? I see this crisis as I do a governmental crisis in this country... I'd add that before Medicaid and Medicare, the relationship was customer (patient) oriented. You placed a phone call, and the doctor would visit you in your home. They worked to get your business. Granted, many medicals advances have occured since then. Costs IMO began to rise when the government became involved. The more money offered up, like a gas expanding to fill a volume, the more prices went up. Cha-ching for the medical biz. I realize there are many other factors. But pumping govt. money into things just increases pricing. Consider the college tuition cycle. People scream, and demand the government grab other people's money under penalty of prison, to pay the bursar at Dear Old Eff U. So grants go up. The colleges then rub their hands and say "Goody. More money out there for us to grab". So they raise tuition. More screaming. More fleecing. More grants. More tuition increases. And on it goes, as colleges laugh all the way to the bank. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExiledInIllinois Posted January 2, 2007 Share Posted January 2, 2007 I'd add that before Medicaid and Medicare, the relationship was customer (patient) oriented. You placed a phone call, and the doctor would visit you in your home. They worked to get your business. Granted, many medicals advances have occured since then. Costs IMO began to rise when the government became involved. The more money offered up, like a gas expanding to fill a volume, the more prices went up. Cha-ching for the medical biz. I realize there are many other factors. But pumping govt. money into things just increases pricing. Consider the college tuition cycle. People scream, and demand the government grab other people's money under penalty of prison, to pay the bursar at Dear Old Eff U. So grants go up. The colleges then rub their hands and say "Goody. More money out there for us to grab". So they raise tuition. More screaming. More fleecing. More grants. More tuition increases. And on it goes, as colleges laugh all the way to the bank. Good point Cincy! A side note: Back in the day... This was even just 1972... I remeber my mother saying that her doctor even waived the fee for delivering my younger sister... Kinda like have 3, get one free! Gee... We were such a lucky family!... My father even won his wedding album in a dice game with the photographer... I think what a Saint my mother must have been... First put up with my father, let him side-bar to a dice game during their wedding... Then cut a 3 for 4 deal with her OBY/GN... What has happened to the girls today? Wow... How times have changed... Do you think doctors would do that now with all the money flowing around easily? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UConn James Posted January 3, 2007 Share Posted January 3, 2007 I'd add that before Medicaid and Medicare, the relationship was customer (patient) oriented. You placed a phone call, and the doctor would visit you in your home. They worked to get your business. Granted, many medicals advances have occured since then. Costs IMO began to rise when the government became involved. The more money offered up, like a gas expanding to fill a volume, the more prices went up. Cha-ching for the medical biz. I'd say that insurance companies have just as much or more to do with it than the govt. How do you think Aetna, Cigna, et al. afford their huge buildings in Hartford? And the $500,000 rare mohagony meeting-room desks (my uncle was one of the people who built them)? That WalMart is offering more choices for people and more competition for Rx is only a good thing. Another thing I've heard about is having practioners actually at pharmacies who can prescribe for low-level conditions, i.e. ear infections, poison ivy, etc. for a nominal fee rather than someone having to go to a $100 doctor's visit just so s/he can look at you for 2 minutes and give you an Rx in handwriting that no one can read. That makes SO much sense, it boggles the mind why no one has done it before. Could really help streamline things for a system that's just getting overburdened. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExiledInIllinois Posted January 3, 2007 Share Posted January 3, 2007 I'd say that insurance companies have just as much or more to do with it than the govt. How do you think Aetna, Cigna, et al. afford their huge buildings in Hartford? And the $500,000 rare mohagony meeting-room desks (my uncle was one of the people who built them)? True. Growing up I don't think we had health insurance till I was about 12 (1980)?... It was all "pay for service"... What about how doctor's live?... I needed a root canal when I was younger and I remember my father pointing out that the DDS (forget the term for root canal specialist) drove a Pantera... Not that I begrudge them buying the toys... But something is truly effed up when say they are making that much... Heck... I live in a community that is considered working poor and they pay the superintendent of the elementary school 150k... that is at LEAST 3 to 4 times what the average parent makes in town... Much more than what many houses are appraised for... Then you see 'em showing up with their Porsches and Hummers... Which rubs salt in the wounds of the bleeding customers or taxpayers... Again... I really don't mind, but the conspicous consumption has to get on you while everyone is crying poor mouth! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KD in CA Posted January 3, 2007 Share Posted January 3, 2007 So grants go up. The colleges then rub their hands and say "Goody. More money out there for us to grab". So they raise tuition. More screaming. More fleecing. More grants. More tuition increases. And on it goes, as colleges laugh all the way to the bank. So do the politicians, but no one notices because they are dumb enough to believe that those crooks are 'helping the people' pay for college. p.s. great post Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alaska Darin Posted January 3, 2007 Share Posted January 3, 2007 I'd add that before Medicaid and Medicare, the relationship was customer (patient) oriented. You placed a phone call, and the doctor would visit you in your home. They worked to get your business. Granted, many medicals advances have occured since then. Costs IMO began to rise when the government became involved. The more money offered up, like a gas expanding to fill a volume, the more prices went up. Cha-ching for the medical biz. I realize there are many other factors. But pumping govt. money into things just increases pricing. Consider the college tuition cycle. People scream, and demand the government grab other people's money under penalty of prison, to pay the bursar at Dear Old Eff U. So grants go up. The colleges then rub their hands and say "Goody. More money out there for us to grab". So they raise tuition. More screaming. More fleecing. More grants. More tuition increases. And on it goes, as colleges laugh all the way to the bank. GREAT POST. Perhaps enough people will actually realize this is the case and we could possibly save this country. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExiledInIllinois Posted January 3, 2007 Share Posted January 3, 2007 So do the politicians, but no one notices because they are dumb enough to believe that those crooks are 'helping the people' pay for college. p.s. great post I agree with you guys on this one all the way... It was a great post Cincy! I wonder if there are any tenured professors out there that can chime in? There has got to be people pulling in 100k or more a year that think this system is so great... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alaska Darin Posted January 3, 2007 Share Posted January 3, 2007 True. Growing up I don't think we had health insurance till I was about 12 (1980)?... It was all "pay for service"... What about how doctor's live?... I needed a root canal when I was younger and I remember my father pointing out that the DDS (forget the term for root canal specialist) drove a Pantera... Not that I begrudge them buying the toys... But something is truly effed up when say they are making that much... Heck... I live in a community that is considered working poor and they pay the superintendent of the elementary school 150k... that is at LEAST 3 to 4 times what the average parent makes in town... Much more than what many houses are appraised for... Then you see 'em showing up with their Porsches and Hummers... Which rubs salt in the wounds of the bleeding customers or taxpayers... Again... I really don't mind, but the conspicous consumption has to get on you while everyone is crying poor mouth! What a load. Newsflash: The majority of the money in the medical industry isn't going to the people who provide care. Oh, and the average American wouldn't need to spend as much on health insurance or care if they took even mediocre care of themselves on a daily basis. Drink your cokes and eat your fast food. Then wonder why at 35 you have diabetes and can't walk a mile without needing an O2 mask. But I hate rich people too - especially the ones who get blamed for pretty much everything under the sun. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExiledInIllinois Posted January 3, 2007 Share Posted January 3, 2007 What a load. Newsflash: The majority of the money in the medical industry isn't going to the people who provide care. Oh, and the average American wouldn't need to spend as much on health insurance or care if they took even mediocre care of themselves on a daily basis. Drink your cokes and eat your fast food. Then wonder why at 35 you have diabetes and can't walk a mile without needing an O2 mask. But I hate rich people too - especially the ones who get blamed for pretty much everything under the sun. In this case... It is the rich ones grabbing the bigger piece of the pie... Where the medium income in my community is under 30k and your average house goes for 80k... How in the hell can you justify a PhD superintendent at 150k? And the average teacher starting in the district is making 32k? But, where are you gonna get one that comes cheaper? It is a class war... The math just doesn't work out... The cream is rising to the top off the back of the working stiff... On another note... How is a small, working poor community and school district compete if vouchers are given? I don't really hate the rich... Just the one's getting rich off of my back and then cryining they need more tax revenue... Sure I shell out my 6k in property taxes a year and don't mind... But, 90% is half as poor as me in everything they do and have... Should I move to a "richer" community where I "belong"? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alaska Darin Posted January 3, 2007 Share Posted January 3, 2007 In this case... It is the rich ones grabbing the bigger piece of the pie... Where the medium income in my community is under 30k and your average house goes for 80k... How in the hell can you justify a PhD superintendent at 150k? And the average teacher starting in the district is making 32k? But, where are you gonna get one that comes cheaper? It is a class war... The math just doesn't work out... The cream is rising to the top off the back of the working stiff... On another note... How is a small, working poor community and school district compete if vouchers are given? I don't really hate the rich... Just the one's getting rich off of my back and then cryining they need more tax revenue... Sure I shell out my 6k in property taxes a year and don't mind... But, 90% is half as poor as me in everything they do and have... Should I move to a "richer" community where I "belong"? Are YOU kidding me? Last time I checked, you were a liberal. You've always been a big government advocate. Now you're bitching because big government is biting you in the ass? Seriously, are you kidding me? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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