Meds by Mail and Medicare

[marina53]

Hi all.  Does anyone know that once a ChampVA beneficiary signs up for Medicare , will the Meds by Mail Rx portion of ChampVA continue to cover prescriptions at the local pharmacy, just as it does now?  I receive my maintenance meds in the mail and now and then, I get a prescription, like an antibiotic, that's just a one time thing, and Meds by Mail (used to be called Catarmaran, now it's optorx or something like that) covers that too. Does all this stay the same? I know if I sign up for a part D, I will lose Meds by Mail. Maybe I am overthinking this???

[Berta]

Marina, I use Medicare and CHAMPVA and I only had one problem in years. But with a pharmacist-and CHAMPVA squared it all away,with a phone call.

I chose the 50$ co pay instead of having the Meds by Mail deal.I do not foresee how you would have any change, since you signed up for Medicare.

I get my meds at the same grocery store I use

The local VAMC is closer than this store and I think I could even get them at the VAMC in person 

But I would rather pay the 50 bucks.

Only once  I had a problem and a new pharmacist told  me that CHAMPVA would not cover a specific med.

My only prescription is for atorvastatin to take only 2 pills a week. But I think I had a different prescription for something years ago and this was what the pharmacist said CHAMPVA would not pay for. I asked him to run it through CHAMPVA to check but he wouldn't do that, so I paid about 59 bucks to him, came home, looked up the med in the CHAMPVA handbook, called CHAMPVA, and then CHAMPVA called him and within about ten minutes later the pharmacist called me to apologize and that my 59 Bucks was waiting for me at the Pharm window.He was wrong-they covered it.....maybe some sort of antibiotic.....? forget

I don't have or really need  Medicare Part D. 

CHAMPVA is wonderful. No insurance covers new orthotics I just got,for severe pronation problems but they and Medicare cover my regular podiatrist's bills, and  Medicare will cover a pedicure by a podiatrist every 2 months. I think they paid 60 bucks for my last pedicure, done after the doctor  casted my feet.

We have done radio shows here with Glenn Johnson, Head of CHAMPVA in the past and they are still in our radio archives. He gives out his contact #,on the shows  and is very willing to help with any CHAMPVA problems.

 

 

[marina53]

On 7/23/2017 at 1:59 PM, Berta said:

Marina, I use Medicare and CHAMPVA and I only had one problem in years. But with a pharmacist-and CHAMPVA squared it all away,with a phone call.

I chose the 50$ co pay instead of having the Meds by Mail deal.I do not foresee how you would have any change, since you signed up for Medicare.

I get my meds at the same grocery store I use

The local VAMC is closer than this store and I think I could even get them at the VAMC in person 

But I would rather pay the 50 bucks.

Only once  I had a problem and a new pharmacist told  me that CHAMPVA would not cover a specific med.

My only prescription is for atorvastatin to take only 2 pills a week. But I think I had a different prescription for something years ago and this was what the pharmacist said CHAMPVA would not pay for. I asked him to run it through CHAMPVA to check but he wouldn't do that, so I paid about 59 bucks to him, came home, looked up the med in the CHAMPVA handbook, called CHAMPVA, and then CHAMPVA called him and within about ten minutes later the pharmacist called me to apologize and that my 59 Bucks was waiting for me at the Pharm window.He was wrong-they covered it.....maybe some sort of antibiotic.....? forget

I don't have or really need  Medicare Part D. 

CHAMPVA is wonderful. No insurance covers new orthotics I just got,for severe pronation problems but they and Medicare cover my regular podiatrist's bills, and  Medicare will cover a pedicure by a podiatrist every 2 months. I think they paid 60 bucks for my last pedicure, done after the doctor  casted my feet.

We have done radio shows here with Glenn Johnson, Head of CHAMPVA in the past and they are still in our radio archives. He gives out his contact #,on the shows  and is very willing to help with any CHAMPVA problems.

 

 

Thank you so much, Berta. That relieves my mind. I agree, ChampVA is wonderful. It really has been a godsend to me.