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To: zigmeisterxiv
You should have an in-hospital option (you never know), prescriptions, can't think of the other one. For a little more in premiums, you can eliminate most co-pays. That's one of the worst problems with it. Going to a family-type doctor is 0 copay this year, but every specialist, IOW a referral to Gastro, Psych, Physical Therapy is $30 EACH visit which can add up fast. So I go without most of that.

I think a FReeper told me that Plan F costs a higher premium but eliminates co-pays for specialists.

Here's one thing I ran into. I had a little tiny spot removed from near my wrist with that Nitrogen stuff. They billed Medicare $600 for surgery, several years ago.

More recently I get bouts of painful acid indigestion. The med that works the best is Ranitidine and ignorant about what comes next here. My doc prescribed it, won't name the pharm, well-known, and it's $60/mo. So I'm paying it because I take only when needed even though I saw on the bottle to take 2 times a day. So I call my doc and ask (nicely) if they can prescribe the generic. That is the generic. And they give me something else. I don't like it; it almost seems to cause it to be worse so quit taking it. Get on the web and look up Ranitidine. Saw post about how the capsule was store-name proprietary sort of thing. I see amazon has the same drug, same dosage in tablet form for around $10. So I call the pharm. She goes to look in the OTC meds aisles. Yes they have the one I need, but I forgot to ask how much. Haven't been able to get my daughter to go get it for me yet but she will when she can fit it in her schedule.

In the meantime, I'm using a lot of Rolaids.

Once you get on a plan, make sure you're covered for what you want/need to do next. I went by ambulance on July 4 to where they knew I was covered. I kept getting worse, and by Sep 9, I didn't know what to do so called my ins and asked if a hospital in the next town, same state is covered. It is but not some of the docs they work with and refer to. I thought they might be better. They found a UTC, prescribed for that, and found thru blood test my sodium was too low. So I had a saline drop by IV. Have to keep my salt intake at a certain level even though I'm on blood pressure meds.

And that wasn't anything terribly serious but could have gotten to that point. But my main point here is you have to take charge of your own care, ask the right questions, look things up on the web, etc.

33 posted on 01/24/2018 9:23:23 PM PST by Aliska
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To: Aliska

re: Ranitidine

I use OTC Ranitidine.

Walgreens has the 75mg, 80 count tablets at about $13.

Walmart has the 75mg, 150 count tablets at about $8. They also have a 150mg.

It does pay to shop around.


76 posted on 01/25/2018 8:39:34 AM PST by TomGuy
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