Welcome back! This blog provides financial resources and information for people living with cancer. In this post, I want to focus on resources for over the counter medications. There are many programs to assist you with covering prescription drugs (See previous posts: Pharmaceutical Assistance Programs and State Pharmaceutical Assistance Programs). Over the counter (OTC) medications for fever, diarrhea, allergies, and nausea can be expensive. OTC refers to medications that you can purchase without a prescription. A great website for general OTC information is:
Understanding Over-the-Counter Medicines | FDA
Medication Costs
Your first step is to determine if your health insurance will cover these medications. If the drug is considered “medically necessary,” it’s possible that your plan may cover it, but there are differences among the plans:
Medicare D
Typically, Medicare D does not pay for OTC drugs. However, if you have a Medicare Advantage plan, you may be eligible for an OTC drug card. Call the member services phone number on the back of your insurance card and ask for details.
Medicaid
Each state determines which, if any, OTC items are covered by Medicaid plans. More than likely, you will need a prescription. Check with you pharmacist or your health care provider.
Commercial Health Insurance
Many employer paid health insurance plans cover some OTC drugs, but few apply to people living with cancer. However, if you are enrolled in your employer’s pre-tax health savings account (HSA) or flexible spending account (FSA) you can use these funds for several OTC drugs, thanks to the CARES Act of March 2020. This amendment is for expenses incurred after 3/27/20 and at the time of this post, expires on 12/31/20. Hopefully this amendment will be renewed for 2021. This would allow you to use your HSA or FSA card to pay directly for OTC medications.
Generic Drugs
Another cost saving idea is to use generic medications instead of brand name drugs, and this can save you up to 85%. Generic medications are generally well tolerated and are safe to use. However, recently there has been increasing media coverage regarding the quality of generic drugs made overseas. A very small number of patients respond poorly to a generic option. Talk with your pharmacist or health care provider if you have concerns. The FDA website for generic drugs is: Generic Drugs | FDA
Ask For Samples
Asking for samples at your doctor’s office can also save time and money. If you only need to use the medication for a limited period of time, your health care provider may be able to provide enough samples so that you can avoid out of pocket expenses.
I hope this information is helpful. If you would like to continue this conversation, please click on the Subscribe button at the top of the Blog page. I would love to hear your comments as well as resources that have worked for you. Please share this information with your family and friends.
Keeping you in my prayers,
Jackie
