Which is cheaper, getting your medication from Canada or signing up for the new Medicare Part D? Using the Medicare web site, I entered a variety of medications for five different “patients.” I then went to a couple of online Canadian pharmacy websites and compared prices using the same medications.
I was actually surprised when the results were tabulated. Medicare was less expensive in four out of the five “patients.” The five “patients” had five different quantities of prescriptions: one, two, four, six, and eight different prescriptions. The Canadian pharmacies added the cost of shipping. The Medicare plan added co-pays, deductibles, and monthly premiums. I chose the least expensive plan when I was given an option.
I was truly amazed when my fourth “patient,” taking six different medications, would save roughly $1,400 in 2006 by using Medicare Part D instead of Canada. The only “patient” that would not benefit is the one who only had one prescription. My opinion why this was true has to do with deductibles and monthly premiums. This emphasizes what I’ve said many times: if you spend less than $810 per year on your prescriptions, you will actually lose money by signing up for Medicare Part D.
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