A Headache Getting Headache Medicine

There were more hoops to jump through than are used in a circus before I could finally get my prescription for Nurtec filled today. First they needed my insurance information again because we’re now on COBRA.

Then was told insurance denied it because I had to try other drugs first like Sumatriptan (which I have already).

Then it said insurance still won’t cover it without additional authorization from my doctor… or I could pay $1,100 out-of-pocket for… wait for it… 8 pills.  I need 16 per month for my every-other-day dosage… meaning $2,200 per month for migraine medicine  That dollar amount alone is enough to give you a migraine if you don’t already have one!

So the doctor and the drugstore finally connect, but now the drugstore needs my insurance information again, and are asking me to come in. Uh oh… what now?

So I do just that. The nice lady across the counter tells me the system lied, they don’t need my insurance, it’s just that the prescription was called in for a larger dose than allowed. But insurance covers the allowed dosage. Since I need more than 8 pills per month, I asked what the price would be if I paid the extra myself.

She told me $17,500.

Obviously a mistake, so I asked, “Do you mean $175 dollars?”

Nope.

“So $1,750 for the rest of the prescription?”

Nope. She truly meant $17,500.

Turns out a typo from… someone?… put in an order for 118 pills.

I told her I would just take the allowed amount of the prescription covered by insurance.

“That will be zero dollars, Sir.”

I’ll go back in two weeks to pick up another 8 pills for zero dollars. But now I might need to seek out a heart specialist to convince me I didn’t just have a heart attack.