I got my monthly drug report from Express Scripts, which included a note that my prescriptions would be cheaper if I used one of their preferred pharmacies. I thought Costco was a preferred pharmacy, but I checked their list online and it wasn’t on it.
I sent an email to the company asking about it, and someone named William replied that Costco Dimond was a preferred pharmacy — how about my pharmacy, Costco Debarr? It’s the same company. To clarify this, I called Express Script and asked about it, and a woman with a foreign accent said neither Costco pharmacies were on the list, but it didn’t matter as preferred and non-preferred paid the same (?). She asked me if I wanted to switch to a preferred pharmacy and I said yes, and she connected me with Medicare.
The Medicare woman spent an hour and 15 minutes on the phone getting all my data. I asked her at the start if I could do it online, but she said no. Finally, I got signed up — but then I got a call from Express Scripts confirming my change and, by the way, Express Scripts manages Mutual of Omaha. Then she said I had to call a Mutual number and confirm my subscription and she gave me a 10-digit number to tell them. I called them up and the woman got my name, address and phone number, and no, she didn’t want the 10 digit number.
Can’t we get nationalized health care — soon?
— Joan Bundtzen
Anchorage
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