(Magic 8-Ball says, “Signs point to no.”)
I received in the mail today a “Pharmacy Discount Card” from “Health Benefits Network.” I have never heard of this organization. They don’t even have my full name on the mailing, a sure sign that they are working from a secondary source.
Has anybody else received one of these? Does anybody know anything about this organization or this card? Is this real? useful? legit? trap-free?
I don’t know about this particular case, but some pharma manufacturers send discount cards to consumers so that they can afford brand name drugs. It’s a ploy against insurance companies, who often use higher co-pays for brand names to encourage patients to use generics.
If this card gives you discount for a specific brand name drug, then I bet that’s what it is. If not, then I have no idea.
As best I recall, it’s a card for “save 75% off most prescription medications.”
I received one and I’m also searching for information. The card actually says “Save up to 75%”, implying that you won’t save that much on all medications.
There were several posts at the site, below, relating to this topic. It appears that it’s a good thing for patients, but may not be good for pharmacies. The cards appear to be created by drug companies, who may pay part of the discount, or the pharmacy may absorb the loss.
I received the same discount card. I’m trying to research the company now. If I find anything, I will post. Will you do the same?
I just got one of the cards in the mail today as well, trying to research
I had a rep from that company come into the pharmacy I work at, they wanted to give us a bunch of those cards to hand out to patients. I didn’t talk to them any, since the company policy was that we couldn’t take them to give to patients (not that you can’t use them, but we wouldn’t have a stack to give out).
As far as the pharmacy is concerned, you can use those cards just like an insurance card, we process them the exact same way. They give you whatever discount has been negotiated by the PBM (Pharmacy Benefits Manager). For most drugs and pharmacies, it would probably save you a little money from the cash price.
However, if you are one of those people who worry about privacy, I have NO idea what those companies get out of it. The billing system sends them your name and birthday, the number on the card (most times the same for every card so doesn’t matter), the medication you are getting including quantity and directions, and the doctor who wrote it. I don’t know what else it might send, but I know those are. The company is bound by HIPPA, so can’t just sell that raw data, but who knows what they do with it.
my husband received one too is it effected or is a a real bummer
I, too, received one. I don’t know what the PHARMACIES are doing but this is what I have figured out this morning. Having been unemployed over a year, COBRA expried, no insurance company will touch me because of preexisting…my Dad has a supplemental BC/BS card that immediate family can use. I began using it to save more than “these cards,” and it now seems (since I logged onto the website someone posted above) that if you go to Walgreens, this is where it comes from. I thought about it and remembered last month, while picking up a prescription, it was OUT OF THIS WORLD IN COST! And I said “what is the name of the script card on file?” This was the name they gave me - actually “Health Benefits Network.” Well, the numbers matched up to the BC/BS card so I thought, well, they changed names. But obviously it is a scheme, in my opinion, to get you to use THEIR card in order to get YOUR business. I say move to Canada! This card absolutely will NOT get my business. What a racket and with all that’s going on, on “THE HILL,” I’M SICK AND TIRED OF THIS GARBAGE. Bad enough I’m in one of the top 10 states of unemployment rates (high), can’t find a job, can’t get insurance, can’t have procedures and savings is about gone. But I guess that “witching” is for a different forum, huh? Bi-partisan my “bleep.”
[Moderator Note]
jenniferk407, this kind of political opinionating is inappropriate for GQ, as you seem to be aware. No warning issued, but don’t do this again.
Colibri
General Questions Moderator
Yes this card is real, and it does work! Got it last week and gave it to my son. He takes Dilantin for seizures (cost $58.00) He used the card, and to my surprize, the cost was only $20.06! I have no idea of why it came in the mail, but it does give a nice discount. (Used it at CVS pharmacy)
These cards take your personal health information as utilize it for their own benefit (ie they SELL it)!! Do you want the fact that you take specific medications (and your medical diagnosis) spread over the internet??? Be VERY CARFUL - you are being USED!!!
I’ll tell you the purpose of the card. If you have a typical drug insurance program, you have three levels of copay. For Dilantin, your copay would be $70 to $100 since it’s the brand name of the drug. However, if you got the generic equivalent, Phenytoin, your copay would be $10.
Your insurance company is doing this because they don’t want to pay Warner-Lambert the high price Dilantin costs. By doing this, they hope to encourage your doctor and pharmacist to offer you the cheaper, but just as effective, generic.
The pharmaceutical company tries to fight this by offering you a discount card for Dilantin. Warner-Lambert pays you most of the difference between the $70 copay and the $10 copay, and then charges your insurance company its full price (which more than makes up the $50 or so dollars it just gave you as a discount.)
The insurance industry hates these cards, but customers love them.
qazwart, while those type of cards do exist, the “Health Benefits Network” card isn’t one of them. The money off copay cards use what is called Coordination of Benefits, or COB, which makes them a secondary insurance. Health benefits network goes through the system as a primary insurance, you can’t use it and your regular insurance at the same time. It is one or the other, not both.
So here it is, Health Benefits Network: in Wasington, DC. What is with this Pharmacy Discount Card? I did not ask for it. It just came in the mail ready to use.
Who are they and why did they send me something that I did not ask for, and why can I not find them on the Net? Can not see why they are doing this and what for???
I got one of those cards in th email and was doubtful about it even being any good. I was shocked how much we saved on three prescriptions!
Don’t know about the card but Health Benefits Network is the name of the company that administers my ex’s COBRA.
My dad used it, so it works. And, as far as I know, he did not have to give any information about his medical records. It’s not like everyone we deal with doesn’t seem to know about his health problems already, despite what HIPAA would lead you to believe.