# Medical Insurance

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/medical-insurance/660319>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [June 6, 2013, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/medical-insurance/660319 "2013-06-06T19:07:28Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![dixielady212](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/977dab/32.png) [@dixielady212](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dixielady212)\
**Post date:** [June 6, 2013, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/medical-insurance/660319/1 "2013-06-06T19:07:28Z")

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I am disabled and can not work any more. I was put on Medicaid because of lack of income now. With my condition I have to take alot of different medications. There are a few medications that I have been on for quite sometime that Medicaid will not pay for. Does anyone know if I can pay out of pocket for these medications with being on state medical? Or do I “have” to change to something prescribed by Medicaid? 😕

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**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\
**Post date:** [June 6, 2013, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/medical-insurance/660319/2 "2013-06-06T19:16:38Z")

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Since this is basically a legal issue, let’s move it to IMHO.

Colibri  
General Questions Moderator

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**Author:** ![Fiveroptic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiveroptic/32/8257_2.png) [@Fiveroptic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiveroptic)\
**Post date:** [June 6, 2013, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/medical-insurance/660319/3 "2013-06-06T19:22:19Z")

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In Michigan the answer is yes, you may pay OoP for any medication. However, if it’s a controlled med and the pharmacist has reason to suspect you’re doing something like doctor shopping, they can refuse to fill it.

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**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\
**Post date:** [June 6, 2013, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/medical-insurance/660319/4 "2013-06-06T21:09:56Z")

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Pretty sure that if your doctor prescribes the medication, and medicaid doesn’t cover the cost, that you can pay for the medication out of your own pocket. Why wouldn’t you be able to?

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**Author:** ![FeAudrey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/7feea3/32.png) [@FeAudrey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FeAudrey)\
**Post date:** [June 7, 2013, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/medical-insurance/660319/5 "2013-06-07T00:05:32Z")

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> [@dixielady212](#):
>
> … There are a few medications that I have been on for quite sometime that Medicaid will not pay for … do I “have” to change to something prescribed by Medicaid?

If “quite some time” is more than maybe five years or so, the medications may have been superseded by something developed since you started taking them.

Can you talk to a doctor about what the covered alternatives are? You could end up changing to something better.