# Precription drug not through insurance **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 3, 2011, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/precription-drug-not-through-insurance/595011 "2011-09-03T00:05:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![dauerbach](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c2a13f/32.png) [@dauerbach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dauerbach)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2011, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/precription-drug-not-through-insurance/595011/1 "2011-09-03T00:05:46Z")
I have a prescription that I do not want my wife to know about. I went to the pharmacy and told them not to try to use insurance, that I would pay for it myself. Instead although I did pay for it in cash I just got a notice from the insurance company saying the the bill had been been put through, just no money owed. Just what I did not want to happen. I have two refills left. I still do not want my wife to know about them. How can I be certain that this will not happen again? When I say not insurance I want them to not even think about running it through insurance. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2011, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/precription-drug-not-through-insurance/595011/2 "2011-09-03T00:06:57Z")
Have it transferred to a pharmacy that does not have your insurance information. ---
**Author:** ![GythaOgg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/49beb7/32.png) [@GythaOgg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GythaOgg)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2011, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/precription-drug-not-through-insurance/595011/3 "2011-09-03T03:12:15Z")
You can also call your insurance company and have privacy restrictions put on your information. Even if you are a secondary on the insurance and it’s coming through your wife, you should have the right to do this, so that if you don’t want her to have access to your information, she can’t. I work for a really big insurance company and I know they do this. Be aware, even though you’re hiding the prescription from the insurance currently, the diagnosis coding (ICD9) for the condition the doctor prescribed you the medication for has probably already gone through; that’s how doctors get paid and keep records and insurance companies are absolutely obsessive about retaining and tracking information. ---
**Author:** ![robert\_columbia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e79b87/32.png) [@robert\_columbia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robert_columbia)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2011, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/precription-drug-not-through-insurance/595011/4 "2011-09-03T16:20:13Z")
Lawyers: Would a HIPAA lawsuit be in order here? It seems that the pharmacy received a direct instruction from the patient not to share medical information, and they went ahead a did just that. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2011, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/precription-drug-not-through-insurance/595011/5 "2011-09-03T16:22:13Z")
I would do what Fear said, take it to another pharmacy and just to make things easier when they ask for insurance info, instead of explaining it to them, just tell them you don’t have insurance. ---
**Author:** ![EenaSheeshton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c57346/32.png) [@EenaSheeshton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EenaSheeshton)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2011, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/precription-drug-not-through-insurance/595011/6 "2011-09-03T17:59:34Z")
HIPPA is not the end all so many people think it is. And even if the guy sues so what? If the damage is done, money doesn’t fix that. I had a similar situation with my job, I work in benefits for a large company. My insurance charges $25/prescription or $10/90 day prescription. I had to have some dental surgery and I am terrified of dentists so my doctor gave me a few Valiums to take. (Actually generic, but I forget the name of those) I went to get a prescription filled for five 5mg Valiums and it came to $25.00. I said that’s way too much and asked what it’d be without insurance, They said, $3.00. So I ran it through without insurance, but it’s still reported. My guess is Valium is one of those drugs that pharmacies monitor so you don’t go doctor shopping. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2011, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/precription-drug-not-through-insurance/595011/7 "2011-09-03T20:42:56Z")
**dauerbach** , are you confident that whatever condition you are treating with this prescription is not something that puts your wife’s health at risk too? ---
**Author:** ![irishgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/8edcca/32.png) [@irishgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/irishgirl)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2011, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/precription-drug-not-through-insurance/595011/8 "2011-09-03T21:33:41Z")
Is this a thing in the USA? Odd. At times like this I like the NHS. You get a piece of paper to take to the pharmacy, your wife doesn’t know unless you want her to. **EenaSheeshton** The generic name of Valium is Diazepam. 28\*5mg tablets costs the NHS 90p- you’re still paying too much! ---
**Author:** ![kittenblue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ba8739/32.png) [@kittenblue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kittenblue)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2011, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/precription-drug-not-through-insurance/595011/9 "2011-09-03T22:23:53Z")
I’m so much more worried about why you are hiding a medical condition from your wife. I’m assuming you must be having some sort of marital issue, because I can’t imagine a scenario in a strong marriage where this would be necessary. And of course now we are all insatiably curious. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2011, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/precription-drug-not-through-insurance/595011/10 "2011-09-03T22:28:27Z")
I’m betting it’s boner pills. It’s boner pills, right? ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2011, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/precription-drug-not-through-insurance/595011/11 "2011-09-03T23:48:42Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > I’m betting it’s boner pills. It’s boner pills, right? I guess it’d be an issue if she isn’t the bonee… ---
**Author:** ![boytyperanma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4491bb/32.png) [@boytyperanma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/boytyperanma)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2011, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/precription-drug-not-through-insurance/595011/12 "2011-09-04T03:15:00Z")
> [@kittenblue](#): > > I’m so much more worried about why you are hiding a medical condition from your wife. I’m assuming you must be having some sort of marital issue, because I can’t imagine a scenario in a strong marriage where this would be necessary. And of course now we are all insatiably curious. Well if he isn’t willing to tell his wife I doubt he’s more willing to tell a message board full people. I’d say given the situation it’s rather rude to inquire. There could be any number of reasons ranging from he needs to hide an STD from his wife to he’s trying to pleasantly surprise his wife in some fashion. I’m OK with letting him keep his medical information to himself. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2011, 10:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/precription-drug-not-through-insurance/595011/13 "2011-09-04T10:43:32Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > I’m betting it’s boner pills. It’s boner pills, right? Or an STD. Which he got from somebody other than the wife. ---
**Author:** ![irishgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/8edcca/32.png) [@irishgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/irishgirl)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2011, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/precription-drug-not-through-insurance/595011/14 "2011-09-04T14:49:59Z")
Perhaps he doesn’t want to worry his wife about his high blood pressure. Maybe his wife is a Scientologist and he doesn’t want her to know about his Prozac. It could even be that his heartburn is flaring up because of her cooking and he’d rather take pills than tell her. Lots of reasons one might not want their spouse to know about medication- not all of which have infidelity at their root. ---
**Author:** ![MsRobyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/90ced4/32.png) [@MsRobyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsRobyn)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2011, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/precription-drug-not-through-insurance/595011/15 "2011-09-04T15:39:03Z")
> [@EenaSheeshton](#): > > HIPPA is not the end all so many people think it is. And even if the guy sues so what? If the damage is done, money doesn’t fix that. It’s HIPAA. > [@](#): > > I had a similar situation with my job, I work in benefits for a large company. > > My insurance charges $25/prescription or $10/90 day prescription. > > I had to have some dental surgery and I am terrified of dentists so my doctor gave me a few Valiums to take. (Actually generic, but I forget the name of those) I went to get a prescription filled for five 5mg Valiums and it came to $25.00. > > I said that’s way too much and asked what it’d be without insurance, They said, $3.00. > So I ran it through without insurance, but it’s still reported. My guess is Valium is one of those drugs that pharmacies monitor so you don’t go doctor shopping. They’d monitor diazepam prescriptions anyway, because it’s a controlled substance. Insurance has nothing to do with that. The reason you’d get dinged the full $25 is because the pharmacy has to abide by the contract it has with the insurance company. Your drug plan says that generic drugs have a copay of $25, so the pharmacy has to collect a copay of $25. My civilian pharmacy will tell the patient if the drug costs less without insurance; if a drug costs $60 before insurance, it’s worth it to run it through the insurance; if it costs $5, it’s not. > [@irishgirl](#): > > Perhaps he doesn’t want to worry his wife about his high blood pressure. > > Maybe his wife is a Scientologist and he doesn’t want her to know about his Prozac. > > It could even be that his heartburn is flaring up because of her cooking and he’d rather take pills than tell her. > > Lots of reasons one might not want their spouse to know about medication- not all of which have infidelity at their root. But it’s more fun to think of all the possibilities that do have infidelity at their root! 😃