The New Medicare Rx Plans - USM Forum -- Message Board

Date: Dec 13, 2005

RE: The New Medicare Rx Plans

Date: Dec 17, 2005

The most expensive Rx drug I currently take is the cholesterol-lowering drug Lipitor. I had hoped it would be available in generic form soon because it is fairly expensive on all of the Medicare Rx plans I examined. I read that Pfizer, the producer of Lipitor, won a crucial court ruling today that will permit it to be the exclusive seller of Lipitor until the year 2011.

Date: Dec 17, 2005

The High Cost of Living wrote:

The most expensive Rx drug I currently take is the cholesterol-lowering drug Lipitor. I had hoped it would be available in generic form soon because it is fairly expensive on all of the Medicare Rx plans I examined. I read that Pfizer, the producer of Lipitor, won a crucial court ruling today that will permit it to be the exclusive seller of Lipitor until the year 2011.

Here is a bit of information that may help with your cost. Some doctors prescribe this drug at double the dose and tell the patient to break the pill in half. It is interesting that the cost of half a dose is not half the cost of a full dose so a saving can be had. I even noticed that an ad for Lipitor in a magazine advised against "breaking the pills" so it must be a common practice.

Date: Dec 17, 2005

Reporter wrote:

I even noticed that an ad for Lipitor in a magazine advised against "breaking the pills" so it must be a common practice.

Reporter, do you think there might be a pharmaceutical or medical reason why Lipitor pills should not be broken in half, or is the magazine ad based on a financial benefit to Pfizer?

Date: Dec 17, 2005

The High Cost of Living wrote:

Reporter wrote: I even noticed that an ad for Lipitor in a magazine advised against "breaking the pills" so it must be a common practice. Reporter, do you think there might be a pharmaceutical or medical reason why Lipitor pills should not be broken in half, or is the magazine ad based on a financial benefit to Pfizer?

Please forgive my ignorance, is Lipitor a capsule or a solid pill?

Date: Dec 17, 2005

Time Release? wrote:

The High Cost of Living wrote: Reporter wrote: I even noticed that an ad for Lipitor in a magazine advised against "breaking the pills" so it must be a common practice. Reporter, do you think there might be a pharmaceutical or medical reason why Lipitor pills should not be broken in half, or is the magazine ad based on a financial benefit to Pfizer? Please forgive my ignorance, is Lipitor a capsule or a solid pill?

Never mind that theory...just remembered what Lipitor was...and it is a solid pill and I personally know of doctors who have advised cutting the 20 mg pill in half to satisfy 10 mg dosage requirements. Sorry if I interrupted the thread with my brain blip.

Date: Dec 17, 2005

Time Release, not! wrote:

Time Release? wrote: The High Cost of Living wrote: Reporter wrote: I even noticed that an ad for Lipitor in a magazine advised against "breaking the pills" so it must be a common practice.

Reporter, do you think there might be a pharmaceutical or medical reason why Lipitor pills should not be broken in half, or is the magazine ad based on a financial benefit to Pfizer?

Please forgive my ignorance, is Lipitor a capsule or a solid pill? Never mind that theory...just remembered what Lipitor was...and it is a solid pill and I personally know of doctors who have advised cutting the 20 mg pill in half to satisfy 10 mg dosage requirements. Sorry if I interrupted the thread with my brain blip.

Thanks for that infomation, Time Release, not!. You response confirms my information and what I would have said.

Date: Dec 17, 2005

Yes, but you probably would have said it more clearly the first time!

Date: Dec 17, 2005

A little off topic here, but posters who are on Medicare are, no doubt, either retired or approaching retirement. I received my COLA check today (often referred to as the "thirteenth check.") It was more than twice the amount of just one of my regular monthly retirement checks. It is the monitary equivalent of getting fourteen PERS checks each year instead of twelve. The size of the COLA check seems to increase each year. I view the thirteenth check as sort of llike profit sharing of their investments. PERS is not to blame for this Medicare prescription confusion.

Date: Dec 17, 2005

COAL Miner's Daughter wrote:

A little off topic here, but posters who are on Medicare are, no doubt, either retired or approaching retirement. I received my COLA check today (often referred to as the "thirteenth check.") It was more than twice the amount of just one of my regular monthly retirement checks. It is the monitary equivalent of getting fourteen PERS checks each year instead of twelve. The size of the COLA check seems to increase each year. I view the thirteenth check as sort of llike profit sharing of their investments. PERS is not to blame for this Medicare prescription confusion.

Yes, the COLA check increases by 3% yearly compounded. I know of people whose "13th check" exceeds their annual PERS payment. The key is to stay well and live long enough to get those payments.

The link to COLA info is: http://www.pers.state.ms.us/retirementplans/MHSP/mhspcolacalculator.html

Date: Dec 17, 2005

Reporter, http://www.pers.state.ms.us/retirementplans/MHSP/mhspcolacalculator.html is a very impressive site. It would be nice if the other economic aspects of Mississippi's public sector were handled like that.

Date: Dec 21, 2005

Will this acquisition of Pacificare by another company be good, bad, or neutral for those who select Pacificare as their Medicare prescription provider?

http://start.earthlink.net/article/bus?guid=20051221/43a8e150_3ca6_1552620051221543781963

Date: Dec 21, 2005

Hot off the press wrote:

Will this acquisition of Pacificare by another company be good, bad, or neutral for those who select Pacificare as their Medicare prescription provider? http://start.earthlink.net/article/bus?guid=20051221/43a8e150_3ca6_1552620051221543781963

I have been viewing this thread with great interest so I posed this AP news release because, based on its endorsement by PERS and on my review of the various plans that might be suitable for me, I went ahead and subscribed to Pacificare. I hope I've not made a mistake by doing so. Has anyone out there been avle to learn any more important information about this particular company and theri plans other than what's been posted on this board? I understand it's not too late to change plans so I am still trying to gather information.

Date: Dec 21, 2005

Hot off the press wrote:

Will this acquisition of Pacificare by another company be good, bad, or neutral for those who select Pacificare as their Medicare prescription provider? http://start.earthlink.net/article/bus?guid=20051221/43a8e150_3ca6_1552620051221543781963

I too enrolled with them. I haven't heard back about my online application. I plan to call both PacificCare and PERS. Right now I'm of the opinion that today's action will have no effect on their plan. As far as I can see this buy out seems to just be changing who the stockholders are.