COPAY

There is hope for patients like me, the Illinois legislature passed HB465, which includes a provision that would ban copay accumulators.

Additionally, as drug costs continued to rise, manufacturers began developing patient assistance programs and "copay cards" to ensure patients could access other necessary medication without having to settle for less effective medication or even no medication because of cost.

It can be accessed via text by texting "LIDO" to 37500 on your mobile device*, online at www.genscolabs.com/mobile or by printing a copay savings card at www.genscolabs.com/mobile and taking it to your local pharmacist.

The new guidelines require no copays, coinsurance or deductibles.

Borisova has explained Wednesday in an interview for the Bulgarian private TV channel bTV that the exact amount of the copay is not defined yet and that it depends on the assessment of costs of medical services.

Implementing copay reduction programs does involve clinician and sometimes clerical staff time.

This of course, makes it virtually impossible to accurately collect a copay at the time of service.

Screening rates were 8.3% lower for women in insurance plans requiring a copay than in plans that picked up the full cost of mammograms.

Prescription drug costs are going up, but the average copay is going down, according to a study released last week by the Saint Louis-based pharmacy benefits manager Express Scripts Inc.

There are bills in both the Senate and the House that would gradually phase out the 50% copay and lower it to 20%, the same as for all other services, he said.

But companies switching from a traditional health maintenance organization (HMO) plan should be prepared for employee "sticker shock." The first time they visit the doctor, instead of a $15 or $20 office-visit copay, they may wind up writing a check for $75, $100 or even $300 (if the doctor is out of network).