How will the ACA affect my drug coverage after March 31?

The true answer is that nobody knows, all we want to do is be prepared.

Form a liason with your local pharmacist or your online pharmacist (shameless plug here) because we are the face of healthcare in your neighborhood. You don’t need a co-pay to see us, and you access us for all the information you like.

Here are the key things both we should all be readying ourselves for with respect to the Affordable Care Act:

Access: Being able to ask your pharmacists questions at any time is a chance everyone should take maximum advantage of. We always welcome the opportunity to clinically engage with you, and we would love to partner with you and educate you on how best to stay healthy while also lowering costs.

Affordability: People are losing their insurance, and insurance co-pays have already started rising dramatically. That is going to make a huge impact on people with maintenance medications such as HBP, Diabetes, Asthma etc. Pharmacists are now more than ever on the lookout for drug saving programs, and ways to help you save on your prescriptions. Check for coupons on drug manufacturer websites and ask your doctor if he has any in his office.

Accountability: Employers are passing more of health costs to to the employee, therefore it is up to you to take control of your own health. The best way is to be proactive using preventive health measures such as smoking cessation, eating better, exercise etc. If you are able to avoid a preventable disease, that’s one less reason for you to see a doctor for medications that you may not be able to afford.