So, I haven't blogged in a while. I'm busy. I'm tired. I've got irons in a fire that's flirting with raging out of control. Pretty much the situation most people find themselves in, right? But, there is one thing that happens a lot at this time of year that keeps the pharmacy busy. People are all about their Summer vacations.
Let's take a moment to see if I can make this a little easier for you. Who wants added stress before their vacation? No one. You need all your energy to buy your new swimsuit and flip flops (or whatever it is you need for your personal trip). So, I'm going to give you a little bit of information that might help things go more smoothly if maintenance medications are part of your daily life and you're about to hit the open road.
Your insurance keeps track of when you've picked up your medication and how many days it is supposed to last you. They do. They always do. And, your insurance will not authorize their payment toward your medication if you try to refill it earlier than they determine is necessary. They won't. They ALMOST always won't. It's the ALMOST I want to talk about with you.
If you take maintenance medications, and you're planning a trip where you will run out of medication before you return home, there is something you can (and should) do. Contact your prescription insurance company. Explain the situation. See what they require to give you a waiver to refill your medications early due to your vacation. Let's just call this a "vacation waiver".
I know about this "vacation waiver" because I had to get one myself a couple years ago. At that time, I was going to be traveling outside the country, and I wouldn't have enough medication for the entire trip without an early refill. So, I contacted my prescription insurance company, explained the situation, provided the necessary information/documentation, and they granted me a waiver. I called the pharmacy I used, asked for early refills, and everything passed smoothly through my insurance when they processed my refills. I had the medication I needed for my vacation at least a week in advance of my departing flight. A few minutes of my time saved me a lot of stress and hassle before my trip. I needed all that mental energy to keep from jumping out of a plane mid flight.
Your pharmacy employees don't work for your insurance company. We don't necessarily know what each company requires. We might not even know exactly how many days early you can get your prescription refilled. Our interaction with your insurance is limited to submitting (electronically) your request for a refill and waiting to see how the insurance responds. We mentally cross our fingers for you, but we cannot control the outcome. Only you can.
So, when you take a break from packing those suitcases, make that call to your prescription insurance, and save yourself the stress of a last minute "refill too soon" notification. It's really that easy :) And, don't forget to take your happy pills.
Let's take a moment to see if I can make this a little easier for you. Who wants added stress before their vacation? No one. You need all your energy to buy your new swimsuit and flip flops (or whatever it is you need for your personal trip). So, I'm going to give you a little bit of information that might help things go more smoothly if maintenance medications are part of your daily life and you're about to hit the open road.
Your insurance keeps track of when you've picked up your medication and how many days it is supposed to last you. They do. They always do. And, your insurance will not authorize their payment toward your medication if you try to refill it earlier than they determine is necessary. They won't. They ALMOST always won't. It's the ALMOST I want to talk about with you.
If you take maintenance medications, and you're planning a trip where you will run out of medication before you return home, there is something you can (and should) do. Contact your prescription insurance company. Explain the situation. See what they require to give you a waiver to refill your medications early due to your vacation. Let's just call this a "vacation waiver".
I know about this "vacation waiver" because I had to get one myself a couple years ago. At that time, I was going to be traveling outside the country, and I wouldn't have enough medication for the entire trip without an early refill. So, I contacted my prescription insurance company, explained the situation, provided the necessary information/documentation, and they granted me a waiver. I called the pharmacy I used, asked for early refills, and everything passed smoothly through my insurance when they processed my refills. I had the medication I needed for my vacation at least a week in advance of my departing flight. A few minutes of my time saved me a lot of stress and hassle before my trip. I needed all that mental energy to keep from jumping out of a plane mid flight.
Your pharmacy employees don't work for your insurance company. We don't necessarily know what each company requires. We might not even know exactly how many days early you can get your prescription refilled. Our interaction with your insurance is limited to submitting (electronically) your request for a refill and waiting to see how the insurance responds. We mentally cross our fingers for you, but we cannot control the outcome. Only you can.
So, when you take a break from packing those suitcases, make that call to your prescription insurance, and save yourself the stress of a last minute "refill too soon" notification. It's really that easy :) And, don't forget to take your happy pills.
