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For the past three years, May has become doctor visit month for my entire family. Needless to say, medical expenses in May exceed any other month of the year. So far, I’ve spent $356 in medical expenses, which include co-pays, Rx, and OTCs. Now that the month is over, I want to share how I saved money on Rx.

Information Gathering: When I stopped by the pharmacy to pick up two Rx -- one for myself and one for my BabyGirl -- the cashier said my total was $100. What?!?! Wait a minute. I already pay $91 for premiums every pay period and $30 for each specialist visit. I could not understand why I had to pay so much for an Rx, which is usually $7 to $20 each.

I asked the pharmacist if there were any generics available and she said no. Now what the heck kind of special medication is this with no generic version? Then I asked for the name of the meds so I could go home and look them up online. When I logged into my insurance provider’s website, I searched for the Rx name, its purpose, side effects, alternatives, etc. After about 10 minutes, I found exactly what I was looking for, and a bonus: the primary active ingredients. Armed with information and a better understanding, I made a few phone calls.

First up, I called my insurance company. I wanted to know WHY my out of pocket costs (OOPC) were $50 for each Rx. I was told because the meds were “non-formulary” which is just another word to mean “not on the HMO preferred list so you’re on your own sucka!” Yeah, OK.

First Rx: Then I called my doctor’s office to explain the situation. I asked the nurse if there was a reason the doctor prescribed THAT specific med. I explained that my insurance company had a “preferred med list” and there was another med with the same percentage of the primary active ingredient. I also asked if she could call in an alternative Rx, which would make my out of pocket costs $10 instead of $50. We discussed the purpose of the original med and why my doctor preferred that specific brand. I don’t have a medical degree, so I was not about to press the issue, but that didn’t mean I had to like it.

After hearing the hesitation in my voice, the nurse asked: How close are you to the office?

Single Ma: I’m at home right now. About 15 minutes away without traffic. Why?

Nurse: We might have a sample here in the office. Let me check.