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Medicare and store rx promos
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Medicare & Insurance
Medicare and store rx promos
Share Medicare dos and don’ts, including eligibility and supplemental insurance.
I have read many of the posts on a prior message board regarding receiving [or rather NOT receiving] benefit of a store coupon or promotion discount for those who receive Medicare D. However, my
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Cat:91a4afbf-9555-4e02-b9d3-9eef604476f6Forum:c79f53c3-fa71-4e76-b517-aef042efd7ff
Cat:91a4afbf-9555-4e02-b9d3-9eef604476f6Forum:c79f53c3-fa71-4e76-b517-aef042efd7ffDiscussion:7229bcad-654b-4806-80fb-a7b66b239947
Forums » Health » Medicare & Insurance » Medicare and store rx promos
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Medicare and store rx promos
posted at April 26, 2012 2:47 PM EDT
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Posts: 7
First: April 26, 2012 Last: May 2, 2012 |
I have read many of the posts on a prior message board regarding receiving [or rather NOT receiving] benefit of a store coupon or promotion discount for those who receive Medicare D. However, my husband just tried to use a store's discount promo {Kroger in Ohio) and was told that "Federal law prohibits those covered by Medicare to receive any kind of promo such as the current $25 gift card for new scripts." They faxed me their source of reference where they state "Pharmacy coupons are not valid for government-assisted programs including Medicare B or D, or Medicaid recipients. Federal law prohibits using coupons for any item or service paid for in whole or part by any government program. This also includes Champus/Tricare." I could understand if we received "assistance" to pay for medical premium coverage from the government, but we do not. Nor do we have Medicare part D, or receive Medicaid. I spoke to Kroger headquarters and while sympathetic, they insist that it is federal law that prohibits ANY Medicare recipient of ANY Medicare program to receive ANY promo benefits. I am appalled! We pay full Medicare premiums without assistance, are barely able to get by, and the promo offered would have provided a $25 Kroger card to use in-store for food. We would not have received a discount on any of the medications my husband uses, but the ability to apply that $25 card for food would sure have been helpful. I have searched and searched and just do not see the federal Medicare law they are referencing. Can anyone help me understand or find the law so that I do get it? Right now I am seeing way too many shades of red! |
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Re: Medicare and store rx promos
posted at April 26, 2012 3:16 PM EDT
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Posts: 7
First: April 26, 2012 Last: May 2, 2012 |
Also, don't know that it means anything because we were advised "ANY Medicare recipient" but my husband is 61 and is receiving Medicare benefits due to disability. He takes many meds associated with a host of problems and we are just trying to survive - like everyone else. I work but it is a low pay grade and it is difficult to say the least. This store - Kroger - states this is their policy since May 2010 but they honored the same coupons offered about 6 months ago to my husband. They told me they are "being more careful now because Walgreen's just paid millions of dollars in fines because of violating these same government laws." I just find all of this to be hard to believe when my husband is not a Medicare D recipient and while he does have Medicare A and B, has no other coverage of any kind. |
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Re: Medicare and store rx promos
posted at April 27, 2012 10:35 AM EDT
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Posts: 1923
First: November 27, 2011 Last: May 18, 2013 |
I am very confused by your post. So before any answer is given, you have to give more details. To use the coupons for FOOD purchases, I don't see any problem. As far as using it for prescribed medications, do you have any type of medication coverage at the present time ? Maybe, Champus/Tricare? If you do, what kind? |
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Re: Medicare and store rx promos
posted at April 27, 2012 11:15 AM EDT
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Posts: 7
First: April 26, 2012 Last: May 2, 2012 |
In Response to Re: Medicare and store rx promos: I am very confused by your post. So before any answer is given, you have to give more details. To use the coupons for FOOD purchases, I don't see any problem. As far as using it for prescribed medications, do you have any type of medication coverage at the present time ? Maybe, Champus/Tricare? If you do, what kind? Posted by GailL1 Sorry for the confusion... Kroger has a promo coupon that gives you a $25 Kroger gift card good on food and in-store products [including paper products etc], if you fill a new prescription or transfer one from another store. So getting the $25 promo card is linked to purchasing a prescription. However, when my husband tried to utilize this, they said he could not take advantage of it because the government says it is illegal for ANY Medicare or Medicaid or Champus/Tricare recipient to use because such people are receiving "assistance government programs." I quoted the exact text in my original post from a fax they had sent me. And no, we were not going to use the $25 gift card for anything but food - we would have to fill the prescription and pay for it before they even give the gift card too. And as noted prior, we have absolutely NO prescription coverage of any kind any where but he does have Medicare A and B for which he pays the full premium from his social security disability... we have to pay the full cost of prescriptions so we try to always get the cheaper generic scripts. But with my husband on so many, the cost on a limited income creates a hardship. Hope all that makes sense... |
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Re: Medicare and store rx promos
posted at April 27, 2012 2:37 PM EDT
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Posts: 1923
First: November 27, 2011 Last: May 18, 2013 |
In Response to Re: Medicare and store rx promos: In Response to Re: Medicare and store rx promos : Sorry for the confusion... Kroger has a promo coupon that gives you a $25 Kroger gift card good on food and in-store products [including paper products etc], if you fill a new prescription or transfer one from another store. So getting the $25 promo card is linked to purchasing a prescription. However, when my husband tried to utilize this, they said he could not take advantage of it because the government says it is illegal for ANY Medicare or Medicaid or Champus/Tricare recipient to use because such people are receiving "assistance government programs." I quoted the exact text in my original post from a fax they had sent me. And no, we were not going to use the $25 gift card for anything but food - we would have to fill the prescription and pay for it before they even give the gift card too. And as noted prior, we have absolutely NO prescription coverage of any kind any where but he does have Medicare A and B for which he pays the full premium from his social security disability... we have to pay the full cost of prescriptions so we try to always get the cheaper generic scripts. But with my husband on so many, the cost on a limited income creates a hardship. Hope all that makes sense... Posted by Chery54 If you are paying for your own medications alone with NO help from the government, then HOW does the pharmacy at Kroger even know your husband is on Medicare cause Parts A & B do not cover medications unless you are in the hospital or SNF?????? |
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Re: Medicare and store rx promos
posted at April 27, 2012 3:54 PM EDT
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Posts: 7
First: April 26, 2012 Last: May 2, 2012 |
In Response to Re: Medicare and store rx promos: In Response to Re: Medicare and store rx promos : If you are paying for your own medications alone with NO help from the government, then HOW does the pharmacy at Kroger even know your husband is on Medicare cause Parts A & B do not cover medications unless you are in the hospital or SNF?????? Posted by GailL1 The pharmacy asked him if he had insurance and we told them "no." They asked if he had Medicaid, we told them "no." They asked if he had Medicare part D - we told them "no." They asked if he had regular Medicare parts A and B, and because we are honest people and did not think for a second that it would cause a problem, we answered "yes - he has regular Medicare A and B and NO we do not have any prescription coverage of any kind at all." We thought that answered the questions they were needing to verify that he has no prescription coverage. At that point, he was told that it would be "illegal" and is "against the law" and that "they could be fined" if they filled a script and then honored the coupon and gave him the $25 gift card "because he has Medicare parts A and B and that means he has a government-assisted program and even though he does NOT have ANY prescription coverage, the government says it is illegal to extend promotions like this to ANY Medicare recipient." And I have not been able to find any verification of any such law passed by the federal government and when I asked Kroger's pharmacy local and then corporate, they just faxed the policy with the reference that said it was illegal. So very frustrating. |
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Re: Medicare and store rx promos
posted at April 27, 2012 4:26 PM EDT
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Posts: 1923
First: November 27, 2011 Last: May 18, 2013 |
In Response to Re: Medicare and store rx promos: In Response to Re: Medicare and store rx promos : The pharmacy asked him if he had insurance and we told them "no." They asked if he had Medicaid, we told them "no." They asked if he had Medicare part D - we told them "no." They asked if he had regular Medicare parts A and B, and because we are honest people and did not think for a second that it would cause a problem, we answered "yes - he has regular Medicare A and B and NO we do not have any prescription coverage of any kind at all." We thought that answered the questions they were needing to verify that he has no prescription coverage. At that point, he was told that it would be "illegal" and is "against the law" and that "they could be fined" if they filled a script and then honored the coupon and gave him the $25 gift card "because he has Medicare parts A and B and that means he has a government-assisted program and even though he does NOT have ANY prescription coverage, the government says it is illegal to extend promotions like this to ANY Medicare recipient." And I have not been able to find any verification of any such law passed by the federal government and when I asked Kroger's pharmacy local and then corporate, they just faxed the policy with the reference that said it was illegal. So very frustrating. Posted by Chery54 Here is the only thing I can find out about Walgreens and Medicare Rx (government sponsored Rx) - it does not seem to apply to your case. July 2009: News report: Low-cost' generic drugs not cheap for all I would go back to the pharmacist and ask them under what insurance plan they are putting your Rx through and what type price are you getting. Most likely they will tell you none and then you can ask about the gift card again. I think you are speaking with somebody that does not understand even the information that they gave you. You have to make it perfectly clear that your husband has NO medication coverage under any plan - public or private and if they are putting your purchase through under some plan, you would like to know which one. |
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Re: Medicare and store rx promos
posted at April 27, 2012 4:43 PM EDT
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Posts: 7
First: April 26, 2012 Last: May 2, 2012 |
In Response to Re: Medicare and store rx promos: In Response to Re: Medicare and store rx promos : Here is the only thing I can find out about Walgreens and Medicare Rx (government sponsored Rx) - it does not seem to apply to your case. July 2009: News report: Low-cost' generic drugs not cheap for all I would go back to the pharmacist and ask them under what insurance plan they are putting your Rx through and what type price are you getting. Most likely they will tell you none and then you can ask about the gift card again. I think you are speaking with somebody that does not understand even the information that they gave you. You have to make it perfectly clear that your husband has NO medication coverage under any plan - public or private and if they are putting your purchase through under some plan, you would like to know which one. Posted by GailL1 Thank you for the response but they do know he has no coverage, and they are not submitting his rx to any plan, but it is their contention that the government excludes anyone who gets Medicare - even if they don't have any rx coverage. Corporate office even agreed with me that it does not seem "fair" but that they feel they must comply and that the government says "No one with Medicare of any kind" and that is what they intend to uphold. I asked them for the law to which they were referring and all they could tell me was what was quoted in their own policy in order to be in compliance with federal law... and those regulations were what was faxed to me. They dug their heels in and said it did not matter that there was no one to bill for the rx except us, they would not allow it. I got no where. I spent hours and multiple calls to the pharmacist and their main office and every one of them said the same thing, first reading it to me, then faxing a copy to me, then reading the copy they faxed to me. They told me at the store that they got a memo April 1 reminding them that they were not to allow the $25 promo to any Medicare recipient. It was ridiculous. |
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Re: Medicare and store rx promos
posted at April 28, 2012 9:18 AM EDT
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Posts: 7
First: April 26, 2012 Last: May 2, 2012 |
In Response to Re: Medicare and store rx promos: In Response to Re: Medicare and store rx promos : Thank you for the response but they do know he has no coverage, and they are not submitting his rx to any plan, but it is their contention that the government excludes anyone who gets Medicare - even if they don't have any rx coverage. Corporate office even agreed with me that it does not seem "fair" but that they feel they must comply and that the government says "No one with Medicare of any kind" and that is what they intend to uphold. I asked them for the law to which they were referring and all they could tell me was what was quoted in their own policy in order to be in compliance with federal law... and those regulations were what was faxed to me. They dug their heels in and said it did not matter that there was no one to bill for the rx except us, they would not allow it. I got no where. I spent hours and multiple calls to the pharmacist and their main office and every one of them said the same thing, first reading it to me, then faxing a copy to me, then reading the copy they faxed to me. They told me at the store that they got a memo April 1 reminding them that they were not to allow the $25 promo to any Medicare recipient. It was ridiculous. Posted by Chery54 I have since spoken to Medicare and they don't understand either and are checking on it. Hopefully, I will get some feedback from them that either provides support for my position or educates me as to current law. Thanks! |
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Re: Medicare and store rx promos
posted at May 2, 2012 12:45 PM EDT
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Posts: 7
First: April 26, 2012 Last: May 2, 2012 |
OK, have the very frustrating news from Medicare that there is a federal law that prohibits promos to Medicare recipients based on the premise that they could somehow be getting assistance from the government so it is ok for places like Kroger to prohibit allowing the promo offer to ANY Medicare recipient. However, when I specifically asked the investigator if Kroger extended the $25 offer to us and we used it, if either the store or my husband would be violating any laws and "doing something illegal that anyone could be fined or charged for violating ANYTHING," he said since we would not be commiting any fraud upon the government billing them for the RX's, there would be no violation! HOW MANY WAYS CAN I SAY DOUBLE TALK?! He said there is a law prohibiting even Medicare part B recipients from taking advantage of a coupon "because there could be some government assistance somehow" then says we would be doing nothing illegal if the store were to extend the offer and we were to use it! Naturally, the store won't. So frustrating. |
Forums » Health » Medicare & Insurance » Medicare and store rx promos
