In this Jan. 31, 2020, photo, Ann Lovell stands at the security checkpoint before her flight from Salt Lake City International Airport to San Diego. Lovell travels every few months to Tijuana, Mexico, to buy medication for rheumatoid arthritis — with tickets paid for by the state of Utah's public insurer.
In one long, exhausting day, Lovell flies from Salt Lake City to San Diego. There, an escort picks her up and takes her across the border to a Tijuana hospital, where she gets a refill on her prescription. After that, she’s shuttled back to the airport and heads home. The cost difference is so large that the state's insurance program for public employees can pay for each patient’s flight, give them a $500-per-trip bonus and still save tens of thousands of dollars.
The Utah program was created under a 2018 state law dubbed “right to shop,” by Republican Rep. Norm Thurston. The Public Employees Health Program offers it only for people who use a drug on a list of about a dozen medications where the state can get significant savings. Of the 160,000 state and local public employees covered by the insurer, fewer than 400 are eligible, according to Managing Director Chet Loftis.
Provide Rx also works with a dozen or so private companies, some of whom offer similar bonus programs to their staffers, said general manager Javier Ojeda.Though the number of people participating is relatively small, the savings add up quickly. The annual U.S. list price for the drug Lovell takes, Enbrel, is over $62,000 per patient. With the Mexico program, after the cost of the flight and the bonus, the state still cuts its expenses in half.
There have been long been more informal trips across the border elsewhere; Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders has taken bus trips with patients from border states into Canada to highlight the cost of prescription drugs. But the Utah program appears to be the only formal state program of its kind, said David Mitchell, a cancer patient and the founder of the advocacy group Patients For Affordable Drugs.
Well, it's an innovative solution, no doubt: 'Go to a country where the health care system isn't a giant smoldering turd (or is less of one, anyway).'
Keep voting Republican and your money will go to my family, suckers 😂
Did MittRomney Pay For This 🤔⁉️
Who is liable when these employees end up with placebos, wrong meds, and end up dying as a result?
They've been coming to Canada for years! Home of the free- hmm
We need lower prescription drugs prices here - asap!
Thats kinda cool cause Mexico doesn’t regulate some of the strong stuff like the U.S. does but I know it’s cause of cheap prices. That’s what a lot of the Mexicans do for dental work, surgeries, etc. plus it’s kinda better knowing a Dr. spent 7+ yrs in med school instead of 4 lol
Kansas is jailing people that can’t pay their medical bills.
Come stay with us! puertomorelos Mexico
Generic quality is a concern.
Pretty sure Big Pharma is working right now to get Orange Roughy and Bilbo Barr to intervene and put a stop to this. Just saying.
What a disgrace. The people behind the pharmaceutical companies are killing Americans with their greed
But they’ll still vote for trump? Really?
Shame on leadership, if great country people have to travel to another country either for health care or medication. Our health care system is broken beyond repairable.
all that work for psoriasis?! must be a terrible case that diet and topical treatments can't touch...
Holy Christ!!! If this is true then a ton of heads need to roll
obamacare ✊🏻
But we are supposed to believe that buying drugs from Mexico is dangerous and that’s why it’s prohibited ...but when you go THERE suddenly there is no danger? What else it could be? 🤔🤔
A Red State
unquale senlik bir haber..
POTUS GOPLeader GOPChairwoman GOP america first, right?
Imagine paying all that money into universal Medicare for all, and do everything in Utah
Mexico Fk that. Too dangerous!
Sounds dangerous.
America: The greatest nation in the world. Where healthcare is such a disaster that we send people to countries with questionable standards to get their prescriptions. Republicans have engineered this and need to be held accountable.
This is worth a look. ncga ncpol
I am in Mexico studying Spanish. A few times a year I take a medication for a chronic condition. My insurance stopped covering it. It costs $540 last time I checked. And I need a prescription to get it in this first place. Here, I walk in and get it. $3.50. Same stuff.
This just brings to light how cruel and inhumane the prescription drug business is in the U.S. How many people die each year in the U.S. because of no access to medications?
Donate: Bernie2020 NotMeUs
The free market works.
“Build the Wall” - Mexico
Rich Republicans control Utah state government. They all oppose MedicareForAll. Rest assured, this kluge delivers even more of our money to more rich Republicans.
cc michellemalkin the legislature (at all levels state, congress, senate) in Utah seems to be selling out US workers w/ immigration & forcing ppl there to go to dangerous places to get medicines.
Yep, everything's fine here. No problems. Definitely not a collapsed medical system crushed under late-stage capitalism.
I retired in Mexico and can tell you the medical system here is affordable and excellent. Doctors don't rush appointments and give patients their personal cell numbers. Most drugs can be purchased OTC and you are not limited to how much you can buy.
There are also programs that send people to other countries for surgical procedures. To save money. Fly a sick person for needed surgery and then what if something goes wrong? Well I guess they are stuck there... it’s absolutely ridiculous
Unreal, even a red state will take advantage of socialized medicine when it financially benefits them. I am not blaming them, just the hypocrisy that we can't have it here when people are suffering, going bankrupt, going without and cannot travel to take advantage of this price?
So, people that need a prescription filled once a month have to travel every month?
asil09 Good Lord! Is this where we’re at?
In one long, exhausting day, Lovell flies from Salt Lake City to San Diego. There, an escort picks her up and takes her across the border to a Tijuana hospital, where she gets a refill on her prescription. After that, she’s shuttled back to the airport and heads home. Why Bother!
And I bet ICE and the customs police will be at the airport just waiting to run a giant sting operation.
deray M4A already. BernieSanders has my vote.
Why doesn’t UTAH just supplement the costs to keep state money in their own locale?! Hit Mutt the 🦏 Schitt for his “fair” share!!
Huh 🤔
vitostellino Anyone who thinks I’d vote for or trust politicians who passed the ACA law that nearly made me lose my house because of that deductible with the entire healthcare system is nuts!
SLealRx This will be a big issue, especially with issues that could relate to specialty pharmacy medications and counterfeit therapies.
This says a lot about Trumps true feelings and actions about Medical Cost. He is not doing anything but trying to do away with ACA and put 3 Million people off Healthcare Program. In November we must all get out and VOTE! For ourselves and our Families
I'm guessing generic verions of the medicine don't exist
Don’t blame them
tRump closes our border...we won't even have access to medical and dental care..that wall is to keep us in
Wow.... I go for free for my friends I need to get paid
Sounds about right.
😳
There's a pretty decent worldwide shipping process that could also work.
Wow
In other news , global warming cautionary advocates look to the skies to reduce needless air travel. Sports and weather at the top of hour. Back to you David.
So cartels can kidnap and kill Problem solved No more sick people
President Trump has been asking Pelosi repeatedly to work on this. She's been busy with other things. DoNothingDemocrats
We call them drug dealers except when they have a lower price then we call for United States employees to get their prescriptions in a country we just totally offended because they are more economically viable for medications whoisincharge
Now that’s just sad
That’s sad this is what it’s come too. My mother spends $700+ a month for meds. She only gets $1400 in SS.
And this is how we make America great?!?
Why can't they just ship medications from Mexico ?
Seriously! Who comes up with these stupid ideas Don’t that defeat the purpose!! 🤦♀️🤷♀️ not to mention DANGEROUS! who the hell wants to risk their lives to go to that country!!! Besides that’s not solving the problem here that’s avoiding it!!
My scripts are usually $0 at cvspharmacy. Maybe UtahGov should contact them.