VA versus Medicare for PALS - Medications

2. Medications

VA
i) For the appointment with the primary care physician, you should bring along a list of all your medications. The doctor will then arrange for you to obtain these medications from the VA. For most medications the charge is $8 for a month’s supply of each medication, including Rilutek and a wide range of other medications. In some cases, the VA will only have one of a particular type of medication on its formulary; for example, it supplies Claritin rather than Zyrtec. Prescriptions can be refilled by telephone, and they usually reach you within 10 days.

Medicare
i) Medicare offers assistance in reducing the cost of medicines through the Medicare Part D program for beneficiaries. Since the monthly cost of Rilutek is about $800, Medicare benefits are much more costly than VA benefits for medicines. PALS would find themselves in the famous “doughnut hole” about halfway through each year. It may be more cost-effective to obtain medicines through your traditional health insurance, but in my case VA medicines were by far the least expensive.