How to Save a Billion or Two

Need to save a few billion on health care?

Become a wise shopper and be more proactive.

Approximately 18% of health care dollars are spent on prescription drugs. Many of those are maintenance meds that, in many cases, are for conditions that could be prevented with lifestyle changes.

So how do you win? Ask your doc about switching to generics or other therapeutic equivalents.

But be aware you may have a fight on your hands.

scientists and doctors say that for most of the 16 million people in America who take drugs to reduce cholesterol, the low-priced alternative will work as well as the name-brand medicine — Lipitor, which is made by Pfizer and is the nation’s most widely prescribed drug.

"Low priced alternatives work as well".

Keep that in mind.

While Lipitor itself is not available as a generic, a very similar drug made by Merck, Zocor, lost its patent protection last year. The generic version of Zocor, simvastatin, is now much cheaper than Lipitor, leading insurers to press doctors and patients to switch

How much can you save?

A 30 day supply of Lipitor 20 mg runs around $112 or almost $3 per day.

A 30 day supply of Crestor runs $92.

Lescol, about $67.

Lovastatin, $20.

What could you do with an extra $92 in your monthly budget?

When you are spending the carriers money (which is really your money) something odd happens. Very few really care how much medicine (or anything else) costs.

Change to your money, (such as with a high deductible health plan), and attitudes change.

Can 16M people taking cholesterol meds make a difference?

Absolutely.

Become proactive about your health care. Become a wise shopper. Stop making the carriers and drug companies wealthy at your expense.