Insurance using manufacturing rebates against price not out of pocket?

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#1

Hi, I wonder if any one has experienced a situation where they go tot he pharmacy with one of these manufacture rebate cards, and found that insurance will not allow it to be used as deductible? There are reports of this occurring with some plans and I wonder if it is impacting the diabetes community?

Insurance companies are now writing new policies into their contracts – these are called copay accumulator programs

It has been reported that some Insurance companies are increasingly saying that while you can use a coupon card to help pay for medications, they will not count toward your deductible or copay.

Has anyone experienced this kind of situation as yet?

#2

My husband uses manufacturer card on a very expensive med, but he has had numerous health issues since December and I can’t see if they applied the payment or not, to his deductible. I had $11.99 showing toward mine (thyroid med copay). They told me that was a mistake, but left it there. Then they threw on $95 for one bottle of Novolog that they charged me tier three on, yet accepted the manufacturer card. I am doing the Animas Omnipod trial offer, and I needed as much as I could get on the deductible, but then they took away the $95 leaving me with $11.99. So now I had to pay $295 for a box of pods. The handbook says tier 3, 4 and 5 go to deductible. But they said no, they only meant tier 4 and 5. I don’t even understand the accumulators part…but all I know is I ended up really handing out big money for pods. The whole thing is a confusing mess.