Today, I paid $15 to have a prescription filled.  But if I hadn’t been careful, I could have paid $436.

I’ve previously written about the importance of price shopping when having a prescription filled or refilled. This is not like shopping around to save a couple of dollars when buying a gallon of milk. Prescription prices can vary by a huge amount. A pharmacy might have a reasonable price on one prescription, but another pharmacy will charge hundreds of dollars for the exact same prescription. They get away with this because the doctor conveniently offers to call in the prescription to your favorite pharmacy. If you take your doctor up on the offer, you might pay hundreds of dollars more than you need to. You need to get a paper prescription, shop around for price, and then have the prescription filled.

I’ve previously explained that the website GoodRx.com makes this process easy. You enter the name of the medication, and the site shows you the prices at various pharmacies. In most cases, you need to print a coupon or display it on your smartphone.

Since I wrote that, another site sometimes provides a better price.  That site is Blink Health.  It often has the lowest price, so it’s worth checking.  Also, by following the links on this page, you will save $15 off your first order.

To check the price, you enter the prescription name on their website.  When the list of possible medications comes up, select the proper dosage and number of doses.

In most cases, you will see three options for price. The first is for home delivery, and this price is usually quite reasonable. The second is the “Blink Everyday Low Price.” The “Blink Everyday Low Price” is for major pharmacy chains such as Walmart and Safeway. If you need to buy from one of these pharmacies, GoodRX.com probably has a better price.

The third price is for the “Blink Smart Deal,” and this is usually the lowest price. It will display the name of an independent pharmacy in your area, but this pharmacy might not be convenient. You can click on the “change pharmacy” link, and you will see a list of most independent pharmacies in your area. Select that pharmacy, and that’s where you will pick up your prescription.

The Blink website is easy to use, and you place your order as you would with any other website. But there is one additional step. The Blink site is only to pay for the prescription. You also need to call or visit the pharmacy to place your order with the pharmacy. This represents a slight inconvenience, but you are more than compensated by the price savings. When the prescription is ready, you pick it up and give the pharmacy the receipt you printed from the Blink website.

The two-step process is slightly inconvenient, but in some cases, the price savings will be substantial. Often, GoodRx will have a better price or one that is about the same. But sometimes, the difference will be significant, so you want to try both.

At the top of this page is my receipt for a prescription I picked up today. My cost was $15.30. As you can see on the receipt, the copay is listed as zero.  This is because I paid in full online.  But the most shocking thing about this receipt is the “W/O INS 436.21“.  This means that if I had walked in off the street with my prescription, or had the doctor call it in, I would have paid $436.21.

In many cases, GoodRx would have given me a price that was almost as good.   In fact, in this case, one pharmacy listed on GoodRx has a cash price of $13.67, with no coupon required. Also, one membership pharmacy would charge $6, plus an annual membership fee. One other local pharmacy shows a price of $316, but $18.46 with coupon.

These prices are crazy, and this whole system makes no sense. Frankly, it’s obscene that my pharmacy would charge an unwitting customer $436, but charged me only $15 because I was willing to jump through some online hoops.  And it’s obscene that one pharmacy’s cash price is $14, but another one is $436 for the exact same product.  There’s no rhyme or reason, but you have to jump through the hoops every single time.  The last time I filled this prescription 90 days ago, Blink was the lowest price.  I stayed with them because the price was only slightly higher.  The next time, perhaps it will be a lot higher.  When that time comes, I’ll switch again.

If you purchase from Blink after using the links on this page, you will receive a $15 discount on your first order.  If the total price is less than $15, then the prescription will be free.  This site will also receive a credit.

This is one of a series of posts about our experiences with Samaritan Ministries, a health sharing ministry.   You can read my other posts about Samaritan at this link.  If you decide to join Samaritan Ministries, please mention my name, Richard Clem, as the person who referred you, as I will receive a credit for referring you.

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As I’ve written previously, my family has not had health insurance for about four years.  Instead, we are members of Samaritan Ministries, a Christian “health sharing ministry”.  A health sharing ministry is not health insurance, but it performs a similar function.  Once a month, we are given the name of another member or members who have recently had a medical need.  Instead of sending in an insurance premium to an insurance company, we send our monthly share (currently $495 per month for families with children) directly to that member.

Carry Each Other’s Burdens

It’s based on Galatians 6:2: “Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.”  So in January, we might learn that a member in California had a heart attack, and we, along with other members, carry his burden by sending our $495 directly to him.  In February, we might learn that a couple in Texas recently had a baby.  So that month, we would send our share directly to that family.  We are also asked to pray for the person, and to include a personal note or card in addition to our check or online payment.  The money travels strictly from person to person, without passing through an intermediary.  (Once per year, we send our share directly to Samaritan, meaning that Samaritan’s administrative expenses are 1/12, or about 8%.  I suspect this is considerably lower than any insurance company.)  And as far as I can tell, there would be no way for a member to legally compel other members to pay.  It’s based upon Christian trust.  And since I’m a lawyer, I suppose I ought to be skeptical.  But I’ve learned that the system works, and that it works exceptionally well.

With Samaritan Ministries, we are responsible for minor medical bills.  If the total bill for a certain condition is under $300, then we simply explain to the doctor that we are cash customers.  In most cases, that means that we pay by check or credit card at the time of service.  Or, the provider will send us a bill and we simply pay.

For the past four years, all of our medical bills came in that category.  That’s a good thing, because it means that nobody in our family was sick enough to generate a medical bill of more than $300.  But the pessimist would look at the situation and point out that we weren’t getting anything out of our membership.

My First Medical “Need”

In a sense, the pessimist would have been right.  Since nobody in our household had been sick enough, we weren’t getting our money’s worth.  Well, our “bad” luck recently ended, and I got very sick to the point where I was hospitalized twice.  In other words, I was now “lucky” enough to be able to get my money’s worth.

I had essentially never been to a doctor as an adult.  But that all changed late last year.  I finally went to see a doctor, and she quickly referred me to a specialist.  As the specialist put it, “you’re a lot sicker than you think,” and I was hospitalized the same day.

I’ve now nearly recovered, but only after being hospitalized twice and incurring tens of thousands of dollars in medical bills.  Since Samaritan Ministries is not insurance, I am uninsured, and I was personally responsible for these tens of thousands of dollars in medical bills.

I had faith that we had made a good decision in going with Samaritan Ministries.  We did our homework, and I was confident that my medical bill would get paid and that I would stay out of bankruptcy court.  But I still had some doubts.  As another reviewer of Samaritan Ministries recently put it, “the lawyer in me had some questions.”

Even before I reported to the hospital, I informed Samaritan that I would have a “need” (they’re careful to avoid insurance terminology, so it’s not called a “claim”) in excess of $300.  My memory of that whole time is a blur, and I honestly forget whether I made the notification by phone or online.  But they quickly contacted me (again, I don’t remember if it was by phone or e-mail, since I’ve been in contact with the “need advocate” both ways).  He answered any questions and sent me the correct form and instructions.   The form itself was quite simple, and I was to send this along with my medical bills.  He also prayed for me.

I was first hospitalized in early December.  One great advantage of Samaritan is the fact that there’s no “network” to worry about.  You can go to any hospital or doctor you please, anywhere in the world.   I was able to chose which hospital I wanted, and my wife strongly recommended HealthEast St. Joseph’s Hospital in St. Paul,   This was an excellent choice.  I hope you never have to go to the hospital, but if you do, then St. Joe’s is the one you want to go to.  The hospital has a strong history as a faith-based institution, having been founded by the Roman Catholic Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet in 1853.  Everyone I encountered there, whether they were doctors, nurses, or support staff, treated me with extreme compassion.  Even the cleaning people gave the impression that they were important parts of a healing ministry, which, of course, they were.  Even though the hospital is now part of a secular healthcare institution, it is clear that the faith-based roots are respected and continued.

When I showed up at the hospital, the lawyer in me was expecting that I would probably need to explain my “uninsured” status, and reassure someone that they would, indeed, get paid.  At the entrance, I was placed in a wheelchair, and I fully expected them to wheel me to the business office where I would have that conversation.  But I was wrong.  They instead wheeled me directly to my room, where the nurses began asking medical questions rather than billing questions.  It wasn’t until a couple of days later when someone from the business office showed up.  When I explained how Samaritan Ministries worked, she seemed quite satisfied, and put away the Medical Assistance application that she had brought with her.

Filing the “Need” with Samaritan

When I was discharged (the first time, since they sent me back a few weeks later), my wife stopped by the business office and asked for an itemized hospital bill.  It was for tens of thousands of dollars.  But since I was an “uninsured” patient, they immediately gave me a discount and subtracted about half!

I got home in mid-December, and a few days later, I mailed the bill to Samaritan, along with the other bills that I had received so far.  I did make a point to make sure it arrived before the end of the month, because Samaritan works on a monthly cycle.  I believe we wound up mailing them on Christmas Eve.  If it had been a few days later, I probably would have sent them Express Mail to make sure they arrived by the end of the month.  (It is possible to submit bills online, but I haven’t tried that process.  My thinking is that since most of my bills originate in paper form, it’s probably easier just to mail them, rather than needing to scan them first.)

When bills are submitted, they are reviewed.  This process seems to take about one to two weeks.  When approved, they are assigned to other members.  A bill that is submitted by the end of December will generally be shared starting on February 1.  So being a member does require a certain amount of organization and getting things sent in a timely fashion.  It is, however, not overly burdensome.  As new bills arrived, I placed them in a folder, and when I had gathered a few, I sent them to Samaritan.

Processing by Samaritan

Samaritan has a good online portal to track how needs are progressing.  At one point, the information displayed there made me a bit nervous, since that information is apparently delayed a few days from real time.  After Samaritan received my bills, the online portal initially said that they were undergoing review, and that the amount currently approved was zero.  This made perfect sense, since they hadn’t been reviewed yet.

A few days later, the status switched, and indicated that the review was complete.  And the amount approved was listed as . . . zero!

I correctly guessed that this was an online glitch of delayed reporting.  In fact, if I looked at another part of the online portal, the approved dollar amount was shown.  But I have to admit that the “zero” made the lawyer in me a bit nervous for a couple of days!

Lo and behold, a few days later, the full amount of my original bill was listed as being approved.  The bills from the initial hospitalization were submitted in late December and approved in early January.  And in late January, I was given a list of names of the other members who would be sending me their monthly shares starting on February 1.  I received the first share in late January.  Most of them arrived in the first two weeks of February, and they continued to trickle in until the end of the month.  A small sampling of some of them is shown in the illustration above.  Most members, it turns out, submit their shares via PayPal rather than by mailing a paper check.  The immediacy is nice, but there’s something to be said for getting a physical get well card in the mail.

As I mentioned, I was hospitalized a second time in early January.  This stay was actually longer and more expensive.  I submitted those bills in January, and the shares from other members started arriving on March 1.  More bills have trickled in, and some of them will be reimbursed in April or probably later.  But I’ll have the bulk of my medical bills paid in full by the end of March.

It takes a bit of organization, but even though I’m somewhat organizationally impaired, it isn’t particularly burdensome.  As money arrives, I immediately use it to pay my medical bills, most of which are now 31-60 days past due.  I usually make an online payment every day that I receive one or more PayPal payments from other members.  And when I receive paper checks, I deposit them, and then mail a payment for that amount within a day or two.  Even though my account is technically “past due” by a small amount of time, I haven’t received any collection calls.  I suspect the hospital (and all of the other providers) are getting paid much faster than they are for their insured patients.

100% Coverage!

The lawyer in me was worried that I might not get reimbursed for all of my medical bills.  But I needn’t have worried.  I’ll essentially be “covered” for 100% of my medical expenses.  There is that $300 “deductible,” that I would ordinarily need to pay myself.  But I don’t even have to pay that, because if I obtain a discount (which I did from most providers, including that discount of tens of thousands of dollars from the hospital), that is first subtracted from my “deductible.”  Since I’ve had discounts far in excess of $300, I don’t have to worry about this.

FDA image.

Really, my only out-of-pocket expense will be for prescriptions.  Samaritan pays them for up to 120 days, but I will have a couple that will extend past that point.  But thanks to the price comparison tools made available by Samaritan, these expenses will be very low.  (See my post on prescription drug prices to see some of the huge discounts available on otherwise expensive drugs.)

Better than Insurance

If I had insurance rather than Samaritan, it’s very unlikely that I would be as pleased as I am.  First of all, there would probably have been a very large deductible or co-pay.  When we were shopping for insurance four years ago, for example, the only policy that was even close to being affordable had a $10,000 deductible.  By contrast, my “deductible” for this illness started out at $300, but even that immediately vanished when I obtained a discount on a bill.

The Power of Prayer

Also, the knowledge that other Samaritan members were praying for me is very significant.  Almost all of the shares that I received from other members contained a  personal note (either electronic or paper).  In addition to sending me money, they were sending me encouragement and prayer.  I could feel all of those prayers from dozens of people (including the staff at Samaritan who made a point to pray for me personally).  I truly feel like a member of a community, rather than simply a customer of an insurance company.

Another reviewer put it this way, which applies to me as well, even though her son had a medical need even more serious than mine:  “This kind of thing makes me go weak in the knees, begging God for healing, wisdom, guidance and provision. God has answered powerfully and part of that answer has been Samaritan Ministries.”    I’m not sure I know exactly what the Apostle Paul meant when he said to “pray continually” or “pray without ceasing” (1 Thes. 5:17), but this experience has given me more understanding. The knowledge that dozens of other members are actively praying for me is truly humbling, and I have no doubt that it contributed to my healing.

CT Scan. FDA image.

No “Networks” to Worry About

Another critical factor is that with Samaritan, I don’t need to worry about whether my doctor or hospital is a part of some “plan” or “network.”  I can go to any doctor I want, anywhere in the world, with the assurance that the bill will be paid.  This allows me to chose a quality provider, such as the hospital I went to.  It also allows me to shop around for price.  For example, when I needed a CT scan, my cost was $392, because I was able to ask for the price and offer to pay at the time of service.  I suspect that for most people, the cost would have been much closer to $1000, and if they had a high deductible health plan, they would have been stuck with most of the cost, with no opportunity to shop around.  According to this website, a CT scan can cost as much as $5000.  For routine services such as this, it really pays to shop around, and Samaritan Ministries allows you to do exactly that.

My Recommendation

Samaritan Ministries is not for everyone.  For one thing, it is a Christian organization, and members must profess the Christian faith (in quite general terms, which would be acceptable to most Christians of almost any denomination.)  The governing law requires that health sharing ministry members share common religious or ethical beliefs.  Most such organizations are Christian, although United Refuah appears to be a similar organization for Jewish persons.   I hope there are similar organizations for those of other faiths.  Another consideration is that conditions that existed prior to becoming a member generally are not shareable.  (However, there are some exceptions.)

For most members of Christian churches, I believe that Samaritan Ministries is an excellent option.  In my experience, it is vastly superior to insurance.  And as I discussed previously, the cost is considerably less.  I’m quite confident that there is no medical insurance policy in America that would provide 100% coverage for a family for only $495 per month.  But that’s what Samaritan does.  It’s not insurance.  It’s what insurance was originally intended to be, and it’s what the early church was.  I strongly recommend that you consider it.

If you do decide to join Samaritan Ministries, I would appreciate if you would consider indicating on your application that I referred you. (Or, of course, if someone else recommended Samaritan, mention their name instead.) The application asks how you learned about Samaritan. If my information proved helpful, I would appreciate if you would include my name, Richard Clem. If you do, I will receive a credit.

If you’re new to this blog, we cover a variety of topics, but lean mostly toward radio history.  But occasionally, we address a serious topic such as how to take charge of health care and save thousands of dollars with Samaritan Ministries.  Tomorrow, we resume our normal programming, consisting of pictures of old radios.  If you’re interested in that sort of thing, please like us on Facebook at the link below:

Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.

—Galatians 6:9-10 (NIV)

We are relatively new members of Samaritan Ministries.  I’ve written about our experiences previously, and you can find those posts here.  They are an alternative to health insurance. Instead of sending premiums to an insurance company, we instead learn of medical needs experienced by other members and have an opportunity to help them with those needs. In exchange, we know that if we have a need, we have the assurance that other members will help us.

It’s similar to insurance, but it’s really more like how the early Church worked:

All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.

—Acts 2:44-47 (NIV)

We recently had our first opportunity to experience this through Samaritan. As new members of Samaritan, our first two monthly payments were made to the ministry’s office to cover administrative expenses. Each year, we will make one of our monthly payments to the home office. Making those payments seemed a little bit like insurance.

But this month, we got a taste of what the early Church experienced: Giving to someone who had need. This month, we were asked to make our payment to a woman in the Western U.S. who had broken her hip. We were given her name and a short description of her need. We were asked to send our payment directly to her, which she will use to pay her medical bills.  Presumably, many other members were also asked to send a payment to her this month.  And we were also asked to pray for her.

We didn’t gather with her in the temple courts, nor did we break bread in her home. We couldn’t, because we are far away. Other members of the Body of Christ filled those roles. What we were able to do was bear part of her financial burden, which would have been overwhelming for one person, or one family, or even one congregation.

We were also able to pray for her. I shared her first name with my own congregation, and we all prayed for her. We’re in another part of the country, and we’re probably a different denomination. But we were still able to do what Paul told the Galatians to do: “Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” Gal. 6:2 (NIV).  And that is much easier to do with Samaritan than it was with insurance.

If you do decide to join Samaritan Ministries, I would appreciate if you would consider indicating on your application form that I referred you. (Or, of course, if someone else recommended Samaritan, mention their name instead.) There’s a box where you can check how you learned about Samaritan. If my information proved helpful, I would appreciate if you would include my name, Richard Clem. On the first page, you can check the box “Friend/referral (somebody told me)” and/or “Internet,” and write in my name. In the interest of full disclosure, if you do include my name as a referral, then I will receive a credit of $180.

Please also pray for the woman whose need we shared.  It wouldn’t be appropriate for me to give her name, but the giving of your prayers would be appreciated.

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