Five years ago, my doctor was concerned enough about my BP to put me on Lisinopril, aka "the gateway drug" for high blood pressure. Many people start their journey to lowering their BP by taking lisinopril. I began with a 5 mg pill, went to a 10 mg pill and have now been taking 20 mg for a couple years. It's working perfectly--no side effects and my BP is usually around 100/70 these days.
Lisinopril has never been one of the more expensive drugs, thankfully, and Walmart has for years included it on their list of drugs available for $4/30 days or $10/90 days. For a while my prescription was for 30 days, then it inexplicably (but to my financial benefit) changed to 90 days. I've been sailing along, paying $10 every 90 days...
Until today. I got a text from Walmart saying my prescription was ready, and it was going to cost me $24. Huh? I used my phone to look up the $10/90 day list and lisinopril was still on it. I took a screenshot and showed it to the pharmacy tech who was ringing up my prescription; she said the computer was still saying $24. When she checked her phone, she also found a section of the WM website saying lisinopril was moved off the $10/90 list.
Next, I pulled out my Medicaid card. My Medicaid is through Humana...the tech tried using it and said it was somehow connected with Aetna (it shouldn't be...I don't think?) and WM isn't in Aetna's network, so no help there. I left with my 90 day supply, a receipt for $24 and a headache. Plus I'm sure my BP was up.
When I got home, I tried Googling this mess...it looks like lisinopril IS still on the $10/90 list BUT only if it's combined with hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ), which is, I believe, a diuretic. I'm taking straight up lisinopril. I'm now unsure of my next step: call my PCP? Try to reach Humana? Straight up switch to Giant Eagle pharmacy, where it looks like lisinopril is still on their $10/90 day list?
Dad can't believe I'm fussing this much about a $14 increase spread out over 90 days. True, that's not a lot of money...but right now, I'm not making a lot of money, so I need to watch every penny :-(
