Americans are paying significantly higher prices for their prescription drugs than people in countries outside the U.S. Why? Because the United States does not limit the price that can be charged for drugs as most other countries do. For those seniors on traditional Medicare without any coverage for drugs this is a heavy financial burden. For some it has become a choice between buying drugs or buying food.
President Clinton proposed that an addition be made to the Medicare to add a prescription drug benefit. After this proposal was announced, TV ads appeared that were against this proposal. Guess who paying for these ads? The drug companies are behind the protest against this proposal. They certainly don't want any more limits on the prices they can charge for their products.
So what is a senior on a fixed income to do? They can join a Medicare HMO. Most have a drug benefit with a small co-payment. Unfortunately there are areas of the country not served by an HMO. They may be able to purchase a prescription drug plan, although many of these are very expensive. Perhaps they could do what more and more seniors are doing these days, go out of the country to buy those prescription drugs at savings of up to 80%. If you live close to either the Canadian or Mexican borders, or travel to those areas this may be a money saving option you may want to look into.
[strong]Canada[/strong]
Canada places a limit on the price that can be charged by the drug companies on prescription drugs. With those limits the price may be half or less than what you are paying in the U.S. That, along with the lower value of the Canadian dollar compared to US currency makes buying in Canada a good value. You will need a prescription from a doctor in in Canada, but pharmacies that routinely deal with people from the US can often arrange this. Many seniors groups in border areas are arranging bus trips north to buy medications.
[strong]Mexico[/strong]
Mexico is another medication bargain. In fact many border towns boast almost as many pharmacies as residents. Prescriptions are not required for most medications, but should be obtained to prevent problems when returning home. Do exercise caution when buying medications in Mexico as the quality may be lower than in the US. Be sure to check expiration dates and dosages.
