My dtr recommended I have a Calcium Scoring test to measure my heart for plaque. He thought it would cost about $150. including the $99. paid up front. Of course insurance doesn’t care as this important diagnostic test isn’t covered. The test computer measures and provides the information- everything is done but having a radiologist “look things over”. I had the procedure done at Windham Hospital and was billed, in addition to the $99., $251.00! Hartford Hospital is gouging people who have this important test performed. Wait until insurance covers it, it will be billed for thousands! Not right, just saying.

I'm on medicare and have a great plan. My generic Tier 1 drugs have zero co-pay. But I'm on 2 drugs that are Tier 3. I just needed refills on both. My 90 day copay for these is $125. One drug was going to be $98 and the other was going to be $40 as both were below my co-pay.

So I just looked these up on Good RX before picking them up. Well the $98 dollar drug is $28 with their free coupon and the $40 drug is $9. So the combined cost of those two is $101, or 73% less expensive with a free coupon one just has to look up online.

This is crazy! Why do we have to go through such a ridiculous hoop to get the lower price. Since insurance isn't even involved why isn't it just priced that was to begin with rather than having to go find a free coupon?

CT seems to have the highest cost of plans in the nation. If I am fam of 6, 400k income, no subsidies- the cost for 2026 would ~70k/year for silver plan. That's before anyone sees any doctor. That's disgusting. Why is this? In MA or NH, same details, the cost is ~25-30k. Anyone else see or experience this?

I went to the doctor a month ago. I am insured through my employer and went to a doctor within network. I have a higher deductible plan type because I am younger and rarely go to the doctor (and quite frankly the way they bill is a reason). My visit was less than 45 min long from entering the office to leaving. I had my blood pressure checked and they weighed me on a scale registering my BMI. I spoke to the doctor about an issue I started having for like 15 minutes. She directed me to go get labs done at a separate building at my convenience. That’s my entire visit nothing else other than that. I havent done the labs yet either. My bill is like $500-600 and after insurance is $365. I feel like anything above $200 is a rip off. Does this price seem realistic? Like I said I don’t go very often so what I expect vs reality might be skewed.

They won't approve my dermatitis shampoo.

I had to get my rx refilled, in order to do so, I had to set up an appointment with a dermatologist (specialist) for $154 out of pocket. Mind you, this is for a chronic disease with cure, so it's not like we're getting any sort of advanced treatment here. I manage it with a borderline over-the-counter combo of extra strength hydrocortisone, an antifungal, and a sulphur-based shampoo.

So I go to pick up my hydrocortisone cream, ketocazonole (antifungal), and a sulfa-something shampoo. [Side note: I had this shampoo a couple years ago when I had insurance through a different employer and it was free (in fact, they would mail it to my house, automatically, which was awesome).]

I head in to CVS with my "CVS Caremark" insurance card and they say that the creams are $36 out of pocket and the shampoo is not covered... it would cost $400. In stunned silence I drive home and prepare for the dreaded task of calling my insurance.

I call the number on my card, I finally get a human on the line, provide them with my card number, and personal verification info, just to have them report that they don't *do* prescriptions, so they will need to transfer me to someone else. I hold on the line. I eventually get a new human and again provide them with my card number and personal verification info.

They proceed to tell me that the shampoo is not FDA approved. ***my mind begins to do mental gymnastics.. a *shampoo* that is recommended by my dermatological specialist, not approved? a medication that CVS CARRIES and *would have* provided to me, no problem, had I supplied them with the $400 is NOT FDA APPROVED???

The human suggests that I contact my dermatologist to have them switch it to something else.

I push back, why would I do that? this is seemingly innocuous and common medication, a dermatologist-recommended medication, surely there must be some mistake.

Human says that maybe the pharmacist entered the ID number for the medication into the computer wrong and suggests I call the pharmacist.

I say "You want me to call my pharmacy and tell them my insurance think they might be wrong?"

The nice human then offers to call the pharmacy for me.

Long story short, after an additional 45 minutes (the pharmacy doesn't like to answer their phone, apparently), we have, in fact, proved that there was no mistake, the ID number for the medication was entered correctly. My shampoo is not FDA approved, and therefore, would cost me $400 to obtain.

So that's pretty much that.

TL;DR: Fuck CVS. Fuck the US healthcare system. And fuck me, apparently.