Medications can be expensive, even with insurance.  Perhaps more on the side of personal advice rather than legal advice, if you have a prescription for a medication that works for you, get your refills while you can.  There can be several reasons you should do this, but we are specifically referencing medications that you need or that work for you.

 

Reasons to refill your medications

Reasons you should refill your medications when you are able to, even if you don’t necessarily need them at the moment:

• You can lose your health insurance if your employer terminates you while you’re out of work
• There could be a shortage on the medication when you need it
• The medication could be discontinued
• Your health insurance could stop covering that medication

 

You can lose your health insurance if your employer terminates you while you’re out of work

Just because you are out on disability doesn’t mean that your employer can’t terminate you – the FMLA or ADA may protect your job.) If you are terminated, you will lose any health insurance benefits that were associated with your employment and will have to elect COBRA or some other form of health insurance (like the Affordable Healthcare Act (ObamaCare).

 

There could be a shortage of the medication you need

Some manufacturers are not able to keep up with demand or necessary supply for their ingredients.  A shortage of the ability to make the medication obviously hampers your ability to obtain it, and an unusually high demand for a medication may raise the cost.

 

The medication could be discontinued

There have been medications that simply stopped being produced, either because the manufacturer stopped making it or a new medication displaced it in the marketplace.

 

Your health insurance could stop covering the medication

Health insurance companies sometimes decide to stop covering certain medications.  If your health insurance stops covering a medication, it can be very expensive out of pocket.  Often, when a generic medication becomes available, your health insurance won’t cover the brand name.

 

Refill your medications while you can (especially if you still have health insurance and the medication is affordable), even if you may not think you need to!

You may start feeling better and think that you don’t need a refill on your medication.  You may not be using all of your medication as often as prescribed, and thus, be eligible for a refill before you run out.  Regardless, if your insurance covers the medication, and the medication works for you, get it while you can!  The last thing you want to have happen is to run out of something that you need or something that works for you and then not be able to get it.