alisande -- If I were you, I'd go with the cheapest premium. Yes, you *could* pay that $320 deductible -- IF you are prescribed enough meds to reach that limit. (Even if you did, it's still less than your current Part D will be in 2015.) That Humana/Wal-Mart plan is offered here, too. DH and I will each breeze right through that deductible with our outrageously priced meds, regardless, so it may make sense for us too. Our 2014 WellCare Part D is going up from $20/mo. to $30/mo. I don't see keeping that if we can do better. Have you 'run the numbers' on Part D plans on www.medicare.gov Re:Deductibles. In 2012 and 2013 we had a Medicare Supplemental Plan F that paid for everything and the kitchen sink. For 2014 we took a Plan F- High Deductible ($2200/pp deductible) and are money ahead. We could afford to pay that $2200 each if necessary, but I have only had about $300 in out of pocket and DH less. We were still protected in the event of HUGE medical bills. Re: Filling prescriptions. We are fine with 90-day supplies from mail order on our maintenance meds. This year my cost for Advair was a third lower via mail order. (It's still a big rip-off, but that's because the US doesn't negotiate pricing with the pharmaceutical companies.)

I was the one complaining about the current high cost of doxycycline, Sushipup. Thanks for the article. They even mention doxy--and those numbers are outrageous. My doctor had no idea the cost had shot up like that. I heard about the "pay for delay" on NPR news a while back. That practice doesn't sound as though it should be legal, but I guess it is. Here's the example given in the article: One of the most egregious examples he cites is Plavix, an anticlotting medication prescribed to prevent stroke. When the patent was challenged, the company that makes the drug agreed to pay a generic manufacturer tens of millions of dollars not to enter the market. "The brand-name drugmaker wins because they get to go on charging high prices," Joyce says. "The generic companies win because they get paid not to make a drug."

"Another man, Barbaro Gonzalez, 62, had shown up at the hospital earlier in the day with chest pains. Mr. Gonzalez said he has frequently visited the hospital to treat his pain and morphine usually does the trick. But this time, doctors had to give him another opioid, fentanyl, which Mr. Gonzalez said didn’t work as well." I guess I'm just not understanding why someone with recurring chest pain is allowed to "take up space" (my words, not the article's) in the ER on a frequent basis and use up valuable meds. If he is having recurring chest pain, he needs to be treated by a cardiologist to find out the underlying cause/problem and then get that treated (a stent, perhaps?). Or be issued a prescription for nitro.

Jasdip, I was about to post that I believe it is B.C. that pays for oral cancer drugs, but Ontario does not, when Stacey_mb posted about coverages in Manitoba. I agree that a lot of people think that OHIP will cover them throughout Canada and as you certainly know, it won't. We always take out of of country and province medical/trip cancellation coverage. I can't take generics. So many brand name drugs are no longer sold because of generics so it is a good thing I suppose that I am extremely sensitive to most drugs out there or I would be in serious trouble. And it isn't just the preferred generic it is all of them, and I am not the only one. We are both over 65. I have only one prescription and it has gone generic so how long the the brand name will be available and not stale-dated remains to be seen since we are in year 5. I pay the extra between the generic and the name brand cost under the ODB. Then there is the annual deductible for the ODB which of course I don't even begin to meet. Also, the drug and its use have to be approved to be covered by the ODB. I have been told when in the U.S. that Canadians enjoy free dental, vision and drug coverage. We do? News to me! Obviously not all Americans think this but it is frightening the ones that do. And we do "pay" for our OHIP coverage. I think of this whenever I go to the dentist or the eye doctor - and my husband sees 2 eye doctors. I hope you are coping as well as can be expected. My husband's sister when through the same horrible issue as you when she was your age.