If you rely on prescription medications everyday, then you know just how expensive it can be. But one doctor in Idaho Falls is helping his patients by providing them with free medicines. Prescription drugs cost more and more these days and for some, the cost is just too high.
Dr. Brady Cook of Eastern Idaho Medical Consultants has seen first doctors, he wants to give the best care to his patients, but the rising costs of prescribed medications make it difficult for some to get proper treatment even if they have insurance. So he and many other doctors help their patients by giving them free medicine.
Brady Cook, Medical Doctor: "The drug representatives from companies will bring samples. Some patients i have leave here with a bag of samples every time and that's the only way they're able to get their medicines. They're working, they have insurance, but its too much".
Anthony Congi:"And why do you feel you need to do this?"
Cook: "Take diabetes for instance. If someone doesn't get their medicine, their sugars go higher it leads to heart damage, kidney damage, they may end up in the hospital because of complications. They're better off if I give them the medicine for free from my samples then to not take it and potentially have more costs down the road".
And that's not the only way he helps patients. Dr. cook also says many times he doubles his patient's medication and tells them to buy a pill cutter and take half of it. That way, the insurance company would only charge for one co-pay and it lasts them twice as long.
Of course there are some limitations for Dr. Cook. Many times he's only given a certain number of samples so he has to spread them out for his patients.
And if just the medicines weren't enough to worry about, the co-pay's that patients have to pay, now are going up too. For many of you, paying your drug co-pay is a huge problem. Depending on your insurance you could normally pay anywhere from ten dollars to half the cost of the prescription. But a recent study shows in just three years, the cost of some medications have gone up 20 percent.For some, even as high as 70 percent of the cost for their medication comes out of their own pocket. Some insurance companies have deals and programs to help pay for medicines, but doctors warn it could take longer to get the medicine that you need.