AARP Pharmacy

I have been with Prescription Solutions AAPR for three years plus after illegally taken off my independence insurance of 35 years and told it was legal to do so. No letters nor contacts with those concerned from insurer to all levels of government would do anything. I was told by a legislative aid for the bill that they did not know what was in it with no cause of action or directions. I was told I had to find a Part D insurer or pay a life time of penalty fees.

Six months later and a hospitalization, [I had to pay for], I ended up stuck on Medicare part D. I was given 10 days and ended up in hospital before I could sort through the two foot high pages of brochures to supposedly compare and contrast apples and oranges. I would say that 90% error rate of some kind or another has accrued with my AARP Prescription Solutions' orders has occurred, that includes sending medicines I did not order and not taking them back, sending overnight [I paid], that were ordered snail mail and vice versa on the others, that must have for many critical illness including a terminal illness diagnosis. It took repeated phone calls trying to get the other overnight due to their error with out success.

Usually, their errors are never corrected or at best one goes through their malfunctioning phone and computer systems [they usually always come to claiming the computers are down or being reconfigured] that do things like switch you to customer satisfaction surveys when you said you did not want to take one and even before you have talked to anyone to evaluate if you had agreed. Then, the inevitable holds while your cell phone bill adds up over time charges. The disconnections and yes even purposeful hang ups are massive. They clearly have no ability to pass information on or fail to do so nor provide remedial training that can ever experience be seen by me.

This is evidenced by glitches that even the customers can figure out, articulate and offer systemic improvement for between the order, the pharmacy and the mail room. Medicines will sit in the pharmacy because just one of numerous is out or needs more work and you are waiting overnight of course. They hold them all up till they solve the one in question to send on later. I have been willing to pay the overnight as it gives them less time to mess up orders in their hands. The instructions from order to pharmacy does not get passed on the the mail room. They will send all medicines that orders exist for verse the clear directions to send the ones only given that you need.

Complaints are useless to either AARP, them or the specialty pharmacies they phone some out to. I have shown many friends have them watch the getting sent in circles that never lead to anywhere. I had a doctor friend try to unravel the lack of clarity, getting sent in circles, getting a medication ordered an clarification of whom owns whom of which company and a chain of subsidiaries... subs of sub inities. Four hours later, he saw it was not my error or problem solving but a nightmare that could not be resolved or even averted. The companies of the companies don't even know whom each other are nor any central place to unravel or even give a valid phone number to the correct place [they even admit it on the phone]. The appeal rules go on for ever. They can string out for up to a year if time lines are followed and the sick patient or worse, confused elderly has no chance against the insanity.

Think of the money involved with millions of customers handed to them by AARP who does not step in and stop the madness regardless to people trusting the past reputation to make the insurance choice they did. Since they have been on the take verses advocating all respect and trust in them will soon be completely gone. They should just become a drug company and join big Pharmacy in milking America. It seems clear with the volume of unsuccessful services that so many have died or been injured and it seems there will be no stopping them till the class action and individual law suits shut them down.

Unregulated part D was a nightmare and suspicion should have raised a red flag when Republican spent the night twisting arms to pass it. Tonight, I set without medicines for three weeks although some did come overnight 8 days after promised [they did not even contact my doctor for seven days not the next day as promised on a second conversation with two previous hours spent being told that was not the process when it is.] Why only some and why the randomness of whom choose the ones that did showed up for eight days, not the next and why I got a phone call eight days later asking for a second approval for payment as the first authorization was not enough. Then them being dishonest of the week, it took to send the medicines list to the doctor for re-authorization and then being hung up on for explaining.

How crazy the latest in chronic dysfunctional services is experienced and what the consequences are and could turn into [insulin being one of the medications not sent. I will start the phone calls all over again three weeks into being out of most medicines and be put on extended holds, repetition of information numerous times, deal with a broken phone system that voice recognition does not work on while you repeatedly say answers, then key in then manual input repeating all to a real person who knows how many, the same information.Each three months when it is time to deal with them I go into panic attaches because I know it will never correct itself from there end and will just have to suffer the craziness.

Check prices before you sign into plans and get written replies. Add the total payment and include all fees. I did this with the AARP program and found that it was cheaper to buy my drugs at Walmart, as it will be half of the price. Who wins? The insurance company and AARP. They are the big lobbyists.

Membership renewal mailings are confusing, and I believe they easily lead conscientious (or careless) seniors to send payments repeatedly over the span of a year when only one is necessary to maintain an annual membership.

Rather than a standard magazine renewal notice, which provides your expiration date and maybe a customer number, AARP sends out what looks like "membership" cards (plastic) with every renewal letter. They do bear a date and a number, but the tiny print says "reply by" next to the date, and "authorization code" next to the number. No where on the mailing does the actual expiration date or the member's real membership number appear.

Result? If you are not sure if you have paid up or not, you can't tell from the notice. There's not even the standard polite disclaimer: "if you have recently renewed, thank you and please ignore this request. "

If you pay up, do the mailings stop for a year? No, another month later, another identical mailing arrives with cards attached, new date, new authorization code.

We called earlier this year to complain to AARP, but the mailings have continued even though we are renewed. We now have fourteen cards from this year and last, four duplicates for myself, one for my husband, the rest are apparently junk but they look like valid cards and came with requests for more money. If nothing else, this is a colossal waste of resources and money. For the more senile AARP member, the potential exists for memberships paid up years and years in advance, perhaps long outliving the members in question.

I have had the AARP Medicare Part D Enhanced RX program since inception of the plan. After years of trying appropriate medication for sleep disorder, I was prescribed Ambien CR about 5 years ago which at least allowed me to get 5 hours sleep. Ambien only got me to sleep for an hour or two and I am very allergic to Lunesta.

I have FMS and CFS and without some sleep, my pain is exacerbated. I chose this particular drug plan because they covered Ambien CR. There is now a generic version, Zolpidem ER 12.5mg which is much cheaper than the brand. However, AARP United Healthcare has opted to not pay for this extended relief drug and did so without even noticing me.

I cannot sleep at all without this medication and am allergic to many other meds. My doctor has appealed and I am told now that I have to appeal to a medical review board that has never met me to review my chart or discuss this further with my healthcare provider.

They obviously haven't considered the ramifications of sleep deprivation. This is unconscionable that the United Healthcare MedicareRX AARP medical board is telling my treating physician how to treat a patient.

I pay $90 a month for this Part D coverage and cannot even get medicine that is prescribed and medically necessary. This doesn't appear to be what's in the best interest of a patient, just what's in the best interest in their bottom line.

Please excuse the strident nature of my letter but I find that receiving a memo from AARP United Healthcare Rx Part D (within two months from the date my AARP United Healthcare Rx Part D policy went into effect) that tells me that authorization for one medication has been denied and a recorded telephone message that said that I cannot get coverage for another is unacceptable. I consider this to be an attempt by AARP United Healthcare Rx to set up barriers that are intended to deprive me and other South Dakota residents of the medications that we often need to prevent catastrophic health problems from worsening. I have been taking my current medications for conditions that have been diagnosed by nationally recognized medical specialists and approved by PERS Care, Aetna and the Social Security Administration.

Since I have 60 days to submit an appeal to your threat to deny coverage for my prescription for Copaxone and/or not fill one other medication, I am submitting this letter to your office today. After 4 to 5 years of struggling to control my multiple diseases and their symptoms, I have just started to do well using my current medications. I was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) in 2001 and have been on SSDI since 2005. Because we moved to South Dakota, I got a letter from my prior Part D carrier (Aetna) that said that I had to change my Medicare Part D insurance carrier.

I chose AARP United Healthcare Part D thinking that AARP provided oversight for the quality of the products they endorse. My coverage started on August 1st of this year. There have been no changes in my diagnosis or the kind or amount of the medications that I need to prevent the progression of my MS, treat my immune deficiency, control my asthma, or prevent my alpha1 antitrypsin deficiency from causing liver and lung disease. In 2004 I was required to submit a complete package of medical records and was subjected to an SSDI evaluation that included a review of all of my medical records and a face to face assessment.

I have been using Copaxone for over 8 years. In 2001, I was prescribed Copaxone. My physicians (8 MDs) and I submitted detailed records of the evolution of my disease processes, the results of extensive medical test and MRI results to people who are not qualified to make a decision about the complex nature of these diseases and the unique synergistic effects that threaten to accelerate the progression of my MS.

Fortunately, the Social Security Administration and my previous insurance companies agreed with my physicians' findings and treatment recommendations. In August and September, I had several of my less expensive medications refilled at Walgreens Pharmacy under my new AARP United Healthcare Part D insurance policy. It was not until I attempted to refill my prescription for my Copaxone through Prescription Solutions that I began to run afoul of AARP United Healthcare Rx. Aetna's specialty pharmacy had been sending my Copaxone to me every three months. My next refill was due in October.

In late September, I called AARP United Healthcare's Prescription Solutions (specialty pharmacy) to arrange for a refill of my Copaxone. I have had several conversations with the Prescription Solutions staff over the past three weeks. To date they have not shipped the Copaxone that I need to keep my MS from progressing. On Saturday, October 23rd at 7:15 am, I received a prerecorded message from AARP United Healthcare, Prescription Solutions that said that the pre-authorization for my medication, Copaxone, was denied. I need Copaxone to prevent my multiple sclerosis from progressing and crippling me more than I already am. Later that same day, I received a letter from AARP Medicare Rx Plans that informed me that you will not fill another of my medications. The letter states that the drug they are refusing to refill is either not included on our covered drug list or is subject to certain limits.

This particular medication is one of a limited number of alternatives available to me. Because of my alpha1 antitrypsin deficiency, I cannot take any medications that will damage my liver. In addition, I have to inject medications 13 times a week and I do not want to have to inject another medication when a transdermal delivery system works well for me. I have worked since the age of 12 (swept parking lots and cleaned bathrooms). After I graduated from CSU Sonoma and UC Davis, I worked in professional positions until I was forced to retire in 2003. I often worked more that one job and had to pay insurance premiums at each for over 35 years.

I do not know what the total of the premiums I paid to the insurance companies were but the money that went to the insurance companies benefited them many times over when they invested that money. Throughout my life. I lived responsibly. I gave all I had to my family, community and country. You have no right to withhold my medications from me.

On the same day (Saturday October 23rd ) I received the United Healthcare 2011 Annual Notice of Changes that lets me know that I can change my coverage between November 15 and December 31st. I also want to note in this letter that, although AARP United Healthcare Rx Plans have been authorized to provide coverage to residents of South Dakota, AARP United Healthcare's administrative offices are located in Hot Springs, AR. In addition, the letter I received says that I have to file a grievance with an entity in Cypress, CA and that my physician should send his request for an exception to Costa Mesa, CA.

In addition, the email function on the AARP United Healthcare site does not provide the United Healthcare email address and other functions have been disabled. I want the staff at AARP United Healthcare to be aware of the problems they create for those of us who need the care and medications to prevent, treat, or control the devastating diseases that can have a catastrophic impact on our health, our lives, and the lives of our friends and families by using these tactics. Before I was diagnosed with MS, I worked at the California Department of Health Services as a Consultant and, during my employment there, was involved in fraud prevention and fraud investigation. We called the strategies you are using both artificial barriers and soft barriers.

Before HIPPA these and other more cruel strategies and devices used to prevent people from accessing the care and resources that they needed when they got sick. From what I have observed this past three weeks, it does not look like much has changed. I will not tolerate an increase in my premium or co-pay to offset any perceived compromise on your part. If you continue down this path, I will be forced to seek the services of an attorney. I will be documenting every interaction I have with AARP United Healthcare Rx. Using plausible deniability in my case will not be a viable defense for you. If my MS progresses in any way, may God help both of us. Sincerely.

I can no longer afford to pay for my prescription policy with AARP MedicareRX Preferred. I could not find any way to unenroll online, so, I called the Customer Care number above and was told that I would have to send my cancellation request in a fax. This seems absurd as I was able to enroll online without a problem. I also have done business with many other companies online and have never had a problem canceling a service on other company websites.

AARP MedicareRX gave me two fax numbers, either of which I could use to send my cancellation request. Since I do not have a fax machine, I had to walk a couple of blocks to the nearest mailbox store in order to fax it. The first fax number was a number that was disconnected or no longer in use, according to a recording. The second number was continually busy.

I waited at the mailbox store for over a half hour trying to re-fax the cancellation request. Other people were needing to fax things, so, I had to leave without connecting and sending my cancellation request. I think this is the way AARP MedicareRX Preferred keeps their customers, at least for a while longer, by making it as difficult and inconvenient as possible to unenroll. This is causing me a hardship, and, if my bank account is debited for next month's premium payment,due to my not being able to cancel, I will be overdrawn in my bank account.

Now, it is raining, but, I will have to walk to the mailbox store again to attempt to fax the cancellation request again. Now, I am more determined than ever that I will not do any repeat business with a company who provides this kind of customer service. I doubt this will matter to them- who cares about providing good customer service to people who are unenrolling?

My doctor changed one of my scripes from Lipiter to Vytorin because the fore mentioned one was not working (was on Vytorin before). I was informed by aarp that my co pay would go from $30.00 to $84.00 a month. When I signed onto the plan my copay for brand name drug was not to exceed $30.00. How can they get away with such a drastic increase. I was on Vytorin before going with AARP and only payed $30.00. As a retired person instead of making things easy and less expensive for seniors its costing us more with less coverage. Is there anthing I can do, the system makes it hard to change without being penalized. thank you gb

AARP was taking my premium for my RX plan out of my social security check, while I was paying it also by check. This had been cancelled and many calls to correct this have resulted in NO response since 12/7/08-1/13/09. They have kept the money from both payments without the courtesy of ANY response. Requests for supervisor response have also resulted in no response. I should have my money back, plus interest, since no one cares to help.

She read the material sent to her and noted in the portion re mail order pharmacy service that she needed to use the AARP Medicare Rx Plan pharmacy, which she thought she was [and had been] using for years.

The documents did not indicate any change or reference any other part of the document regarding a change to where she should mail her prescription orders under the new Medicare D drug program.

She ordered two sets of prescriptions using this same service [one in January and one in March, almost $400 worth]. When she was charged full amounts, she contacted me as to why she was having to pay full price; after all she had supplied her AARP Medicare D number.

I read her document re AARP's mail order pharmacy service and I too wondered why her medicare D insurance wasn't being honored. Come to find out there is another section in the documents that lists Walgreen's as AARP's Medicare D mail order pharmacy but this section is not referenced in AARP's document in the section on mail order pharmacy service.

I have spent extensive amounts of time on this - a number of AARP CSRs, UnitedHealth Group CSRs, and ExpressScripts CSRs have told me that this has been a big problem - that seniors did not realize that their mail order pharmacy had changed. My mother was not the only person. AARP has reimbursed my mother for out of network costs. We feel that she should be reimbursed under the AARP Medicare D plan [basically only be charged Medicare D co-pays].
We filed a grievance with AARP and the documents that they sent to support their position still did not clearly inform seniors that their mail order service would be changing.
Our position is: AARP did not clearly inform seniors who were using the AARP pharmacy mail order service that their pharmacy mail order service would change with Medicare D.
We contend that my mother should only be charged AARP Medicare D co-pays.

My mother is out about $200 which she could dearly use. Other seniors who fell in this same pit are out of their money which they probably need. These people paid premiums and still were charged these hugh amounts because AARP did not adequately address the issue of their mail order pharmacy changing for Medicare D. Since the old mail order pharmacy is still being used by non-Medicare D patients, when they become eligible for Medicare D, they will run into the same situation. AARP fails to see it as a problem. Their non-Medicare D mail order pharmacy, Espress Scripts, does!

Now I have to locate a pharmacy that has same formula as what I was buying.

got lost, stolen or perhaps was never sent at all. However, the pharmacy has now billed me for it and, in so doing, is implying that I am a liar and a thief.

Meanwhile, since June 28,when I was promised, but have never received a duplicte order, I have initiated some 10 calls to pharmacy numbers, only one of which was returned following my doctor's personal intervention. Eventu-ally I did get, on July 23, some 26 days later, a shipment containing a partial amout of the urgently needed medicine, but this was billed as refill #2, not the lost refill #1. Hence, the liar-thief implication.

On August 09, frustrated by lack of cooperation from evasive order-takers and unhelpful supervisors, I managed to get through to the chief pharmacist in Horshm to in-form him that I'd written a detailed letter of complaint and wanted to mail him an undated dratft for his comment and, perhaps, resolution of the problem, before sending it to AARP higher authority. I mailed the letter the same day.

Unsurprisingly, there has been no response to it, not have I been able to reach the chief pharmacist even to obtain acknowledgement. So, the matter remains unresolved and the reasons for what is clearly bizarre and unprofessional behavior cry out for a rational explanation. (A copy of my detailed letter is available by post or e-mail. Thanks, meanwhile, for listening


Withdrawal symptoms including agitation,
anxiety, increased level of unrelieved pain. Frustration, inconvenience, time wasted in attempts ro communicate and
unscheduled doctor visit to obtain

a substitute prescription to be filled at added expense locally. Potential injury by falsely billing me for an unreceived item.