Big problem..family member needs medication

[SalishSea 17,522]

6 hours ago, Ryan76 said:

Okay but how do you just "buy" a non OTC drug?  Our big worry isn't paying a few hundred for her medication, it's getting roped into a doctor's visit, blood tests, etc . Which God knows how much at would cost without Insurance

You’ll have to take her to a doctor and pay out of pocket for all of it.   Chalk it up to lessons learned about misuse of visa types.

[SalishSea 17,522]

5 hours ago, Ryan76 said:

It's not that simple.  I didn't explain all this in the OP because i thout it was irrelevant, but, this is her first Grandchild.  She was going to come here for a few months regardless of if she watched the baby or not.  And at least with Colombians, visiting family for weeks or months at a time is not uncommon.

 

We did not "save" anything by having her mother here...if anything it has cost us slightly more than childcare. Which is why we might be in a bind depending on how much this ends up costing.  Her mom has no money.  We pay for everything...plane tickets, food alone is costing us close to an extra $75 per week (at least) in this economy.  Plus everything else a person needs for daily living.

 

The reason she's here is because it's a family thing, not because we were trying to save on childcare. 

 

We will pay for the medication, obviously.  That's not the issue. The issue is what's the easiest way to get the medication?  Are we going to have to jump through all the hoops of a Dr appt, blood tests, etc?  Because that's where we run into issues.  Without insurance, simple stuff can end up costing a fortune.

Uh, visiting a provider to get prescriptions is not “jumping through hoops.”   That’s how health care works, bud.

 

 

[SalishSea 17,522]

3 hours ago, SusieQQQ said:

A normal uninsured urgent care visit is listed at &150-250 according to the internet but that’s without blood tests. But they can always call ahead and ask about pricing. I know my local urgent care is not cheaper than a doctor’s visit.

Add: here are estimated ranges for blood test costs without insurance. https://www.talktomira.com/post/the-cost-of-bloodwork-without-insurance-2021

 

 

Right.   No provider will prescribe statins without labs.

 

Funny how people assume medications are benign.   

[Lemonslice 4,719]

59 minutes ago, Ryan76 said:

Interesting.  I am certainly not an expert, but I've never heard of taking a statin for just 4 months and then stopping.  I am home now but I can't get any details yet.  My wife is nursing the baby and on the phone (working) and MIL is in her bedroom on the phone.

I mean, a few months, blood work, adjust dose if needed, or switch medications if no result.  Statins are long term solutions/one of the solutions.  Best of luck. 

[belinda63 3,022]

The only other possibility I see and it is a very long shot is to find a doctor who would "consult" with her doctor and maybe write the prescription without all the labs and things. This is a very long shot and if I were a physician I would not do it.

Check with your local/county health department but this sounds more complicated than what they deal with normally. 

[Family 3,842]

According to FDA , it should be fine to just have her doctor/pharmacy/ family member just ship the meds and include a copy of the prescription, MIL s passport / visa page and US contact numbers.
 

https://www.fda.gov/consumers/consumer-updates/5-tips-traveling-us-medications

Your mother-in-law is visiting from Mexico to help with the new baby and runs out of her blood pressure medication. Can she refill her prescription at a U.S. pharmacy

[Boiler 44,971]

2 hours ago, Ryan76 said:

I said that wrong, I didn't mean the typical travel insurance.  The way I understand it, there is short term medical insurance that travelers can buy, and it was something the SIL said they could do on their end (but never did).

Never heard of that and seriously doubt it exists, why would there be Insurance so that people can buy their regular meds in the US at 10x the price, who would buy it?

[SusieQQQ 11,586]

33 minutes ago, Family said:

According to FDA , it should be fine to just have her doctor/pharmacy/ family member just ship the meds and include a copy of the prescription, MIL s passport / visa page and US contact numbers.
 

https://www.fda.gov/consumers/consumer-updates/5-tips-traveling-us-medications

Your mother-in-law is visiting from Mexico to help with the new baby and runs out of her blood pressure medication. Can she refill her prescription at a U.S. pharmacy

According to CBP too. https://help.cbp.gov/s/article/Article-777?language=en_US

 

 

However, if you are in the United States temporarily and need to have prescription medication sent to you by mail or courier, we suggest you include documentation that provides evidence that the medication is being sent for your own use while visiting the United States. This may include: 

• Letter from your physician explaining that you are under their care, and the medication is prescribed for your use;

• Your physician should explain the circumstances for sending the medication to you, including, you are a citizen of (whatever) country, you are temporarily in the United States (for travel, study, etc.) and you have either run out of your medications, lost it, etc.

• The letter should accompany the package and be addressed to Customs and Border Protection (CBP) or a broker.

 

but then adil’s mom should’ve been able to get her meds and she couldn’t, so who knows 

Edited October 17, 2022 by SusieQQQ

[Boiler 44,971]

It appears that the Doctor prescribed 4 months pending a review.

 

Also that the OP is the one that is focussed on this issue, wife and MIL not so much

[nelmagriffin 143]

Greetings!

She might have a chance to talk to a doctor online, since this is a preexisting prescription medication, meaning if she can provide her prescription copy and tell them that it is an emergency. Talk to an Online Doctor Anytime, Anywhere! | CallonDoc.

Call them and ask prior to making an appointment, it's just the easiest.

Then download GoodRx card, just make sure to choose the pharmacy that used this coupon or discount where you want them to send and you pick it up, in case they agree, i think there is a chance. Plus, this is not a controlled medication.

Prescription Prices, Coupons & Pharmacy Information - GoodRx

Edited October 18, 2022 by nelmagriffin

[Cathi 5,721]

8 hours ago, Ryan76 said:

It's not that simple.  I didn't explain all this in the OP because i thout it was irrelevant, but, this is her first Grandchild.  She was going to come here for a few months regardless of if she watched the baby or not.  And at least with Colombians, visiting family for weeks or months at a time is not uncommon.

 

We did not "save" anything by having her mother here...if anything it has cost us slightly more than childcare. Which is why we might be in a bind depending on how much this ends up costing.  Her mom has no money.  We pay for everything...plane tickets, food alone is costing us close to an extra $75 per week (at least) in this economy.  Plus everything else a person needs for daily living.

 

The reason she's here is because it's a family thing, not because we were trying to save on childcare. 

 

We will pay for the medication, obviously.  That's not the issue. The issue is what's the easiest way to get the medication?  Are we going to have to jump through all the hoops of a Dr appt, blood tests, etc?  Because that's where we run into issues.  Without insurance, simple stuff can end up costing a fortune.

None of this matters. What your mother in law is doing is considered work, taking a job from someone else. It's illegal, it doesn't matter how much money you've spent on her visit.

[Marshae04 11]

8 hours ago, Ryan76 said:

It's not that simple.  I didn't explain all this in the OP because i thout it was irrelevant, but, this is her first Grandchild.  She was going to come here for a few months regardless of if she watched the baby or not.  And at least with Colombians, visiting family for weeks or months at a time is not uncommon.

 

We did not "save" anything by having her mother here...if anything it has cost us slightly more than childcare. Which is why we might be in a bind depending on how much this ends up costing.  Her mom has no money.  We pay for everything...plane tickets, food alone is costing us close to an extra $75 per week (at least) in this economy.  Plus everything else a person needs for daily living.

 

The reason she's here is because it's a family thing, not because we were trying to save on childcare. 

 

We will pay for the medication, obviously.  That's not the issue. The issue is what's the easiest way to get the medication?  Are we going to have to jump through all the hoops of a Dr appt, blood tests, etc?  Because that's where we run into issues.  Without insurance, simple stuff can end up costing a fortune.

Can she go to a minute clinic to see a Nurse Practitioner or Urgent care? They will prescribe her a small refill until she can get someone in Columbia to mail her meds in.  It happened to me before I was on the road working away from home my BP was through the roof I went to Urgent care the doctor there prescribed me 30 pills to hold me over until I got home to visit my primary care doctor. It's worth a shot  to take her into an Urgent Care or minute clinic they will rate her or bill her at a later date......

 

[Family 3,842]

Seems some are not aware that in some cultures , here or in home country don’t “ pay” nana, auntie or a host of extended family and friends who pitch .in…….

Even FDA cites exactly OPs MIL facts..as it is a reality 

[Rocio0010 5,579]

I understand wanting to have your MIL here to bond with the baby, but if she needs her medicine and apparently getting it here is just a hassle, I wonder if it’s not worth changing the return ticket to an earlier date? I mean, it’s a health concern after all…

[Daisy.Chain 317]

MIL coming for childcare (whether you call it "getting to know her grandchild" or not) is illegal work. You could have paid someone else to do it. Lots of threads on this.

 

If she needs medication your options have already been listed. The simplest two are to send her to her home country (imo, that's the best option since she is working illegally by providing childcare) or to get a doctor's appt, labs and a refill. You could probably do this at a minute clinic. Travel insurance doesn't usually cover standard medications. The 1 appt you would need, labs and medication is not thousands out of pocket. Ask for the minimum amount of labs required. We stopped taking stations a few mos ago due to serious concerns we had about them but when we did take them it was less than $100 out of pocket for the medication...probably much less with the cash price.

 

Less friendly alternatives could include another person going to a different country to pick them up (we were told this is ok for "personal use"...though I wouldn't push it for another person.) ordering from an online pharmacy ie India or Turkey if you can afford to wait 2-4 weeks for the medication. I've done this several times to save $ on medication and it's fine from a reputable place. We were told statins take 8 weeks to clear your system.

 

$75 a week for one additional adult to eat? Unless she needs extremely specific food for some health reason that seems CRAZY to me. Maybe it's the choice of food instead of the economy. Try rice, beans and chicken with some spinach/frozen broccoli and in-season fruits to save on food costs?

 

Imo move up the travel date even if you lose the original flight. It could help her be able to return to see you guys if her visits are shorter.