Save with generic drugs, they are the same as brand name drugs in dosage, safety, active ingredients, and quality.  Generic co-pays are usually lower too.

When a pharmaceutical company develops a new drug, it gets a patent that allows it to be the only seller of that drug. When the patent expires, other companies can offer medications with the same active ingredient which are referred to as generic drugs, and they are generally less expensive, they could be as much as 75% percent less than their brand name equivalents.

Generic drugs are approved by the FDA, and are identical to brand name drugs in terms of quality. Generic drugs also have active drug ingredients that are identical to their brand name equivalents. In fact, the FDA reviews data showing the drug is bioequivalent to the brand name drug, monitors manufacturing practices of the drug, and reviews the active and inactive ingredients used in the drug before it is marketed.

Your co-payment for a generic drug is generally less than for a preferred or non-preferred brand name prescription drug.  It also could be less than your actual co-payment.

About half of brand name drugs have generic equivalents, so the next time your doctor is writing a prescription make sure to ask if a generic is available.

The information contained herein is not a substitute for medical advice. It is only for reference and should not be used to determine treatment for your specific medical condition. Only a health care provider can do this.

Dec. 2, 2008 — Almost half of women surveyed in a national poll said they had failed to seek health care for themselves or their families over the previous year because the cost was too high.

The annual survey of women’s attitudes and behaviors regarding health care, released today by the National Women’s Health Resource Center (NWHRC), found that women were most likely to put off doctor visits for themselves and least likely to put off doctor visits for their children.

One in four women who said they had skipped needed medical care believed their illnesses lasted longer as a result, and 43% said they worried more about their health.

Rising health costs appeared to have had a major impact on decisions regarding care:

• 28% of women said they put off going to the doctor during an illness for financial reasons.
• 19% said they had skipped recommended medical procedures, such as Pap smears or mammograms, because of cost.
• 18% said they had taken less than the recommended dosage of a prescription drug in order to make it last longer and 18% failed to fill some prescriptions.
• Only 4% said they had put off taking their children to the doctor because of the cost.

“With the financial crunch a lot of women are putting off or cutting back on health care for themselves and they are paying a high price,” NWHRC Executive Director Elizabeth Battaglino Cahill, RN, tells WebMD.

“If you are cutting back because money is tight, don’t cut back on health care or health insurance. Cut something else, because if you don’t take care of yourself you may not be around to take care of your family.”

Stress and Weight Gain

The survey, conducted online in late September and early October, included 754 adult women with and without health insurance chosen to reflect the racial and socioeconomic composition of women in the U.S.

Only about one in five surveyed women (19%) believed that their health had gotten better over the past five years, while 39% saw no difference and 42% believed their health had gotten worse.

Roughly half of the women who said their health had declined cited stress or weight gain as the reason for the decline (53% and 51%, respectively).

More than one in three women (38%) cited lack of sleep as a reason for poorer health and 31% said it was because they had stopped exercising.

“Stress continues to rank as a top women’s health care concern,” Cahill says. “And women who are under a lot of stress may be less likely to exercise and that will certainly affect their health.”

Of the women who said their health had gotten better over the last five years, 60% cited better food choices as a reason, 58% said they had started to exercise regularly, 56% said they had lost weight, and 30% said they had reduced the stress in their lives.

This article is a reprint from www webmd.com, By Salynn Boyles WebMD Health News, Reviewed by Louise Chang, MD

SOURCES:

National Women’s Health Resource Center 2008 survey.

Elizabeth Battaglino Cahill, RN, executive director, National Women’s Health Resource Center.

Judy Norsigian, executive director, Our Bodies Ourselves.

For more information on North Carolina health insurance, please visit our website at www.nchealthplans.com or call our toll free number 888-765-5400 and speak with one of our professional authorized agents.  Our agency provides coverage for health insurance in North Carolina through Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina (BCBSNC).  You may qualify for a 15% healthy lifestyle discount if you are in excellent health, call all our office for details.

BCBSNC offers an optional maternity rider to females (policy holder or spouse) ages 18 and over who are not pregnant when they apply for coverage. If you elect not to purchase the maternity rider when you first apply, you can add at the following times so long as you are not pregnant at the time:

1. During the annual renewal period (November for a January 1 effective date) as long as the policy has been in effect for at least 6 months
2. Within 30 days following marriage (requires copy of marriage certificate)
3. Upon adding your spouse as a dependent for reasons other than marriage (requires supporting documentation)

Here are some additional things to consider:

• The maternity rider covers maternity services under the core health plan’s deductible and coinsurance. There are usually no office visit co-payments and no separate deductible for maternity coverage.
• Complications from pregnancy are covered under Blue Advantage or Blue Options HSA even if you do not have the maternity rider. These health plans provide you the protection in the event of certain complications with your pregnancy.
• You can add your newborn to your existing policy within 30 days of the date of birth (without medical underwriting) regardless of whether or not you have the maternity rider. Coverage will be effective as of the baby’s date of birth so long as your policy was active on the day of birth.
• Many people see the maternity optionsimply as a means to help “pre-pay” and choose to purchase it only if they are planning on getting pregnant in the near future.

For more information on health insurance coverage in North Carolina, please visit our website at www.nchealthplans.com or call our toll free number 888-765-5400 and speak with one of our qualified agents.  Our agency provides coverage for health insurance in North Carolina through Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina (BCBSNC).  You may qualify for a 15% healthy lifestyle discount if you are in excellent health.  Call us for details.