Complain about a product or service

Medco Health Solutions

255 Phillipi Road, Columbus, OH

Christine of Flint MI (08/25/08)
I am a cronically depressed woman since childhood (I`m 60 now). I was recently sent a letter saying my insurance didn`t cover this antidepressant any longer. When I called their 800 # I was told they couldn`t figure out why that letter was sent since it WAS covered. I can`t just stop taking it cold turkey or I go into a downward spiril which takes me weeks to recover. I am then at the mercy of my physician to either give me samples, or write a new subscription which when given to the pharmacy they say I`m not yet due for coverage......crap!!!

I`m on yet another slew of medications as I`m asthmatic, & have severe back pain due to spinal stenosis----the same business aplies for getting these medications. Once I payed the extra money for expeditated services & that was totally ignored nor was my accound credited. What has happened to this company??? I`m really fed up, surprised they are still in business. I`m ready to go to herbs & vitamins & skip these drugs totally. Anyone else out there reached that point yet???

I spend much of my retirement money going from Dr. to pharmachy & am a nervous wreck plus the extra gas money it takes & its a once a month deal each time. I`m giving up on this company.

Tara of Wauconda, IL August 21, 2008

Tara of Wauconda IL (08/21/08)
I have had the same coplaints that other patients taking Nexium and Toprol XL have had. I, too, would rather go to Walgreens, pay the extra money and know the meds I get will work. I do have to go directly to the pharmacist & take an out-of- pocket hit -- on a monthly basis but it beats the heck out of feeling like sickly for at least three more months. As a widow, I don't appreciate the extra time and spent due to the greed of insurance companies -- especially the most expensive FEP. Caremark should be ashamed to sub- contact to Medco!

Nancy of Saginaw, TX August 18, 2008

Nancy of Saginaw TX (08/18/08)
Just over a year ago when my husband was terminally ill with cancer, we were hounded by Medco to have every medication he was on to be delivered by mail order in 3-month quantities. I called & spoke with a lady in customer service who was very understanding that my husband's pharmaceutical needs were subject to change very quickly--some drugs he could tolerate for a very short time, some he couldn't at all, or due to his deteriorating health they were no longer appropriate. She said if we encountered any problems to just call again and explain the situation to someone in customer service to assure that we would not be required to have all prescriptions sent by mail order.

As my husband's health took a very precipitous decline, he became unable to eat except when he took a certain medication. When I went in to pick up a refill at the pharmacy, I found Medco had declined payment, and the out-of-pocket costs for us were prohibitive. I immediately called Medco and the CS agent said they would not approve payment regardless of my husband's health condition.

I asked to speak to a supervisor, and I wound up trying to talk to a man who was verbally abusive and yelled at me that he didn't care what I'd been told by anyone there, that he was telling me that my husband's dire health condition was NOT going to sway him, that we could order the prescription the only way we'd been told we could or we could pay for it ourselves.

My husband did without. Within weeks he was dead. The outcome would not have changed had we had been allowed to pick up at the pharmacy a small supply of the stomach medication ordered by his doctor. The irony is that Medco had little or nothing to lose by allowing him to have immediately a smaller quantity from our local pharmacy; he surely had a right to that consideration as he'd paid for the prescription benefit. Medco's cruelty is something I can never forget or forgive.

Barbara of Rochester, NH August 4, 2008

Barbara of Rochester NH (08/04/08)
I received a call at home at 6:25 PM EST from a Medco representative who the 'Prudent Health Department at for an interchange request. The representative was proposing substituting several of my brand name drugs with generics. Unfortunately, my brand name drugs don't have generics available or I would be taking them. Due to multiple drug allergies, my physicians are limited in what they can prescribe for me. The Medco representative insisted that the generics he was telling me about were direct replacements for my medications.

I looked the generics up for him at the Medline Plus website & read what the generics were REALLY for - not MY brand name meds. I feel this is a blatant bait & switch attempt by Medco to switch my medications from what my physicians feel are best suited to me, to medications that cost Medco less money but are potentially dangerous to me. This is the 2nd phone call of this nature from Medco in less than a year. I have now asked the company to cease & desist.

I had the sense to look up the generics while Medco had me on the phone.

Scott of Cary, IL August 4, 2008

Scott of Cary IL (08/04/08)
Medco is horrible. They cancelled my prescription twice due to a 100,000 mg limit every 90 days in my plan. I am prescribed 1000 mg/day so the limit is reasonable. Medco is applying the limit incorrectly. When my company switched to Medco my doctor prescribed a 30 day supply and sent it to my local pharmacy. At the same time he faxed a 90 day mail order to Medco. Medco covered the 30 day prescription but cancelled the 90 prescription. When I called to find out why, they told me about the 100,000 mg /90 day limit. Since it was almost 30 days since my 30 day prescription was filled, Medco told me that my doctor can now fax in a 90 day prescription and it will be filled. Medco also cancelled this prescription.

When I called to find out why they said the 30 day plus 90 day prescription was 120,000 mg which exceeded the 100,000 mg/ rolling 90 day limit. I spent an hour on the phone with Medco trying to explain why they were miss applying the limit. The resolution was that they would convert the 90 day prescription into a 70 day prescription and expedite it. It would take them 7 days to fill the prescription. Meanwhile, I have ran out of medicine which has required me to take 1/2 day off of work to resolve this. After another hour on the phone Medco authorized a 7 day emergency supply that I can get filled at my local pharmacy.

My doctor now has to request a third prescription. Medco is a huge waste of time for my doctor. Rather than make it a waste of time for me, I am making it a waste of time for my employer. I know my case is not unique. If everyone insisted on time at work to deal with their employer's choice of Medco, then companies will dump Medco. I don't expect Medco will be around much longer. They are very poorly managed.

I do not see the purpose of companies such as Medco. Apparently Medco is saving companies money by denying employees their medicine. Companies such as Medco are just an expense since they do not provide any services.

Dustie of Kissimmee, FL July 25, 2008

Report Your Experience
If you've had a bad experience -- or a good one -- with a consumer product or service, we'd like to hear about it. All complaints are reviewed by class action attorneys and are considered for publication on our site. Knowledge is power! Help spread the word. File your consumer report now.

Share		Follow us on Twitter.