Canadian drugs

hrmania

We have a self-funded group insurance plan for our 125 employees- they pay no premium, just co-pays and deductibles- and looking for ways to reduce costs for prescription drugs.

Has anyone had any experience with ordering drugs from Canada? Some employees have inquired if our plan would reimburse, etc. Truthfully, don't know where to start on this - and what the ramifications might be.

Any help out there? - or should we avoid this like the plague?!!

Thanks

Still Need Coffee

You definitely need to take a look at your plan docs, and if you have a TPA, get them in on this too. I've read recently about the upward trend of foreign healthcare, but I haven't heard anything about foreign prescriptions. Normally, you have a pharmacy network - some pharmacies are covered, some aren't. If your plan has a provider-finder tool, try searching for pharmacies within 10 miles of some Canadian city.

Some other things to think about - will a Canadian pharmacy accept a foreign Rx? Would shipping costs/customs make this cost prohibitive? Have your employees explored a (domestic) mail order option? Are there any legal implications for importing foreign drugs?

Sorry I have questions, and not answers, but there's definitely a lot to consider.