Lower That Pill Bill
Q: If I have a prescription
for a generic drug, can I
count on getting a low price?
A: Generic drugs may be knockoffs
of breakthrough medications, but that
certainly doesn’t mean they’re always
cheap. Far from it.
While many pharmacy chains charge
$12 or less for a 90-day supply of the most
popular generics, in the case of many less-
common such meds, the range of prices
can be astounding. A recent survey of one
California town showed that a 30-day
supply of simvastatin (80 milligrams)—
a generic version of cholesterol fighter
Zocor—retailed for $7.71 at
Costco, $19.87 at an indepen-
dent pharmacy, $24.36 at Wal-
Mart, $63.59 at CVS, and $89.99
at Walgreens. The same order of
Zocor ran from $145 to $213.
“It’s a jungle out there—
very confusing,” says Devon
Herrick, a health economist at
the National Center for Policy
Analysis. “It behooves cash-
conscious consumers to do their
homework and keep doing it.”
A handful of state-government
websites help you compare drug
prices, but Herrick recommends
calling stores to check current
prices. Be sure to include whole-
sale clubs such as Costco or
Sam’s Club—anyone can walk in
without joining, go to the phar-
macy counter, and get the same
discounts that members do. And
remember: To guard against
untoward interactions, let any
pharmacy you patronize know
every drug and supplement you
take. —Janet Kinosian
CLOCKWISE, FROM LEFT: ILLUSTRATION BY DAN PAGE; ILLUSTRATIONS BY CHRIS GASH ( 4); PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY YONGSEUK LEE
Unless Congress renews
these just-for-2009
deductions, they’ll be
gone in 2010
Now-or-Never
Tax Breaks
( )
Individuals who
use the standard
deduction rather
than itemizing can
deduct up to $500 in property
taxes. For couples filing jointly,
it’s $1,000.
( )
The first $2,400 of
unemployment benefits are not taxable.
( )
Got cash for your
clunker? You can
also deduct sales
taxes on up to
$49,500 of the price of a new
car, motor home, motorcycle,
or light truck bought from
February 17 to the end of
2009. Income must be below
$260,000 (joint) or $135,000
(individual). —Eva Rosenberg
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