If the medicine gods are kind, this will be the last blog for some time about medical or medicine issues. I don’t think my system can take much more.

Days after I last filled my prescription for my blood pressure medicine, I received a post card encouraging me to call the 800 number on the card to get a savings for that medicine. The brand I take is not on the $4 generic list. In fact, it is the single most expensive drug I take. It might cost more than the combined cost of the six medications Husband and I take.

I put the card aside since I wasn’t going to need more pills for about a month. I did, however mention the card to Kim, the pharmacist when I was in a few days later. She encouraged me to call informing me we could rebill my most recent script and get me a refund.

That was encouragement for me.

I used a portable phone to make the call. An automated system answered and started asking questions. They weren’t hard questios: my name, my birthdate, which form of the pill, my phone number. I had no problem answering the questions. Unfortunately the automated system could not understand my answers. I had to repeat and repeat and repeat answers to the point that I was yelling into the phone. That didn’t make the system understand any better. In fact, the system hung up on me after it couldn’t understand me one too many times.

Husband was getting ready to leave for work and seemed greatly amused by what he observed, “Tell it to learn English!” he taunted. I waited until he went out the door before trying again – this time on the phone attached to the wall.

Again, I went through the entire list of questions. Being on the wired phone did make a difference in my being understood.

I got further in the call then I had with my previous attempt. I was excited. How much money was I going to get back? How much would I save each month?

Just a few more questions, I was told. “What type of insurance do you have? Press one if you have insurance through your company or work. Press two if you pay for your own insurance. Press three if you have Medicare or Medicaid or press four if you are uninsured.

I pressed four.

“I’m sorry. You do not qualify for this program. Good-bye.”

“What?”

Who needs this program more than someone without insurance?

No wonder my blood pressure is high.