hsmom

I need to transfer some prescriptions to a pharmacy near MIT for a student. Can anyone recommend some pharmacies in the area? The student has outside insurance and has received approval for medical waiver from MIT Medical. Many thanks.

molliebatmit

Well, the MIT Medical pharmacy is probably the most convenient. There's not usually a terribly long wait, and you can drop off a prescription and stop back after class.

I think the closest CVS with a pharmacy is the one in Central. It looks like you can request refills through their website, then pick them up in the store. That sounds pretty nice.

The nearest Walgreens is also in Central, but I have not been in there, so I'm not sure if they have a pharmacy or not (and walgreens.com is down right now).

akdaddy

Yes they do have a pharmacy. But why buy off campus when covered by MIT medical?

molliebatmit

Well, the MIT Medical co-pay might be higher than what's covered by an outside insurance plan. It's not high, but it's not particularly low, either.

hsmom

Thanks very much. I will check out the pharmacies tomorrow.

akdaddy

I must be missing something here. If you are covered by MIT medical and the supplemental plan why would you have private insurance? If you have private insurance you would drop the MIT plan. I would think all in all the MIT pharmacy would be cheaper than an outside provider; if not I would love to have more info in case of future need of service/prescriptions.

mootmom

I think she said the student had waived the MIT Extended Plan and was covered instead by private insurance (to supplement the tuition-included Student Medical Plan). The pharmacy at MIT Medical may be convenient, but if you only have the regular Student Medical Plan along with your private insurance, the MIT part doesn't include drug coverage; only the MIT Extended Plan does, to the tune of a co-pay for prescriptions.

(Boy, that sounds a lot less clear than I meant it to sound!)

My son has found the costs to him at MIT Medical pharmacy to be reasonable and he uses it exclusively. He does have the Extended Plan, though.

hsmom

Thank you mootmom for clarifying what I said. :-) The extended plan goes beyond the basic tuition-included Student Medical Plan. MIT Medical approved our insurance early summer and allowed us to waive the extended plan. Our private insurance will cover the cases that are NOT included in the regular Student Medical Plan.

I needed to compare drug costs which is why I inquired about pharmacies in the area. In some cases, the cost difference is trivial. For others, it could be rather significant. Thanks for letting me know about your son's experience with MIT Medical Pharmacy. It may be worth it just to have the prescriptions transferred there for emergency purposes.

akdaddy

Next time i promise to read ALL of a post I reply to I am interested in any info/stories/advice as to costs/service/etc relating to medical coverage under the MIT plan. We dropped our private coverage and I'm still not sure that was the best move.

hsmom

akdaddy - It is a bit confusing to be sure. That's why I spoke with MIT Medical several times before electing to use the waiver. I spoke with the local office in Massachusetts as well. That helped in the decision making process.

mootmom

Unfortunately, my son had occasion in his first year to make some use of the MIT Extended Plan. I have nothing but good things to say about it, and am so glad we decided not to waive it.

molliebatmit

I have also experienced good things with the extended plan -- junior year I had a Terrifying Medical Incident, and had appointments with about 5 different doctors in the course of two weeks. I think my parents would have had some degree of difficulty orchestrating that from home, if only in the logistical sense. And I think I ended up paying something like $11 for the whole escapade.

hsmom

Just a note for the parents of MIT 2011 students. Medical coverage is often a concern as your child decides which school to attend. Financing is also an issue - but that is another thread! :-)

I asked about MIT Medical last year when my child was deciding among offers. I had some concerns. MIT Medical answered my questions and allayed my fears.

I will say that MIT Medical as well as the medlinks and the EMT's have been wonderful for my child this year. Knowing that your child can obtain decent medical care is a huge concern especially if he/she has a pre-existing condition and will be several hundred miles away from home.

True - MIT has the student work hard but they also go out of their way to make certain that your child gets the medical care needed. I will always be grateful to the medlinks and EMT's for protecting my child's life during a very harrowing incident.