For one thing, it really pays to check around. Costco and Walmart sell the same drugs for a lot less than RiteAid, Walgreens and CVS do.

Also checkout the medicare drug plans available locally. My wife and I now pay $35/mo each for our plan and $25/yr surcharge and then generic drugs cost us $5/prescription (regardless of what it is), $25/prescription for name brand drugs (such as her Advairdisk and Nasacort) and $40/prescription for designer drugs (we don't take any of those). Without the midicare drug plan, the Advairdisk is $185.99 at RiteAid, and $147.73 at Costco and Walmart.

The only problem is that the midicare drug plan only covers the first $2500 and then you are on full price until $5000 when it will pay 95% of all drug costs.

Tom

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Bigger is not always better

The most important consideration for your mother may be the real break seniors get if they are of very limited income (which she may well be). Many states have subsidies to pay virtually ALL the drug costs for this class of elderly. Assets have to be limited, too -- but check around. AARP has a great deal of information on the "new" drug "benefit", and related topics.