“An HSA is a lot like an IRA,” explains Vicki Rolens, managing director of the Federation of American Consumers and Travelers (FACT). “The money you put into the account offers above-the-line deductibility, reducing your adjusted gross income and thereby reducing your tax burden each year.”

She adds that “There is one main difference between an IRA and an HSA: With an HSA, you are allowed to make tax-free withdrawals at any time to meet medical expenses that your health insurance doesn’t cover.”

In a bulletin to its members, entitled “How a Health Savings Account Can Save You Money and Simplify Your Life,” FACT briefly outlines HSA basics:

1. The consumer purchases a high-deductible health insurance plan (HDHP), which costs less — often far less — than a “conventional” health plan.

2. Part or all of the money saved on premiums — and saved on taxes –can then go into a tax-free health savings account (HSA). The account belongs to the consumer, not the insurance company.

3 If a health issue arises, the consumer uses his or her HSA to pay any qualified expenses which the high-deductible plan doesn’t cover. The money is withdrawn tax-free.

4. In general, “qualified” expenses include dental bills, over-the-counter medicines, prescription drugs, eye care, hearing aids, and many other health-related items and services that the HDHP doesn’t pay.

5. All money remaining in the fund at retirement can be used to meet Medicare deductibles, long term care expenses, et al, or can simply be withdrawn — without penalty if the consumer is over the age of 65.

6. In 2010, an individual will be able to contribute up to $ 3,050 tax-free … $ 6,150 for a family. The HSA can be opened in addition to any IRA the consumer may already have.

“The basic concept is simple,” says Rolens. “You save money by having a higher health insurance deductible than usual, and you put that savings in a tax-free fund to meet medical expenses if and as needed.”

“In essence, you pay a portion of your health-care budget to yourself instead of an insurance company, and you gain some distinct tax advantages in the process.”

To qualify as an HDHP, a health plan’s deductible amount must be at least $ 1,200 for an individual plan or $ 2,400 for family coverage.

Rolens points out that an HSA may not be right for everybody, and she recommends that anyone who’s interested consult with his or her insurance expert or financial planner.

FACT is a consumer organization, formed under the not-for-profit corporation laws of the District of Columbia in 1984. It currently serves more than 1 million consumers nationwide.

Relevant, unbiased news bulletins are regularly disseminated by FACT to help its members remain current on matters which might seriously impact their lives. In addition to publishing consumer-related reports, the association provides more than 30 benefits for its members, ranging from medical insurance and dental discounts to prescription drug savings and scholarships.

The information in this article is based upon FACT’s understanding of HSAs. While it has been carefully researched, this information is not guaranteed to be completely accurate and is by no means complete. FACT endorses HSA and other plans offered by Golden Rule Insurance Company, but receives no compensation of any kind for this endorsement. Anyone visiting the FACT Web site can link to Golden Rule’s site for an HSA Plan quote, without any obligation to buy. The Golden Rule site includes a toll-free number which the consumer can call for additional particulars. FACT recommends that anyone considering an HSA first obtain the guidance of an insurance expert and/or a tax planner who is familiar with the individual’s financial circumstances.

“Some co-pays are as high as 60% and many drugs that used to be covered by a patient’s plan are no longer covered at all,” says Aman Bhangu, a licensed pharmacist at NorthWestPharmacy’s Canadian pharmacy.

Ankur Arora, an attorney for NorthWestPharmacy, recalls his own personal experience with steep co-pays while living and working in the U.S. “€œI had a great benefits plan compared to most others out there but the outright purchase price of Canadian online drugs was often lower than my U.S. insurance plan co-pay itself,”€ he says. Attorney Arora says that a number of American insurance companies will reimburse patients when they buy drugs online from Canadian International Pharmacy Association (CIPA) certified sites such as NorthWestPharmacy. With reimbursement from the insurer for Canada’€™s drugs, patients may benefit from very significant savings over and above the savings already available to cash-paying Canadian online pharmacies patients.

Aside from being certified by CIPA, backed through buySAFE and a TRUSTe certified privacy merchant, NorthWestPharmacy is proud to be the most independently reviewed and 5 star rated Canada pharmacy online. Nearly 14000 customers have publicly posted their unedited reviews of NorthWestPharmacy. All NorthWest Pharmacy ratings and comments are collected and displayed through Shopper Approved, a recognized leader in authentic online reviews and ratings. Prospective patients are welcome to read the detailed reviews of the company’s Canada drug products and Canadian online pharmacy service by visiting the NorthWestPharmacy website. Each customer is given an opportunity to rate NorthWestPharmacy and leave comments for the public to see but only after they have made a purchase, which ensures that the reviews are authentic.

Edrugstore has created and distributed helpful guides for consumers to spot fake pills. The top two tips to avoid fake medications are:

1.) Never buy medications from sources outside of the United States

“There are hundreds of websites located out there that offer rock-bottom prices for medications who want to get their medications outside of the U.S.,” Marketing Strategist Vinny Ciancio for Edrugstore said. “We caution everyone against these sites because these medications are often created in unsafe conditions and can be harmful to your health.”

As an online facilitator, Edrugstore insures the quality and authenticity of each medication with U.S. certified physicians and U.S. certified pharmacists. All of the medications are U.S. FDA approved and purchased directly from leading U.S. pharmaceutical manufacturing companies.

2.) Never buy “generics”

The most popular counterfeit pills sold online are those for erectile dysfunction. Marketers try to sell generic Viagra, Cialis and Levitra, but the FDA has not approved any generic form of these medications.

“Consumers should keep their eye out for sites that claim to sell any kind of generic or herbal form of erectile dysfunction drugs,” Ciancio said. “Another red flag should go up if a consumer sees long shipping times, that could indicate the drugs are coming from another country.”

At Edrugstore the medications come licensed pharmacies, which guarantees the medication sold is the real deal.

The health risks

Fake medications are no joking matter. Unsafe medications can cause serious illness, or even death. In 2008, an estimated 80 Americans died after being given counterfeit heparin, a drug used to treat blood clots.

“It’s a serious problem in the United States right now,” Ciancio said. “The bottom line is that consumers need to be aware of these counterfeit pills and they need to buy medications from reputable Internet facilitators, otherwise the risks could be fatal.”

“One of the key areas in which we measure customer experience is the percent of customers who say they’€™ll keep buying online drugs from NorthWestPharmacy”,€ says Mike Bhangu, Call Center Operations Manager at the online Canadian pharmacy’€™s call center. “€œI know of no other Canadian online pharmacies with this level of satisfaction”,€ he says.

Indeed, NorthWestPharmacy is unique among Canadian pharmacies online in that it is the sole Canadian online pharmacy to be awarded the prestigious 5 star seal from the top online ratings and review provider, Shopper Approved. Since December 13, 2010, 16,973 actual paying customers of the Canadian pharmacy online have voluntarily submitted their reviews of NorthWestPharmacy through Shopper Approved. Once a customer has actually completed and paid for a purchase of Canadian online drugs or other international medicines through the site, the Shopper Approved software permits customers to provide detailed ratings of NorthWestPharmacy on a one to five star scale across several dimensions, including whether or not they would buy again. After the order is delivered, Shopper Approved asks a series of follow-up questions. In order to ensure authenticity of the reviews, Shopper Approved prohibits the Canadian online drugs merchant from altering or editing any of the reviews. Nor does the Canadian pharmacy site offer any inducements to patients for providing a review. “€œBuying ratings means biased ratings”,€ says Manager Bhangu.

Of the 16,973 customers who have reviewed the online Canadian drugs site to date, 16,929 gave a 3 star or higher rating in response to the question whether they would by again with 98.6% of those being 4 or 5 star scores. Only 44 customers provided a rating of 1 or 2 stars.

The Canadian pharmacy reviews page at NorthWestPharmacy provides an in depth discussion on how to consider reviews of Canadian pharmacies online to maximize Canadian drugs discounts and customer service. It is from this page that prospective customers can also read all the nearly 17,000 and growing ratings of NorthWest Pharmacy via the Shopper Approved seal.

Often called “America’€™s Canadian pharmacy”, NorthWestPharmacy is also certified by the Canadian International Pharmacy Association. It is TRUSTe for certified privacy and every purchase of Canadian drugs online is independently guaranteed through the buySAFE Comprehensive Consumer Confidence Program.

Tests led by Dr. Newell-Rogers, a professor at Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine and Scott & White Hospital, and a scientific advisor to Viral Genetics, have been conducted for over two and a half years. The results were submitted this month to the FDA, along with a protocol for a proposed human clinical trial designed under the guidance of a leading Lyme clinician at one of the nation’s top medical centers. Testing to date was conducted by Dr. Newell-Rogers with significant contributions from other clinicians at the University of Colorado, Texas A&M Health Science Center and Scott & White Hospital in Texas.

Prior research had established the insight that certain immune characteristics may contribute to whether a person is susceptible or resistant to the development of chronic inflammation as a result of infection. Dr. Newell-Rogers theory proposes a “targeted” peptide to replace or remove the self-peptides and restore a healthy immune response in patients.

Much of the funding for the pre-clinical studies leading to the FDA filing was provided by Time for Lyme, acting in concert with Richard Gerstner, the ex-IBM Executive VP who saw the potential applicability of Dr. Newell’s work, to Lyme disease.

Time for Lyme has raised over $ 5 million since its founding in 1998 to fund research on Lyme and other tick-borne diseases at esteemed institutions across the U.S., including the establishment and endowment of Columbia University Medical Center’s Lyme and Tick-borne Disease Research Center.

“Time for Lyme is focused on its clear and single mission of promoting research into Lyme and tick borne diseases,” said Peter Wild, executive director of the organization. “At present there is no recognized treatment for Lyme once it has developed into its chronic, long-term state. We are hopeful that Dr. Newell-Roger’s work will provide the solution that long-term Lyme disease sufferers have been hoping for, for decades.”

Amy Langan, VP of Marketing and Business Development, commented, “PharMEDium’s new website demonstrates our ongoing commitment to improve on our customer service experience providing innovative customized pharmacy sterile compounding solutions to the market we serve. We conducted extensive customer research to ensure that our website design and development met the mark for enhancing patient safety. We succeeded by making valuable service information easier to locate, use and refer to at the touch of a key.”

PharMEDium hospital customers want easy access to drug shortage information and ready-to-use pharmacy compounding service updates as well as convenient online ordering capability for DEA Schedule II Controlled Substances. Online ordering has been propelled to the next generation by the establishment of the Controlled Substance Online System “CSOS” for ordering DEA Schedule II Controlled Substances.

David N. Jonas, Chairman and CEO of PharMEDium Healthcare Corporation stated, “PharMEDium’s launch of an enhanced website experience is yet another example of our commitment to provide hospital customers with continuous service improvements. Our wide-range of pharmacy compounding services, innovative processes and customer service demonstrates our continued commitment to be the national leader in hospital outsourced compounding services.

PharMEDium is the national leading provider of customized pharmacy sterile compounding for hospital intravenous and epidural therapies. The PharMEDium network of state licensed and federally registered compounding centers provides trusted solutions to hospitals throughout the United States. PharMEDium complies with all applicable state laws and FDA regulations, including USP Chapter (797), and DEA requirements.

According to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), medication and consequent surgery are the main BPH treatment options. Prescription drugs allow patients to take several medications for prostate enlargement. Side effects – such as impotence, decreased libido, dizziness, headaches and fatigue – do frequently occur. Patients on prescription drugs usually have to take them daily for the rest of their lives. In many cases, prescription drugs lose their effectiveness after a while and the prostate continues to grow. Eventually patients have to undergo a surgical treatment. Prostate surgery involves removing the part of a prostate that constricts the bladder and urethra or the whole prostate, and consequently patients may experience different complications.

Unlike medication and surgery, Dr. Allen’s Device for Prostate Care relieves the symptoms of BPH naturally and effectively. A testimonial video recorded by the Oxford Innovation confirms that Dr. Allen’s device has successfully improved the condition of the prostate gland.

“There is no similar prostate remedy on the world market. It is important to note that the Thermobalancing Therapy has a proven efficacy and cannot harm,” says Dr. Allen. “Dr. Allen’s device provides a unique stand-alone treatment for the prostate, and is particularly effective for BPH.”

To understand the American opposition to health care reform, one need not look further than the base nature of the culture. Government mandates such as requiring citizens to acquire health insurance have never been particularly popular. Much political resistance stems from the perceived notion that ObamaCare represents an invasion of individual liberty. As a result, many of the more popular provisions of this health care reform have been overlooked. For example, under Obama’s health care bill, insurance companies are prohibited from denying coverage to individuals with pre-existing medical conditions. Nevertheless, the ideological debates of this sort of reform have obscured the merits of health care reform.

To this end, individuals need to consider the facts. First of all, contrary to popular belief, US health care spending often eclipses that of nations with universal health care. In fact, in 2009 the US spent 17.6 per cent of gross domestic product on health care compared to 11.9 per cent in Canada. Furthermore, millions of Americans live without reasonable access to health care or insurance. Consequently, Canadian online pharmacies continue to experience a growing market thanks to the steady increase in American customers. These pharmacies have become a necessity for people who cannot afford to purchase their prescription medications in the US.

Without question, reputable Canadian pharmacies have garnered much attention in the past few years. Online sources such as Doctorsolve are able to provide customers with access to prescriptions at discounts of up to 80%. Because the Canadian government regulates health care and prescription costs, pharmaceuticals identical to those found at American pharmacies are usually considerably cheaper. So while many US citizens living on the smallest budgets had sought refuge under ObamaCare, political resistance means these individuals are likely to continue shopping north of the border.

“In our continuing efforts to provide members with enhanced opportunities for managing their pharmaceutical supply costs, our pharmacy managers worked diligently to advance the portfolio,” said Dale Wright, Amerinet senior vice president of contracting and president, Amerinet Choice. “I am confident our members will be pleased with the results.”

Among the portfolio highlights are:

    A 78 percent product renewal rate, which makes the conversion process for members minimal
    Over 11,800 unique NDCs from 162 manufacturers
    Five new suppliers added to the portfolio
    A significant number of new products and product line extensions in Amerinet Choice, our private label and sourcing line of products
    Significant expansion of and reductions in price in our Disproportionate Share Hospital inpatient awards

An integral part of the evaluation process was a meeting of a special Amerinet member task force, which included representatives of 12 member facilities, both acute and non-acute of varying sizes.

“The feedback we received from these healthcare providers was invaluable,” Gary Freeman, Amerinet’s vice president of pharmacy, said. “Coupled with the input from Amerinet’s pharmacy specialists and contracting teams, we were able to review and adjust the awards to better meet our members’ needs.”

As a leading national healthcare solutions organization, Amerinet collaborates with acute and non-acute care providers to create and deliver unique solutions through performance improvement resources, guidance and ongoing support. With better product standardization and utilization, new financial tools beyond contracting and alliances that help lower costs, raise revenue and champion quality, Amerinet enriches healthcare delivery for its members and the communities they serve.

“Governor Cuomo should veto this prescription drug tax because employers and consumers rely upon mail-service pharmacy (which typically costs 10% less than retail pharmacies) to reduce health costs. This bill would raise everyone’s pharmacy rates in order to protect one group – the drugstore lobby – from pesky, lower-cost competitors,” said PCMA President and CEO Mark Merritt.

The National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB), The Employer Alliance for Affordable Health Care, The New York Health Plan Association, and the American Postal Workers Union all oppose this bill. According to a recent survey, nearly eight-out-of-ten small businesses want to be able to continue offering discounts that encourage employees to use the more affordable mail-service pharmacy option and consumers who use home delivery are strongly satisfied with it.

The Federal Trade Commission warned that AB 5502-B will “harm consumers” and “raise prices for, and reduce access to, prescription drugs.” And in an editorial, the New York Times says the bill looks like “a favor to retail drug lobbyists that could actually drive up costs for consumers.”

Even a lead lobbyist for the bill, Craig Burridge, admits that it could raise costs, telling the New York Times that “drug plans negotiated by labor unions would be exempt from the law if the unions required members to use mail-order pharmacies as a way of saving money.”

Home delivery is popular with patients because it offers 90-day prescriptions that are less expensive and is more convenient than driving to the drugstore every 30 days. With mail-service pharmacies, patients can get private counseling over the phone from trained pharmacists seven days a week, 24-hours a day. Numerous other government and peer-reviewed data have confirmed the increased savings, safety, and adherence provided by mail-service pharmacies, including:

    The Journal of General Internal Medicine: In a report released last month, the Journal of General Internal Medicine found that patients receiving their prescription medications through a mail-service pharmacy achieved better cholesterol control compared to those who obtained their statin prescriptions from their local pharmacy.
    The Federal Trade Commission (FTC): The FTC concluded in a 2005 report that PBM-owned mail-order pharmacies offer lower prices on prescription drugs than retail pharmacies and are very effective at capitalizing on opportunities to dispense generic medications.
    U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO): In January 2003, the GAO examined the value provided by PBMs participating in the federal employees’ health plan. For prescription drugs dispensed through mail-order pharmacies, the average mail-order price was about 27 percent below the average cash-price paid by consumers for a brand name at a retail pharmacy and 53 percent below the average cash-price paid for generic drugs.
    Pharmacotherapy: Official Journal of the American College of Clinical Pharmacy: Peer-reviewed data found that highly automated mail-service pharmacies dispensed prescriptions with 23 times greater accuracy than retail pharmacies. The mail-service error rate was zero in several of the most critical areas, including dispensing the correct drug, dosage, and dosage form.
    American Journal of Managed Care: Consumers receiving their prescription medications for chronic conditions through a mail-service pharmacy “were more likely to take them as prescribed by their doctors than did patients who obtained them from a local pharmacy.” Key findings from the study include:
o    Mail-order pharmacy users were more likely than local pharmacy users to have a financial incentive to fill their prescriptions by mail (49.6 percent vs. 23.0 percent), and to live a greater distance away from a local pharmacy (8.0 miles vs. 6.7 miles).

o    84.7 percent of patients who received their medications by mail at least two-thirds of the time stuck to their physician-prescribed regimen, versus 76.9 percent who picked up their medications at “brick and mortar” Kaiser Permanente pharmacies.