Everett man sold on plan

Theo Afman said he’s had enough of picking up the paper and reading about people who have had problems with the new Medicare prescription drug plan.

“It’s always negative,” he said. “Let me put my two cents in. There are things that really work. This is one of them.”

Afman, 75, and his wife, Jean, 72, used to make regular trips to Abbotsford, B.C., so they could save money on their 11 prescriptions.

Kevin Nortz / The Herald

Theo Afman of Everett says he likes Medicare’s new prescription drug plan, and he and his wife save money because of it.

Since signing up for a prescription drug plan through the new Medicare program, the Everett couple simply walk to their mailbox to get their pills.

That short walk saves them about $340. “I couldn’t believe it,” Theo Afman said.

“Better than $700,” he said, which they previously were paying every three months for his blood pressure and cholesterol medications and her prescriptions for diabetes.

He did some checking on the Internet to find the plan that would work best for him and his wife. The plan offers an option that if enrollees pay for two months of a brand-name drug, the third month is free.

Before signing up, getting the best price on their prescriptions meant a trip to British Columbia.

“We made a nice day of it,” Theo Afman said. “We took a day to do a little shopping, and we bought our medications there. We had a good time in Canada.

“If we want to go there, we’ll still go,” he said. “I’m a Dutchman. There’s a Dutch store in Abbotsford. We can’t leave Abbotsford without visiting that store.”

But Theo Afman said he’s now happy to simply place his order for their medications and have them delivered by mail.

“We’re really happy with it,” he said.

Reporter Sharon Salyer: 425-339-3486 or salyer@heraldnet.com.

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