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July 6, 2026 
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I hope everyone enjoyed the Fourth of July weekend. To mark the occasion, Ron and I wrote about the distinctly American things in our financial lives that are decidedly suboptimal, from tipping to health care.
Just as we were wrapping up that column, I encountered one of these incredibly frustrating situations myself. I can’t help but wonder if we’re the only developed nation where a one-month supply of a medication can cost seven times as much as a 90-day supply — and it takes more than three phone calls to try to save $191?
Here’s what happened: Our dermatologist prescribed my daughter a facial cream for a basic issue, which cost $211 out of pocket. Without my coverage, the pharmacy told me it would cost more than $700. But I wasn’t grateful — and I wasn’t going to let this go. There had to be a better option, though I wish I didn’t have to waste my precious time searching for it.
I called my pharmacy benefit manager, who confirmed that it did indeed cost that much. Could I get a generic if it existed? Yes, but that version wasn’t on our “covered list.”
Even if it were, it would still cost $140 for a 30-day supply of the cream if I picked it up at a local pharmacy. But if I ordered a 90-day supply from the pharmacy benefit manager, it would cost $20. So of course I called back the dermatologist’s office to ask for the 90-day supply, who was going to check with the doctor and call me back.
Amazingly, this has only cost me 22 minutes of my time so far.
The pharmacy benefit manager asked me to fill out a survey at the end of my call, and I gave the customer service representative high marks since she helped me better understand the situation. But when a bot asked if I would recommend the benefit manager, well, no. I could not bring myself to do that, because it felt like I was lodging a vote for this absurd system. Instead, I just hung up.
Thanks, as always, for all your help with our reporting. If you want to vent to us about your own experiences, please send us a note here: yourmoney_newsletter@nytimes.com.
Below, you’ll find a selection of money-related stories from across The New York Times. Have a great week.
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