Stimulus package...for the drug companies

I had an appointment with my allergy/asthma doctor yesterday. He's one of those brilliant people who think out loud and assume you actually understand what he's talking. I rarely do, but I listen attentively for the rare snippet of information I can grasp and use as a starting point. I will admit that the first few times I saw him I was frustrated almost to the point of tears, but eventually I figured out that he is totally fine with questions like "so are you saying...?" or "does that mean I should...?" and the doctor-patient relationship has been great since then. And, unlike what one of his partners told a friend of mine, he has never suggested I get rid of the cats. He admitted that kind of statement just makes patients get rid of their doctor instead.

One of the issues he wanted to address was my report that I'm suffering from allergy symptoms that have caused me to lose my voice a number of times recently. While I may have a few coworkers who think that's a good thing, it's darned uncomfortable. The doctor did his typical thinking-out-loud routine as debated what might work the best for me and finally settled on a med he'd like me to try. Here's a sample, here's a script, and here's a rebate coupon. Try it for a week and get back to me if it doesn't take care of the problem.

That was all well and good until I looked at the rebate coupon: up to $40 off after you've paid at least $25 out-of-pocket. This is not a good thing. Unfortunately when I tried to look up what I'm supposed to pay for this particular med on my insurance company's website, they didn't have a listing for it, meaning it is new...and expensive. I think I will be calling to ask about something a bit more affordable, because while I'm all for stimulating the economy, I don't want to attempt it single-handedly.