HELOISE Carry a list of medications that are covered

Dear Heloise: If a doctor prescribes a certain medication for a patient who is covered by insurance, the first thing the patient should ask is: "Is this medication on my insurance company's list?"
Many drugs treat the same problem, and the doctor can choose which to prescribe. Carry your insurance company's drug list with you so he or she can see which ones are covered. It is not your doctor's responsibility to memorize your list -- because there are so many, it is your responsibility.
In my case, it would mean the difference between paying $14 for one on the list and paying $28 for one not on the list.
It pays to be informed, and it pays to speak up. Mrs. Bonita Lancaster, Taylorville, Ill.
Absolutely! And remember to ask if a generic is available, if your physician feels that it will do a good job. Heloise
Dear Heloise: My daughter and I recently discovered a fun, creative, inexpensive and, best of all, easy way to make toss pillows. We shop for interesting colors and shapes of dinner napkins, sew two together except for one side, fill it with stuffing and stitch it closed.
Our most creative napkins have been found on reduced, one-of-a-kind and clearance tables. We hope you'll share this idea with others! Sue from Kentucky
Dear Heloise: I recently sent a friend a larger-than-usual birthday card, but I stamped it with only a first-class stamp, since it didn't feel any heavier than most other pieces of first-class mail.
I was embarrassed when the card was returned to me because of insufficient postage. Apparently, the postal service has maximum dimensions, as well as weight, for first-class letters and cards.
I would like to suggest to the greeting-card manufacturers that it would be really helpful if they could print on the card or envelope the amount of postage required for extra-large or extra-heavy cards. Mary Faulkenberry, Desha, Ark.
Since postage rates can increase, a set figure might not be practical -- but maybe they could put "may need extra postage." Also, you can always call the post office when in doubt. Heloise
Dear Heloise: My old dryer left rust stains on my clothes. Metal buttons on jeans, etc., had chipped off some of the enamel on the drum. I purchased a new dryer and didn't want the same thing happening to it, so I came up with this idea: I push any metal buttons through the front of the buttonhole (instead of the back), where it stays buttoned to the inside of the garment and does not touch the drum. I hope this proves helpful to your readers. Barbara Kelly, Houston
Dear Heloise: Rubber nonadhesive shelving is wonderful for putting under a baby in a highchair. Normally, even when strapped in, he seems to slump down. With the rubber shelving (just a small square), you never have to stop feeding to sit the baby up straight. He doesn't slip. Nancy, Cedar Rapids, Iowa
XSend a money-saving or timesaving hint to Heloise, P.O. Box 795000, San Antonio, Texas 78279-5000, or you can fax it to (210) HELOISE or e-mail it to Heloise@Heloise.com. I can't answer your letter personally but will use the best hints received in my column.
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