How To Pay Less For Medications, Rx, Prescriptions Rx Rising Prices
How to Pay Less for Drugs
7 ways to reduce your medication costs
Amy Shroads
1 Go generic
Bypassing a drug can save up to 80 percent.
2 Know your coverage
Each insurance company has its own formulary — a tiered list of medications that its drug plan covers. Generally, the higher the tier, the higher the copay. So check the tier level when you get a prescription and ask your doctor if there's a drug in a lower tier that would work as well. Also, consider that an insurance plan with higher premiums may still save you money if copays or deductibles are lower. AARP Membership:
3 Order by mail
Many health plans offer this option. Ordering a 90-day supply can save up to a third on copays for brand-name drugs.
4 Use a preferred pharmacy
Some 36 percent of employers have a preferred pharmacy that has agreed to provide discounts to enrollees.
5 Use discount cards
There are many drug discount cards that can offer some savings on your prescription drugs. But they can't be used in combination with health insurance, including .
6 Seek assistance
Pharmaceutical companies often offer assistance programs to qualified individuals. Many organizations help connect patients to such programs, including , the Partnership for Prescription Assistance () and the Patient Advocate Foundation's National Financial Resource Directory (). Find a list of programs that work with Medicare Part D at medicare.gov.
7 Split pills when safe
Instead of getting a 10-milligram version of a pill, buy the 20-mg one and divvy it up. Get a pill splitter; don't try to cut it with a kitchen knife. Never do this without talking to your doctor or pharmacist; certain medicines cannot be split safely.
Why Your Drugs Cost So Much
Next
AARP Members Enjoy Health and Wellness Discounts: Cancel You are leaving AARP.org and going to the website of our trusted provider. The provider’s terms, conditions and policies apply. Please return to AARP.org to learn more about other benefits. Your email address is now confirmed. You'll start receiving the latest news, benefits, events, and programs related to AARP's mission to empower people to choose how they live as they age. You can also by updating your account at anytime. You will be asked to register or log in. Cancel Offer Details Disclosures
Close In the next 24 hours, you will receive an email to confirm your subscription to receive emails related to AARP volunteering. Once you confirm that subscription, you will regularly receive communications related to AARP volunteering. In the meantime, please feel free to search for ways to make a difference in your community at Javascript must be enabled to use this site. Please enable Javascript in your browser and try again.