Are You Popping Pills?

The price of prescription drugs continues to increase.  Some studies show that drug prices are the fastest growing chunk of consumers' healthcare expenses.

There are numerous ways to reduce your prescription drug costs.  I’ll show you a few here. 

Whenever possible avoid name brands.  Generic drugs can cut the price of a medication by as much as 70%.  When your doctor prescribes a brand name drug, ask whether there is a generic equivalent.  When the safety and effectiveness of prescription medications were examined by Best Buy Drugs (whose parent company is Consumer Reports), they found that generics are as safe and effective as brand names.

Can the medication be cut in half?  If you take prescription drugs in pill form to treat a chronic illness, you can ask your doctor to prescribe a higher dose, twice what you normally take, and split the pills in half.  Pharmacies normally charge approximately the same amount for particular medications no matter what the dose may be. 

For example, let’s use a once-a-day drug that cost you $100 for a month's supply whether you get a 100 mg or 50 mg dose. If your doctor prescribes the 50-mg pill, you will pay $100.  However, if your doctor will prescribe the 100-mg pill and instructs you to cut it in half, that same $100 bill will get you two months of your medication.  You can find pill splitters at any drug store or anywhere prescriptions are sold, and they are very inexpensive. It's crucial that you consult your doctor about pill splitting, as not all medicines can be safely divided.

Discount Prescription Cards.  There are several companies that now sell or give away free Rx cards.  My own company, Xpress Healthcare, offers Rx cards free, and they are included as part of three of our four discount benefit plans. I use my own Rx card all the time.  I take several medications, and I have “full coverage” health insurance.  A few months ago, I went to pay for one of my prescriptions with my insurance, and I was told my co-pay was $250.02 – for 1 prescription!  When I got over the shock, I asked how much it would cost using my Xpress Healthcare discount card, and the price went down to $167.85 – a savings of $82.17!  That was comparing it to my cost with insurance, so I can only imagine what a full-cash price might have been!

Store-Sponsored Prescription Programs.  Many discount stores and drug stores now offer discount drug programs.  I looked into such a program at Walgreens, and although it provided discounts, they were not as high a discount as my discount Rx card provided.  These programs may be worth taking a look at though as another option.

90-Day Prescription.  Ask your doctor to prescribe a 90-day supply on prescriptions you use for chronic conditions.  My own experience has been that I am charged for only two months when I fill a 90-day prescription, although the prescription will last three months.  This also saves you trips to the pharmacy having to go every three months instead of monthly.

Ask for Help.  Some pharmaceutical companies also provide free and low-cost medications to people who cannot afford to pay for medications. 

If you're having trouble paying for medication, let your doctor know.  He/she can provide you with options, such as financial help through patient-assistance programs for which you may qualify.

Rx Savings for Seniors.  Seniors are often on a fixed income, and they are among the biggest consumers of prescription drugs, representing about 1/3 of the prescriptions filled in the U.S. I won’t go into the various conditions that Medicare applies in regard to how they pay prescriptions for seniors.  Suffice it to say, that it is a major problem for many seniors.
The government recently provided some relief to seniors to reduce their prescription costs.

I am on Medicare myself, and in my particular situation, I find that using a discount Rx card saves me the most money on my prescriptions.  Your situation may differ, so I cannot advise you in this regard.

Simply know that if you use prescription medications, there are a variety of ways to reduce the cost, and one or more of them may be beneficial to you.

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For Xpress Healthcare® business opportunity info, visit http://joinxpresshealthcare.com. 

For affordable discount plans to reduce your Health and Dental expenses AND reduce costs on Hearing, Vision, Prescriptions, Roadside Assistance, Lifelock™ and even more, visit: http://ibourl.net/XpressSavings (NOT insurance). 

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