Looking to save money on prescriptions?

​   A couple of weeks ago, I was prescribed a new medication... that had a
   hefty price tag! My first question was “what’s the cash price?” When that wasn’t
   any cheaper,  I checked with the pharmacy tech about the coupon from the drug
   manufacturer’s website (apologies to everyone behind me in line at my
   local pharmacy). I ended up leaving the prescription at the pharmacy and
​   went home to look into more options.

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What can you do to lower your prescription costs if a medication you need isn’t covered by your health insurance?​

1. As I mentioned above, ask if the cash price is cheaper. Sometimes you can get a better price if you don’t use your insurance. Seems counter-intuitive but it’s true.
2. Check your health insurance formulary (list of prescription drugs that are covered by your insurance plan) to see what alternative options you have, including generics or similar drugs. Share that list with your doctor and discuss whether any of the other drugs are a good option for you.
3. Ask your health insurance plan to make an exception. This requires some effort from you and your doctor but you can ask your health insurance plan to cover your medication even if it’s not on the formulary. You can learn more about the exceptions process for private insurance here. Medicare has an exceptions process as well.
4. Look into prescription assistance programs. There are non-profit organizations, pharmaceutical manufacturers (check their websites), and state and local government programs that can provide financial assistance with paying for prescriptions; many programs are not based on income.  Some websites compare prices and offer coupons. Here are a few you can look into:
   1. GoodRx.com - GoodRx finds and compares prices for every FDA-approved prescription drug at over 70,000 pharmacies nationwide. There can be substantial variation in price. You can also find coupons on the site or mobile app as well as get a GoodRx discount card.
   2. NeedyMeds.org - NeedyMeds provides information on how you can obtain assistance in paying for your medications. Search by medication name and find out if there are coupons, rebates, or financial assistance programs from the drug manufacturer. NeedyMeds also has a drug discount card. 
   3. Partnership for Prescription Assistance - PPA is another program that can help you find out what prescription assistance resources you may be eligible for.
   4. Medicare Extra Help - If you’re on Medicare and having limited resources, you may qualify for the Medicare Extra Help program which helps pay the premiums, deductibles and co-pays associated with prescription drug plans.

5. Other options include going to a big box store, using a mail-order pharmacy or getting a larger supply.

​So, what did I do about my medication? Well, in my case, the GoodRx price was only a few dollars less, there were no substantive coupons available for this particular medication, and the pharmaceutical assistance program was income-based. My doctor gave me free samples while we work together to request an exception from my health insurer. It’s a long shot but it’s worth a try because if you don’t ask, then the answer is definitely no.