5 Prescription Discount Programs More People Should Know About
When thinking about my mission and why I started How 2 Not Die Blog, I wanted to be a resource… to make sure I was creating content that could genuinely help make life a little less difficult for people.
Sometimes navigating how to not die is not just learning and sharing more about your diagnoses, medications, or medical research….
Sometimes it’s also helping others access the treatments they were prescribed in the first place.
While navigating healthcare, chronic illness, disability, rising medical costs, and honestly… just the chaos of trying to survive in the current healthcare system, finances can quickly become a burden and major stressor in our lives.
Prescription medications are expensive. Like… sometimes shockingly expensive, even for people who technically “have insurance.”
And unfortunately, a lot of patients do not know there are actually programs out there that can sometimes lower medication costs pretty significantly. In some cases, the discounted price can even end up being cheaper than your insurance copay, which is honestly wild.
A quick disclaimer before we jump in: the resources listed below are primarily intended for individuals in the United States and are based on the U.S. healthcare and insurance system. As I continue researching and expanding How2NotDieBlog, I’m hoping to also put together similar resource guides for readers in Canada and the United Kingdom soon as well- if you live or work in one of these places and have additional resources that you would like to share, please comment them below or feel welcome to email me! I would love to collaborate and share your resources to my audience/readers.
Lastly, before we jump in, one important thing to know:
Many prescription discount cards and patient assistance programs work outside of your insurance plan. That means while they may lower your immediate medication cost, the amount you pay often will not count toward your insurance deductible or annual out-of-pocket maximum. A lot of patients are never told this upfront, so it is something worth being aware of when comparing options.
So here are 5 prescription discount and assistance programs more people should know about:
- GoodRx
GoodRx lets you compare prescription prices between pharmacies and use free coupons to lower medication costs.
Sometimes the difference between pharmacies can be huge, even within the same city, so it is genuinely worth checking before picking up a prescription.
GoodRx works at thousands of pharmacies nationwide and is free to use- BUT they do have a premium plan you can pay for which will further discount costs in some cases.
Learn more: https://www.goodrx.com
- Mark Cuban Cost Plus Drug Company
Cost Plus Drugs was created to make prescription pricing more transparent & easier to understand.
Instead of mysterious pricing markups, the company claims to use a more straightforward pricing model: medication cost + 15% markup + pharmacy fee + shipping.
For some generic medications, the savings can be massive compared to traditional pharmacy pricing- for specific specialty meds, seek elsewhere!
Learn more: https://www.costplusdrugs.com
- SingleCare
SingleCare is another free prescription discount program that offers coupons accepted at many pharmacies across the United States.
You can compare medication prices online and sometimes save a surprising amount on generic medications. (Very similar to GoodRx)
No membership fees. No subscription. No insurance required.
Learn more: https://www.singlecare.com
- NeedyMeds
NeedyMeds is a nonprofit organization that helps connect patients with prescription assistance programs, copay support, financial aid resources, and other healthcare affordability programs.
This one is especially worth knowing about for people with chronic illness, rare disease, or expensive long-term medications.
Unlike coupon programs, NeedyMeds focuses more on helping patients find ongoing assistance and support programs.
Learn more: https://www.needymeds.org
- RxAssist
RxAssist helps patients locate pharmaceutical company patient assistance programs that may provide medications either at a reduced cost or completely free for eligible patients.
This can be especially helpful for higher-cost specialty medications.
So many patients have no idea these programs even exist.
Learn more: http://www.rxassist.org
Final Thought
If you are struggling to afford a medication, please do not assume the first pharmacy price you see is your only option. Sometimes compounding pharmacies may be able to offer you meds at lesser expensive rate, but it will require the legwork of calling, asking the right questions, and being prepared to hear no a few times.
A few minutes spent checking discount programs, comparing pharmacies, or looking into patient assistance resources could potentially save you a significant amount of money.
I firmly believe equitable access to healthcare is about MORE than finally being prescribed the prescription that can help.
It is also about whether patients can realistically afford to fill it once they leave the doctor’s office 🫶 hopefully these resources will be beneficial and support someone on their journey.
Xx, Lauren
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