Are Discount Prescription Drug Cards a Form of Affordable Health Insurance?By Dante Lee
In all likelihood, you have probably seen them - whether you are at Walgreens, CVS, or any various pharmacy across America, discount prescription drug programs seem to be offered everywhere. You can peruse an array of discount prescription programs online, and emails are often sent to elicit enrollment into different plans. So, what exactly are discount prescription drug cards?
They are nothing more than membership cards that supposedly give you access to discounts on brand name and generic medications. Almost all drug stores and supermarkets sell them, giving their members access to discounts for thousands of brands. For an annual fee, an individual can receive reductions in the cost of many of the medications he or she already uses. Annual fees are also available for families.
Other discount prescription drug programs do not charge any fee. For instance, some will allow you to download a free prescription drug card online, instantly providing you access to savings on drugs at pharmacies across the United States. They will often list the following as the benefits of the program:
* No deductibles
* No waiting period
* No pre-existing exclusions
* Everyone qualifies
* Instant activation
They may even offer a medication pricing tool to find out how much your prescription will cost, as well as a pharmacy locator to find pharmacies in your area that participate in this program. Are such programs considered a form of affordable health insurance?
The answer is, quite simply, no. Although discount prescription drug cards provide a savings for individuals and families who require an assortment of medications, they are not really a form of affordable health insurance. Instead, they are more of a supplement to existing health insurance. However, even if one does not have health insurance, he or she still can utilize the benefits from these types of programs in order to receive lower costs for prescriptions that are necessary to obtain.
Not all discount prescription drug cards are for everyone. Some find a significant savings while using one of these cards, while others find little to no saving at all. Some programs have restrictions, such as income limits and age limits, while others claim to provide discounts to everyone with no constraints. Some discount plans can be used in addition to one's health insurance, while others can only be utilized if the person or family does not already have access to prescription benefits in existing insurance coverage.
Although discount prescription drug cards are not considered a form of affordable health insurance, it may prove to be a wise decision to use them as additional coverage that will reduce the costs of medications. This is especially the case for those who find their monthly prescription bills to be very costly.
The Affordable Health Insurance Network http://www.affordablehealthinsurance.net/ is an online resource that provides free tips and secrets on how to obtain affordable health insurance.
They are nothing more than membership cards that supposedly give you access to discounts on brand name and generic medications. Almost all drug stores and supermarkets sell them, giving their members access to discounts for thousands of brands. For an annual fee, an individual can receive reductions in the cost of many of the medications he or she already uses. Annual fees are also available for families.
Other discount prescription drug programs do not charge any fee. For instance, some will allow you to download a free prescription drug card online, instantly providing you access to savings on drugs at pharmacies across the United States. They will often list the following as the benefits of the program:
* No deductibles
* No waiting period
* No pre-existing exclusions
* Everyone qualifies
* Instant activation
They may even offer a medication pricing tool to find out how much your prescription will cost, as well as a pharmacy locator to find pharmacies in your area that participate in this program. Are such programs considered a form of affordable health insurance?
The answer is, quite simply, no. Although discount prescription drug cards provide a savings for individuals and families who require an assortment of medications, they are not really a form of affordable health insurance. Instead, they are more of a supplement to existing health insurance. However, even if one does not have health insurance, he or she still can utilize the benefits from these types of programs in order to receive lower costs for prescriptions that are necessary to obtain.
Not all discount prescription drug cards are for everyone. Some find a significant savings while using one of these cards, while others find little to no saving at all. Some programs have restrictions, such as income limits and age limits, while others claim to provide discounts to everyone with no constraints. Some discount plans can be used in addition to one's health insurance, while others can only be utilized if the person or family does not already have access to prescription benefits in existing insurance coverage.
Although discount prescription drug cards are not considered a form of affordable health insurance, it may prove to be a wise decision to use them as additional coverage that will reduce the costs of medications. This is especially the case for those who find their monthly prescription bills to be very costly.
The Affordable Health Insurance Network http://www.affordablehealthinsurance.net/ is an online resource that provides free tips and secrets on how to obtain affordable health insurance.
Have you used a discount prescription drug card? Would you recommend nannies use a discount prescription drug card?
I have a prescription card because I just started a new nanny job and did not ask for health insurance. The card has a lot of the medications I take so it has been a great decision for me. I think for nannies that take a lot of prescriptions might benefit too. But see if the card covers your most expensive prescriptions first. Not worth paying for the card if you do not save money in the long run. I would not need it if I had insurance.
ReplyDeleteLolita, Live-in Nanny, Atlanta
I really like my prescription card. For my nanny job the parents pay for the prescription card and my prescriptions have all been covered. I think they make sense for nannies. Many parents do not offer insurance so this is a helpful and cheaper option.
ReplyDeleteNanny Patti Nanny of Multiples
Walmart offers a free card- not all drugs are on their list- but if you can easily apply and only pay $5 for a month's worth of meds it's worth it.
ReplyDeleteThere are also other free cards you can apply for right over the internet-
http://freedrugcard.us/
I've used the one above and have saved a few dollars everytime- so even a little savings is better than nothing.
OMG thank you anonymous commenter above about the freedrugcard.us
ReplyDeleteWhat I like is they compare the cost of prescriptions for the pharmacies in your neighborhood.
One of my local pharmacies is HALF THE COST of the other pharmacies!! HALF THE PRICE! Very helpful. Thanks so much!
Leanne, Northern NJ
I found a great prescription discount card at www.rxdrugcard.com. Let me give you an example of the savings. I’ve seen ads on TV for Caduet. It has two ingredients. One is Amlodipine and the other is Atorvastatin. With my RxDrugCard I can get 30 tablets of Amlodipine for $9 and 30 tablets of Simvastatin for $9. I’ll bet they are charging more than $18 for this new drug! I think that RxDrugCard.com is the best drug card available for prescription discounts. The monthly family membership fee is only $4.95! You can’t beat that!
ReplyDeleteToday's worlds the medical departments is very expensive in every country.This is very good opportunity for the peoples that you give Discount Prescription Drug Cards.
ReplyDelete