3 ways to save on prescriptions without insurance.
Whether you are uninsured, underinsured, or stuck in a coverage gap, paying full retail for medications is rarely your only option. Here are three strategies that work.
1. Patient Assistance Programs
As we mentioned in our last email, drug manufacturers offer free medications to qualifying patients. These are not limited to rare or expensive drugs. Common medications for diabetes, heart disease, mental health, and asthma all have active programs. Use our Assistance Finder to search by drug name.
2. Prescription Discount Cards
Free discount cards from services like GoodRx, RxSaver, and SingleCare negotiate lower rates with pharmacies on your behalf. They work at the register just like insurance. The savings vary by medication and pharmacy, so always compare across cards. Some pharmacies also offer their own discount programs for generics.
3. Therapeutic Alternatives
Ask your provider whether a cheaper medication in the same drug class could work for you. For example, if you take a brand-name statin, a generic in the same family might do the same job at a fraction of the cost. This conversation is worth having at every visit.
We have detailed articles on each of these strategies. Start with the guides below.
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