You may have seen commercials or articles talking about prescription discount programs, opportunities for patients to get some savings on the drugs that are part of their regimen.
Everything from name brands to generic options is available through these programs and is accessible through quick signup for the most part. The question is: can you use a prescription discount card for just about everything? Let’s take a closer look.
Uses Of Prescription Disount Cards
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If you are looking into newer treatments than you’ve ever used before, a discount program could be in your best interest to avoid overspending. Let’s say you’re looking for hair loss treatments and weighing the difference between Hims vs Keeps. The pricing points on those products and their packages may impact your willingness to pursue that line of treatment.
Hims and Keeps both offer prescription and over-the-counter solutions to hair loss. Hims has slightly more products available to specifically combat male pattern baldness. Keeps come with four different products with varying active ingredients including minoxidil and ketoconazole shampoo. Finasteride tablets may also be utilized as an oral treatment to lower levels of DHT in the scalp, which causes baldness. Hims has a slightly more diverse product offering, using finasteride and minoxidil solution but not minoxidil foam of ketoconazole shampoo. Hims also offers thickening shampoos and conditioners to not only help regrow hair but make it grow back stronger.
Generic Options
One of the easiest ways to save on prescription medication is to opt for generic options over name brands. Depending on your health issue, you may require several prescriptions, so it’s best to sign on for a discount program that will help make sure you aren’t breaking the bank every time you refill. Generic drugs contain the same active ingredients as a brand-name drug, providing the same benefits as the medication that can afford millions of dollars in advertisement and sales.
These markdowns through discount programs are available for more prescription medications than ever before. They’re the more affordable option because they don’t require the same rigorous testing as the name brand. However, they still require the approval of the Food and Drug Administration. Be sure to ask your primary care provider about your generic options. If you insist upon name brands, there’s no problem with that.
In fact, prescription discount programs can help you locate deals in your area. Pharmacies price certain drugs differently. The CVS two towns over may offer up a coupon on a pill that could cost a lot at your local pharmacy. These programs allow you the opportunity to quote prices in a quick fashion.
Don’t Ditch Your Insurance
While prescription discount programs do offer a litany of savings, it’s no excuse to ditch your health insurance coverage. While a discount card can help reduce the costs of prescription drugs, it can’t cover trips to your primary care provider, your therapists, or even recovery home care services. It could cover a significant expense of your prescriptions, and get additional price cuts from these discount programs.
Health insurance coverage and prescription discount programs are best in concert, even if you are still relying on telehealth services at this time due to certain COVID-19 restrictions. Medicare and Medicaid in the U.S. provide additional prescription drug coverage to help deal with a litany of ailments and possible side effects through current medications.
Transparency in treatment plans is important between doctors and patients. If you have found a more affordable option for a prescription drug with similar active ingredients to what you’re taking now, bring it to your doctor’s attention. There are no pros or cons, just simple conversations about the proper treatment for you.
