The Best Prescription Discount Cards for Seniors in 2024

Between 2014 and 2020, prescription drug prices rose faster than other healthcare costs. During that period, drug pricing rose 33%, yet other healthcare costs rose between 19%-30%. These high prices lead many seniors to face the possibility of paying large sums out-of-pocket for their medications, even when they are insured. Some seniors can turn to state or federal prescription assistance programs, but not all qualify due to their income limits. Some patients take advantage of “copay cards” (copay assistance) offered directly by drug manufacturers instead. However, such programs are often quite limited, and the manufacturers may cut off all assistance after reaching a certain number of refills.

Due to the limits of both government and manufacturer-sponsored programs, many seniors are now turning to prescription discount cards that are offered by third parties such as Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs) or tech startups. These discount programs can sometimes reduce a medication’s cash price to the point that it’s cheaper than the copay you’d be charged through insurance, and offer significant savings for the uninsured. They also usually offer tools that help seniors compare prices at various pharmacies, finding them the most budget-friendly options.

Prescription discount cards and the discount programs associated with them are appealing, but new users often have a host of questions about what they are and how they work. “Is the card free?”, “how much can I actually save?” and “can I use this card at any pharmacy?” are just a few of the many prescription discount card questions that this guide will answer for you. Below you’ll find breakdowns of the pros and cons of the top eight prescription discount cards currently available. At the end of the guide, you’ll also be able to go in-depth by reading 6 Ways to Maximizing Savings When Using Discount Cards.

Review of The Eight Best Prescription Discount Cards of 2024

*Almost all Blink Programs are free. However, the telehealth subscription option has a fee that combines the costs of specific medications with small fees for access to doctors. Subscription fees may be around $20 per month but are variable depending on the medication and other factors. 

Note that in the “average app ratings” column above, the listed number reflects the average of the app’s rating on Google Play and the Apple App Store. Costco’s app is used to shop all Costco items/services, not just pharmacies/CMPP. App Ratings and all cost data were collected in late January of 2022.

SingleCare Review

SingleCare’s attractions include a well-rated app, a simple search tool for finding drug cost information, a convenient home delivery program, and a loyalty program that just can’t be found elsewhere. This brand’s pharmacy network is on the smaller side compared to others, and it doesn’t always have the absolute lowest discounts. However, SingleCare still stands strong as a leader in connecting seniors to valuable discounts.

Overview of Singlecare’s Discount Program

Where and How to Access SingleCare’s Discounts

SingleCare’s discounts are offered at over 35,000+ pharmacies for more than 10,000 medications. It will be particularly easy to use SingleCare discounts at pharmacy chains such as Albertsons/Safeway, Walgreens, Walmart, CVS, Kroger, and Rite-Aid, as well as at many independent pharmacies. When buying in-store, customers need to present a coupon/discount card that’s specific to that store. At the pharmacy counter, you use either a coupon you printed or a digital coupon that you saved in the app, your email, or a text message. These coupons/cards are easy to find on the SingleCare website. Customers also have the option of placing orders online through SingleCare’s delivery partner, GeniusRx.

Seniors should note that SingleCare is one of several brands that may send out an unsolicited discount card in the mail. Such cards from SingleCare are legitimate despite sometimes looking like spam. If a card has not been sent to you, you can also print discount cards/coupons from the website. You don’t even need to give the company your personal information (like your name and email) in order to get a card, but you do need to if you want to sign up for the loyalty program. Keep in mind that whether or not you “sign up” and give SingleCare your information, SingleCare will be given some of your personal and medical information by the pharmacy you use if you use a SingleCare coupon to make a purchase.

What You Should Know About SingleCare’s Pricing

It’s always free to use SingleCare, and the special loyalty program can make it an even more beneficial choice financially. This brand advertises savings up to 80%, and in some places online it says that savings can average 60%. A 60% average is quite good, but keep in mind that few details were included on exactly how the average was calculated. Many discounts may still be lower.

When we did a pricing spot check on common medications in late January of 2021, we found SingleCare’s starting prices to be the highest or 2nd highest when compared to other discount brands. With generic Lipitor at $19.10 (highest), generic Zoloft at $10.75 (2nd highest), and Epipens at $431.85 (highest), its regular prices were often twice as much or more than those of competitors. Its delivery prices varied greatly, and we were surprised to see that the Epipen was not available for delivery. For a free program, SingleCare still has a lot to offer in savings, but it won’t always have the lowest drug costs.

The Pros and Cons of SingleCare Prescription Discount Cards

Pros

• Price Alerts: This brand has a very convenient “price alert” feature that can be a game-changer since it will help you avoid unpleasant surprises at the pharmacy counter. If you sign up for a price alert on a medication, you can receive an email whenever the price changes by 10% or more.
• Loyalty Program: SingleCare is the only program we saw that offered a loyalty program. There’s no pressure to sign up; it’s totally optional. However, signing up earns you an automatic $5 bonus that’s applied directly to your account. After that, you can earn $1 in additional loyalty bonuses on many prescriptions which you can then apply to the cost of medication at your convenience.
• Home Delivery: SingleCare offers convenient home delivery on about 4,000 different medications, typically the most commonly prescribed drugs. Delivery is available through a trusted online pharmacy partner, GeniusRx. Many other brands use this same company. Shipping costs are always included in the home delivery list price, so costs are easy to understand.

Cons

• Few Free Resources: While we appreciate the clean, easy to navigate design of SingleCare’s website, we did notice that this brand offers few educational resources for seniors. SingleCare lists a few interesting health articles, but overall the free resources here are scant when compared to brands such as GoodRx.
• Confusing Program Structure: We found that using this program gets complicated fast. You can choose between individual coupons for specific drugs or general discount cards that work on multiple medications. However, each store needs its own general discount card. Digitally clipping SingleCare’s coupons is probably the easiest way to go. Many customers may feel at a loss when they first are getting used to all the different cards and coupons.

GoodRx Review

GoodRx boasts an impressive variety of programs to choose from, a highly-rated app, and medication prices that are some of the very lowest available. This company’s specialty programs are particularly good for cost savings, with some offering discounts of up to 90% off retail price. One of its special discount programs even offers select medications completely free of charge. The drawbacks of using GoodRX include the fact that many of its programs have membership fees and that it has received some significant negative press due to consumer data privacy concerns.

Overview of GoodRx’s Discount Programs

Where and How to Access GoodRx Discounts

GoodRx has the most program options of any of the prescription discount companies that we cover in this guide. Therefore, explaining how to access GoodRx can be a bit complex. The GoodRx website itself provides excellent, thorough rundowns of its different programs/tiers of service. The main GoodRx program (free) and the GoodRx Gold program (paid) can both be accessed through the GoodRx website’s main search tool. The GoodRx/InsideRx partnership program for discounts on name-brand drugs can likewise be easily accessed on the main GoodRx website. However, the search tools and program details of the KrogerRx and AAARx programs that GoodRx powers for its corporate partners must be accessed on their respective websites.

Signup requirements vary greatly by specific GoodRx programs. The main free program requires no signup, nor does the partnership with InsideRx. GoodRx Gold and the KrogerRx program both have a quick signup process and minor fees (see below for pricing information). The AAA program requires that you be an AAA member and that you either call AAA to get your discount card or enter your AAA member number into a form online.

GoodRx programs also vary by the number of prescriptions for which they offer discounts, how many pharmacies at which they can be used, and other details. The Gold program and the Kroger program both work on a fairly limited list of common prescriptions, whereas the other programs have discounts for virtually all FDA-approved generics. The main program and AAA program can be used at the counters of over 70,000 pharmacy locations, but specialty programs tend to have more limited locations. Chains that typically accept GoodRx discount cards include Albertsons/Safeway, CVS/Target, Rite-Aid, Kroger, Walgreens, Walmart, and more. Delivery services through GeniusRx or HealthWarehouse are also an option.

What You Should Know About GoodRx’s Pricing

GoodRx’s pricing does depend on the program you use. The main program boasts savings up to 80%, the AAA program up to 85%, and GoldRx ($6 monthly fee) up to 90% (though on a limited number of medications). The Kroger program also has a monthly fee of about $6, but it offers some medications totally free or at dramatically reduced costs. If you happen to take one of the medications on its narrow list, then the program could be a good fit for you.

The free GoodRx tier offered very competitive discounts when compared to other free/basic programs, with generic Lipitor costing 8.16 (3rd best), generic Zoloft at $6.52 (3rd), and generic Epipen at $121 (best). Its Kroger program often had the best prices among other paid programs, and its GoldRx program was highly competitive, too. Though not as stellar as the Kroger and GoldRX programs, the AAA program’s savings were very good. Seniors will have to weigh the costs of membership to each against the potential savings for their particular medications.

The Pros and Cons of GoodRx Prescription Discount Cards

• Numerous Options: No one can beat GoodRx for the amount of consumer choice it offers. Understanding all of the options can take a while, but these programs are well-rated and they can suit a variety of needs. Moreover, GoodRx’s high-quality website makes understanding and getting the information that you need fairly easy.

• Quality Information:  We found the GoodRx website to be of above-average quality. Its content is peppered with useful statistics that explain the ins and outs of the pharmacy industry. Even those who don’t end up using GoodRx discounts will still learn something thanks to its articles on specific medications, diseases, and pricing trends. 

Cons

• Past Privacy Issues: GoodRx has come under significant criticism for its handling of patient data online in the past. The issues now appear to be largely resolved, but past issues do highlight the fact that even if you do not sign up for a program, just by using its coupons or visiting its website you are sharing some of your health data with corporations. It’s good to keep in mind that although GoodRx is the discount company that has been criticized most publicly for its handling of data, its competitors appear to have very similar data use policies.

Blink Health Review

Blink Health provides seniors with a tech-forward solution to lowering drug costs. Best for those who like to shop online already, this brand is the only one we have featured that processes all payments through its own website. By doing so, it guarantees no pricing surprises at the pharmacy counter. Blink’s prices mostly fall in the middle of the price range, sacrificing some of the best possible deals in favor of more stable prices overall.

Overview of Blink Health’s Discount Programs

Where and How to Access Blink Health Discounts

With about 35,000 participating pharmacies, this brand is tied with SingleCare on network size. These two companies have the 2nd smallest pharmacy network among competitors. However, for most customers, Blink’s pharmacy network offers sufficient local options. In addition to being accepted at many independent pharmacies, this brand works with popular retail chains like Albertsons/Safeway, Costco, Kroger, Publix, and Walmart. With Blink, you can pick up prescriptions locally or you have them delivered to your home. In some cases, you can even use Blink’s partner services to meet with a doctor online who will write you a new prescription, which will then be shipped to you. This telehealth feature is limited to just a few medication types.

No matter how you opt to get your prescription filled, creating an account with Blink is mandatory (unlike many competitors). You will need an account so that you can process your transaction online. If you’re going to pick up your prescription at a local pharmacy, you first pay Blink online and receive a Blink Card which is your proof of purchase. You can save it on your phone or print it, but in either case, you’ll simply show it at the pharmacy counter to receive your prescription. In-network pharmacies honor the Blink Card as payment-in-full, and in their computer systems Blink is considered the payor. This is different from all other programs- with other programs, the discount company does not process the payment unless you order delivery.

What You Should Know About Blink Health’s Pricing

Blink Health pricing can provide up to 80% discounts, though most discounts will be more modest. Pricing does vary slightly based on which Blink program you’re using, but not by which in-network pharmacy you use. Seniors should note that although there are different programs within Blink Health, none of the programs include an additional fee for membership, except for the telehealth option (details below).

Medication Pricing With Different Blink Programs:

• Blink Health: This is the core Blink program, and is what the majority of people will use for local pickup. When you search for medication on Blink Health, this price will always appear, clearly labeled as the “Everyday Low Price”. Many medications in this program are also eligible for Home Delivery. Delivery prices are usually similar to pickup prices. 
• Blink Pharmacy Plus: Blink’s own online pharmacy can help those with select medications only, and you’ll need to fill out some additional forms to see if you’re eligible. Unlike Blink Health, the Blink Plus Pharmacy has the ability to analyze your copays and deductibles and give you informed advice on whether it’s a better deal to use insurance or to use the Blink discount. This program works for both local pickup and delivery.
• Quick Save: This is a special program with even higher savings than what’s listed under the “Everyday Low Prices” on Blink’s website. This higher discount program is available at a much more limited number of pharmacies, though, so your location will determine your ability to participate. There’s no added cost, but special enrollment steps may be required. You cannot see Quick Save costs unless you enroll and login. 
• Telehealth with Delivery: Getting your medications through this program may cost you slightly more than getting them through regular delivery. This is due to the fact that compensation for the doctor will be built into what you’re charged for the medication. If you get medication through the telehealth option, then you’ll keep getting charged monthly for refills. You’ll continue to have some access to advice from online doctors. There’s no commitment to this subscription, so you can end it and switch to a different Blink Health method for getting your medications if desired.

When we compared Blink Health’s “Everyday Low Price” costs to medications from other companies, we saw that the costs ranked between 4th or 6th place for the lowest cost, depending on the medication. In the pricing spot check, Lipitor was $9.00 (5th), Zoloft was $7.15 (4th), and Epipen was about $367 (all prices for generic equivalents). Delivery costs vary slightly depending on the medication. It’s unclear just how much lower Quick Save costs might be for those who qualify for that program.

The Pros and Cons of Blink Health Prescription Discount Cards

• Price Matching: Blink offers a “Price Match Guarantee” for generic medications. If you find a local lower price than what you paid through Blink, you’ll be refunded the difference. The guarantee even applies to coupons from free competitor programs, within certain limits. Different Blink programs have slightly different price matching rules, but submitting a claim should be easy in most cases.
• Simplicity: Similar companies that offer prescription discounts all put the onus of comparison shopping on the customer. Those companies show you lists of prices at pharmacies near you, but it’s up to you to decide which one to go to. Having options is nice, but the sheer number of choices can be overwhelming. And as medication prices change, you may need to switch pharmacies in order to get a better deal. Blink Health has the disadvantage of a smaller list of participating pharmacies, but for its basic program, it has the same prices everywhere. This simplicity, combined with the price match guarantee, makes the program very appealing.

Cons

• Internet Required: Access to this company’s services is totally reliant on internet access. Some older adults face obstacles to reliable internet access, and not everyone can afford data plans and smartphones. If internet or mobile data is inaccessible to you, or if you’re just not comfortable shopping online, then this program will not be a good choice unless you have a tech-savvy friend or family member who will help you.
• Price Transparency: It’s easy to see the “Everyday Low Price,” Home Delivery, and telehealth subscription costs on Blink’s website, even if you have not signed up for an account yet. However, to see “Quick Save” program costs, you have to sign up first. This special program likely has the best prices that Blink can offer, but we were not able to view them.

RxSaver Review

RxSaver stands out among competitors due to its advertised savings of up to 85% and its niche “advocacy” savings program for those with extremely high prescription drug costs. Seniors may also like this brand for its delivery option and large pharmacy network. Pricing fluctuations by both date and city were quite noticeable with RxSaver, so it may be challenging to predict medication costs over time when using this program.

Overview of RxSaver’s Discount Program

Where and How to Access RxSaver Discounts

With about 60,000 pharmacies in its network, most seniors should have no problem finding a nearby location that accepts RxSaver’s discounts. You can use RxSaver’s general cards or individual coupons at popular chains like Costco, CVS/Target, Kroger, Walgreens, and Walmart, or ask if your independent pharmacy accepts the coupons. Seniors should note that if you print a coupon, it may expire, but the general discount card will not. Otherwise, cards and coupons work the same way. You can simply download and print RxSaver cards and coupons, or you can sign up with your name, mailing address, and email to be sent a discount card in the mail. Like most websites/apps, RxSaver does collect digital information and may serve you targeted web advertising due to your use of the website.

When using RxSaver, you can find your local pharmacy with the best price by searching for your medication on the app or website. Your pharmacist will use the card/coupon you show them to apply a discount to your transaction. If you prefer using delivery, that option is also available through RxSaver’s online pharmacy partners, GeniusRx and HealthWarehouse.

What You Should Know About RxSaver Pricing

RxSaver’s main savings program is 100% free, but its paid Advocacy program does cost $60 per month. That program is only intended for those who have chronic/severe conditions and extremely high prescription drug costs, and not all who apply will actually get into the program. The application itself is free. Due to the individualized nature of the advocacy program, we were not able to perform a price check on it. However, we did check prices for some common medications on the main RxSaver pricing tool. We noted that RxSaver carried mainly generics, but also some name-brand options.

In our pricing spot check of generics for Lipitor, Zoloft, and Epipen, we found that its prices fell in the middle. We saw the following prices: $8.32 (3rd best) for generic Lipitor, $8.09 (5th) for generic Zoloft, and $182.31 generic Epipen. Seniors should note that the epinephrine auto-injector (generic alternative to Epipen) for which RxSaver had a coupon was a different brand than what is carried by most other companies. For these same medications, RxSaver’s delivery prices were all over the board. Its delivery price for an auto-injector was unaffordable at over $600, while its Zoloft delivery price was about $3 lower than its pickup price, and its Lipitor was virtually the same.

The Pros and Cons of RxSaver Prescription Discount Cards

• RxAdvocacy: This brand’s RxAdvocacy program breaks the mold for customer service by offering one-on-one assistance from patient advocates, rather than just a collection of online discounts. In this program, advocates negotiate with manufacturers so that patients with the most prohibitive prescription drug costs can cut their monthly bills by hundreds or even thousands of dollars. Using this program may be a great option for you if you already know you can’t use a generic and if you have already exhausted other free forms of assistance.

Cons

• Pricing Uncertainty: When using RxSaver’s main program, you’ll notice that your search results will include the words “est. price with coupon.” Like most other companies, this brand warns customers that the price online will sometimes differ from the price that rings up at the cash register in a pharmacy. When we performed pricing spot checks for this company, we noted that its prices seemed to fluctuate a bit more than other brands. Pricing stability may be slightly more of a concern when using RxSaver, so verifying your pricing over the phone before filling a prescription may be necessary at least until you feel confident with how this program works.
• Advocacy Fee: Although a great program for select patients, the RxAdvocacy Prescription Assistance Program costs an unusually high $60 per month. In contrast, paid tiers from other discount programs may be less than $60 for an entire year. In theory, the high costs of this program should translate to high-quality customer service and high savings, but such outcomes are not guaranteed. Due to its high cost, those who sign up for this program should definitely keep an eye on its performance and periodically reevaluate the decision to pay for it.

Costco Prescription Program Review

Costo’s pharmacy services are actually available to the general public at very competitive prices regardless of membership, but those who have Costco memberships can get even better prices through the Costco Member Prescription Program (CMPP). This program shines thanks to its ease of use, incredible bulk pricing, and low-cost delivery. Its drawbacks include a relatively small network of participating pharmacies and a lack of options for filling prescriptions for small numbers of pills (such as 30-day supplies).

Overview of Costco’s Discount Program

Where and How to Access Costco Discounts

You can use the Costco Member Prescription Program (CMPP) at any of about 500 Costco Warehouse pharmacies, as well at numerous other partner pharmacies in your community. Seniors should note that CMPP does not list the exact number of its participating locations, but the number is certainly far smaller than the several thousand locations that many other discount programs boast. However, participating locations are distributed across the entire U.S. and delivery is also available.

To use a CMPP discount, you simply need to show your Costco membership card at the counter or log into your member account online if selecting an online ordering option. You’ll never need to print or download any additional materials like coupons. For in-store pickup, there’s no additional enrollment needed beyond what’s required for a general Costco membership. For online ordering, however, you may need to fill out some additional digital forms.

What You Should Know About CMPP Pricing

Anyone can fill prescriptions at Costco’s pharmacies, but to get the prices of the Costco Member Prescription Program you do need to have an active paid membership with the store. Costco memberships usually cost $60-$120 yearly. For many, the membership fee for the CMPP is a moot point since they already have a membership for household shopping purposes.

Comparing the prescription drug costs of CMPP to the costs in other programs is a bit difficult because Costco tends to mainly carry “bulk” quantities of medications, meaning customers typically can only receive a 90-day supply instead of 30 days. This difference is something to keep in mind if you decide to do some of your own comparison shopping before committing to a program.

According to our pricing spot check, Costco’s prices for generic medications were among the best. For both pick-up and delivery, a 30-day supply was $7.59 for generic Lipitor and just $2.99 for generic Zoloft. Its Epipen generic was 4th best at $296, however. When you search for a medication from CMPP, you will see a variety of prices at both Costco pharmacies and partner pharmacies. Costco’s own price is generally the best.

The Pros and Cons of Costco’s Prescription Program

• Affordable Delivery: Many discount companies offer their delivery options through third parties who seem to mark up medications a bit more than local pharmacies do. Costco keeps its own delivery costs very low by keeping them in-house. Our pricing spot check revealed that delivery prices were identical to in-store prices. This may not hold true for every single medication that Costco carries, but it seems to be the norm overall.
• Pet Meds: Costco has long been an extremely popular option for saving money on pet medications. Particularly if your pet takes a medication that is also commonly prescribed to humans, then you may be surprised by how little you’ll pay compared to the costs at your vet. As a bonus, since it’s a popular option, both your vet’s office and your local Costco are likely used to the process of getting a pet medication seamlessly transferred over to a new location.

Cons

• App Rating: Most discount programs have apps with favorable user ratings of 4/5 stars or better. However, Costco’s app appears not to be a customer favorite with jus 3/5 stars. This low rating is likely because the app tries to do a little of everything- it has shopping features for the entire Costco Warehouse business model, not just Costco’s pharmacy. We found the app to be functional, but not very streamlined. To get to the pharmacy pricing tool, you’ll need to click through a lot of other screens. You may find using your web browser on your computer more convenient.
• Limited Dosage Options: The Costco pharmacy search tool puts emphasis on bulk medication pricing. For many medications, you may only be able to find the price of a 90 day supply or a high-dosage supply. This doesn’t necessarily mean that you cannot get the prescription filled in a different dosage in-store. You can always call and speak with the pharmacist about your options. However, the best and most readily available costs will be for large quantities. This can make comparison shopping difficult, too.

WellRx Review

WellRx, also called ScriptSave WellRx, is a prescription discount company that offers a free, user-friendly program. This program stands out for its convenient app which has fringe benefits such as pill reminder notifications and healthy eating tips. It’s also one of just two brands that offer a price alert feature that will keep you up to date on cost trends in your area. WellRx’s prices tend to fall in the middle of the pack. This brand’s primary downside is the largely inaccessible nature of its “invite-only” perks.

Overview of WellRx’s Discount Program

Where and How to Access WellRx Discounts

WellRx works much like any other discount program we have featured, offering a card that’s easy to print, download directly, or save digitally via text, email, and app. You don’t have to create an account at all if you don’t want to, though keep in mind that the company receives personal information about you regardless of your use of the card (this is typical for the industry). Those who do create an account have access to more benefits, like medication management features. Furthermore, anyone who has an “invite code” provided through one of the brand’s corporate partners may be able to access even higher discount levels or convenience features not included in the regular program.

Using this discount card is as easy as showing it at any of the 65,000 participating pharmacy locations. Popular participating chains include Rite-Aid, Kroger, Albertsons, Walgreens, CVS/Target, and Walmart, but many other chains participate as well. No delivery options are offered within the price tool, but the discounts may be applicable to some existing pharmacy chain’s own delivery options. You’ll likely need to call your local pharmacy to learn about your options. Seniors should note that with this brand, there’s really no difference between the “coupons” listed in the pricing tool and the general discount card. These coupons are merely offered for convenience, but the benefit should be the same.

WellRx’s search tool can be accessed by app or regular web browser, and it has some unique features, including an option to sign up for price alerts and other pricing tools. The search tool also has the unique advantage of allowing you to filter your search for things like 24-hr or multilingual service.

What You Should Know About WellRx’s Pricing

WellRx advertises that it can offer discounts between 45%-80%, with an average savings of 60%. This brand fared quite well in our pricing spot check, especially for a totally free service. Of the three commonly prescribed medications that we checked, it had the second-lowest price for each among other basic programs (i.e. when compared to the most basic program/free program that each company had to offer). At WellRx, we saw that generic Lipitor was $7.61, generic Zoloft was $6.13, and generic Epipen was $145.

The Pros and Cons of WellRx Prescription Discount Cards

• App Features: While not the highest-rated, this app does have a lot of useful features for seniors. Of special note are its medication management tools which can provide pill reminders and help you keep your medication information organized. The app also has a “grocery guidance” feature that is useful for maintaining better overall health even though it is not directly related to the medication.
• Price Change Alerts: If there’s a medication that you need to refill regularly, you can sign up for WellRx price alerts. You’ll get an email when the price drops below a set dollar amount, and you can adjust the frequency of how often you get pricing updates, ensuring that you won’t be overwhelmed by too many updates. Having this alert can help you to time your purchases for maximum financial benefit.
• Average Savings: Most companies that we reviewed did not advertise their average savings, preferring instead to list their “up to” savings or the range of savings to be expected. We liked that WellRx provided an average for the 2020 transactions that they participated in. Their average of 60% discount levels is very high too, especially considering that the only other brand listed and average had an average of 24% savings.

Cons

• Exclusivity: This brand does offer some special perks and program enhancements to certain customers, but the nature of such perks is exclusive. These benefits, which are only referred to in vague terms online, can be obtained by invitation-only. As a prospective customer, you cannot simply purchase a better program. Instead, these perks are only offered through unspecified partnerships- perhaps healthcare companies or other corporate partners. We wish the details and methods of accessing these perks were clearer for the average person.

Optum Review

United HealthCare’s Pharmacy Benefit Manager (PBM) Optum offers multiple discount programs, including its basic program, Optum Perks, and its AARP Pharmacy Prescription Discounts which come in two tiers of service. Optum’s strengths include easy program access and low or no fees (depending on the program). Our pricing spot check revealed that Optum’s AARP membership tier offers its best discounts, making it an attractive option for those who already like using AARP member tools. This brands’ greatest liability is the clunky way its pricing tools work.

Overview of Optum Perks’ Discount Programs

*The version of this program that has the best features/discounts is free only to those with an active AARP membership.

Where and How to Access Optum Perks Discounts

Depending on how you look at it, Optum has two to three different prescription discount programs. Its main program, Optum Perks (formerly called SearchRx) is free to anyone and is hosted on the main Optum website. This program has just one tier of service. However, the AARP Pharmacy program has two different tiers: one which is available to anyone, and one that is for AARP members only. The member-only program has the best discounts, and the regular Optum Perks discounts tend to be the smallest of the three tiers/programs.

Getting started with any Optum prescription discount program is easy. For the Optum Perks program and the non-member AARP program, you can simply download/print a discount card and start using it immediately with no sign-up required. However, to get the AARP member-only level of discounts, you’ll have slightly more to do for signup since AARP will need to verify your membership.

Using any of the programs is as simple as showing your printed/downloaded discount card at the pharmacy counter. Both AARP Pharmacy tiers can be used at 66,000 participating pharmacy locations, whereas the Optum Perks version can be used at about 64,000. CVS/Target, Kroger, Rite-Aid, Walgreens, and Walmart are just a few of the larger chains where the Optum discounts can be used, and many independent pharmacies also participate. Pharmacists should be able to discuss with you when it’s better to use insurance coverage vs. when it’s better to pay the cash pricing using the discount provided through Optum.

What You Should Know About Optum Perks’ Pricing

Optum Perks advertises that it can provide up to 80% off of cash prices, though the average customer probably sees discounts that are not quite so high. The AARP Pharmacy program does not advertise a specific savings percentage, though it does provide some pricing examples on its website. In a pricing spot check that we ran, we observed that discounts for AARP members seem consistently better than the regular Optum Perks program’s discounts. Keep in mind that to benefit from the AARP member-only tier of discounts, you’ll need to keep up with an AARP membership cost which may be about $16 yearly.

From Optum Perks, we saw that generic Lipitor was $18.67, generic Zoloft was $17.02, and generic EpiPen $302.75. In the AARP program, members were able to get generic Lipitor for $7.45, generic Zoloft for $8.62, and generic Epipen for $109. Overall, the Optum Perks prices were some of the highest among competitors, whereas the AARP program for members had the best Epipen price among competitors, and its Zoloft and Lipitor programs were highly competitive. Although AARP members can get delivery services, those service costs are not listed online.

The Pros and Cons of Optum Perks Prescription Discount Cards

• AARP Partnership: AARP has long been a trusted advocate for seniors. This organization fights ageism, provides educational materials on health and wellness, and connects seniors with many different kinds of discounts from corporate partners. For those who already pay for an AARP membership due to other member benefits, this program is a great additional benefit.
• Low Fees: Optum programs don’t offer the absolute best prices when compared to competitors, but its discounts can still be quite valuable. Moreover, these discounts are provided either totally free or free with an AARP membership. Considering that AARP membership costs less than $2 a month, even the cost of an AARP membership is negligible. These programs truly are a low-cost option.

Cons

• Convenience: Optum’s discount services, overall, have some problems with convenience. The lack of an app for the AARP programs ignores the fact that many seniors (or their caregivers) now embrace the convenience of smartphones. Similarly, the fact that the AARP mail-order program setup is only accessible via phone call puts it far behind most competitor programs.
• Transparency: While far more transparent about pricing than the low-tech competitor RxSavings Plan, Optum still has major problems with cost transparency. This brand’s online search tools have an unfortunately limiting design that forces the searcher to select a few brands at a time in order to view local costs. Other companies’ online tools, for comparison, typically provide one big list of all local options- often showing about 20 at a time. It’s hard to justify this inherently limiting feature when customers are trying their hardest to find the truly lowest price in their zip code. We also found it concerning that delivery prices – which often differ from in-store costs- were not available online.

RxSavings Plan Review

RxSavings Plan is a 100% free service offered by the PBM CVS Caremark. Though similarly named, it’s not related to its competitor RxSaver, which we profiled above. This no-frills, no-hype plan represents the perfect option for seniors who want a simple way to boost their savings. This program’s perks include its simplicity and its acceptance at over 65,000+ locations in all leading pharmacy chains. It’s a particularly great choice for those who like using their local CVS or CVS/Target pharmacies. This program’s main drawback is its marked lack of online shopping tools.

Overview of RxSavings’ Discount Programs

Where and How to Access RxSavings Discounts

While available to anyone within the USA, the RxSavings program describes itself as being specifically for “those who do not have prescription drug coverage.” It can be used at any Caremark participating pharmacy locations, of which there are roughly 65,000. Its discounts can also be applied to any mail-order programs that participating pharmacies offer. Signing up for a discount card is very easy- you can do so online simply by clicking “print your card” and entering your full name and email. The entry of your phone number is purely optional. Alternatively, the website lists a phone number you can call if you’d like to sign up via phone.

Unlike many other programs, the RxSavings Plan has no individual coupons for medications. It just has a simple discount card that you’ll use at all participating locations for all transactions on which you wish to use a RxSavings Plan discount. Since this company offers no pricing search tools, you won’t know your discounted price ahead of making your purchase unless you call the specific pharmacy you’re shopping at. However, when you’re at the pharmacy counter, pharmacists will generally help you compare what your insurance copayment might be to what the discount price from RxSavings is, so you should always be able to get whatever is the best price for you.

What You Should Know About RxSavings Pricing

The RxSavings Plan takes a refreshingly honest approach to how it advertises its savings potential. While the majority of other similar programs emphasize their “savings up to” statistics, this brand emphasizes its average savings statistics. To be clear, both “up to” and “average” savings are real numbers, but seeing the average tends to give customers more realistic expectations for what their own experience is likely to be. RxSavings plan states that it can provide an average savings of 24%. This average is derived from prices on both brand name and generic medications, but you’re likely to see the best prices for generics.

While this program does tell you the percentage you’re likely to save, it does not provide any data online about the prices of individual prescriptions. Most other companies let you search by medication, dosage, quantity, and location to learn your costs before you reach the counter. With RxSavings plan, you’ll need to call pharmacies and ask for their pricing after RxSavings plan discounts are applied. Due to the lack of an accessible pricing tool, we cannot say for sure how this program’s discounts rank in the pricing spot check that we conducted for other companies.

The Pros and Cons of RxSavings Prescription Discount Cards

• Negotiating Power: CVS Health, the parent company behind Caremark and the RxSavings Plan, currently ranks as number 5 on the Fortune 500 list. With $265,285 million in revenue, this publicly-traded company has amazing negotiating power with drug manufacturers and local pharmacies alike. It’s hard to beat CVS Health when it comes to longevity, profitability, name recognition, and market share.
• Website FAQs: In general, this plan is designed for those who really prefer to conduct all business over the phone or in person, so its website is relatively bare-bones. However, we did appreciate the detailed, clearly-worded “Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) ” section RxSavings plan provided. If you want to understand how to get the most out of this program, that section is a great place to start.

Cons

• Limited Options: With the RxSavings plan, what you see is what you get. There are no special service options that you can explore if the main program isn’t really providing the discounts that you hoped for. That simplicity is the program’s appeal for many, but for others, it just means that you’ll need to move on to another company until you find a discount level that makes your medications truly affordable.

Our Price Check Methodology

The prices of prescription drugs tend to be quite volatile, so any pricing data that we gathered for this guide should be seen as what it is- a snapshot of pricing in a particular time and place. When we collected pricing data on companies, we strove to do so with consistent methods so that prices would be as comparable as possible.

How We Checked Prices:

• Timing: We checked and rechecked prices within the smallest practical time span. The majority of prices were checked and recorded within a few days, and we rechecked some prices over the span of a few weeks. Even during this narrow timespan, some prices did fluctuate, but overall, costs remained fairly even throughout the check period. 
• Location: All pricing search tools ask for a zip code, and we entered the same New York City zip code for each. Seniors should note that many companies showed us around 20 different discount options for that zip code, though some had fewer options. We always recorded the best available discount from each company. Many companies listed their discounts as “estimated,” indicating that sudden fluctuations are likely.
• Medication: We looked at prices for the generics of Lipitor (treats high cholesterol), Zoloft (treats mood disorders), and Epipen auto-injectors (treats severe allergic reactions). Different people take different dosages of such medications, but we were careful only to compare the same dosages and quantities as much as possible. We also only looked at the prices of generics. In some cases, the generics may have been from differing manufacturers, which can impact pricing.
• Program: We primarily focused on comparing the levels of discounts in each company’s most basic tier of discounts. However, we did collect information on the kinds of discounts obtainable in paid/specialty programs.

Frequently Asked Questions

Works Cited

1. Balasubramanian, Sai, J.D. “Prescription Drug And Healthcare Costs Are Rising.” Forbes, 21 Sept. 2020. https://www.forbes.com/sites/saibala/2020/09/21/prescription-drug-and-healthcare-costs-are-rising/?sh=6e461e78367e. Accessed 17 Mar 2021. 
2. “Drug coverage (Part D).” https://www.medicare.gov/drug-coverage-part-d. Accessed 01 Mar 2021. 
3. “Extra Help With Medicare Prescription Drug Plan Costs.” SSA.gov, Publication Date Not Listed, https://secure.ssa.gov/i1020/start. Accessed 01 Mar 2021.
4. “Health Benefits: Medication Copayments.” VA.gov, 2 April 2018, https://www.va.gov/healthbenefits/resources/publications/hbco/hbco_copayments.asp. Accessed 01 Mar 2021. 
5. Associated Press. “New Laws Allow Pharmacists to Disclose Cheaper Options.” AARP, 11 October 2018,https://www.aarp.org/health/drugs-supplements/info-2018/gag-rules-pharmacists.html#:~:text=Under%20pharmacy%20gag%20rules%2C%20pharmacists,that%20could%20impact%20their%20business. Accessed 05 February 2021.
6. Gilchrist, Allison. “4 Smart Ways to Split Pills.” Pharmacy Times, 10 Jan 2016,https://www.pharmacytimes.com/view/4-smart-ways-to-split-pills. Accessed 01 Mar 2021.