By Diane Lee (WSPA)
Most of us want to save money, but that doesn’t stop a lot of people from handing over their healthcare card at the pharmacy without asking questions or comparing prices. By doing that, you’re wasting money. There are a lot of ways to cut costs, other than just buying generic.
UP THE SUPPLY:
Your health insurance company’s mail order pharmacy has been offering 60 or 90 day supplies on certain for a while. And we’ve learned more brick and mortar pharmacies have begun offering that, too, even smaller stores like Ford’s Drugs in Spartanburg, SC. It means you get more for just one co-pay, and over time that equals big savings.
COMBO DRUGS
Ask your doctor if there are any combination drug options for the particular drugs you take. .
“My Doctor said ‘oh you take this and this and we can combine them and then you’ll just be taking one of them,’ and that’s going to help a lot too because before I was paying 2 co-pays and now they’ll just be one co-pay,” said Kathy Beer who takes 22 pills a day.
COUPONS AND SAMPLES
The drug manufacturer may offer coupons online, through your doctor, or by calling directly. And your doctor can give you samples when you are testing out new drugs.
UP THE DOSAGE/SPLIT THE PILL
Ask your doctor for double the dosage and if the pill doesn’t have a splitting line, get a pill splitter with a magnifying glass. It runs under $8. That allows you to cut the pill directly in half.
CO-PAY MAY NOT BE LOWEST
Now, when it comes to generics, don’t assume paying through your insurance is the cheapest route. Many pharmacies now have savings programs that drop prices well below your co-pay.
“You may just wind up paying a flat $4 for the month or $10 for 3 months which would save you lots of money there,” said Ada Cudd with Ford’s Drugs.
COMPARISON SHOP
And finally, comparison shopping is key. Be sure to include wholesale club stores like Costco and Sam’s Club. You don’t need a membership to get steep savings.
If you are searching for online pharmacies, here’s a list of accredited ones.
