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People with limited income may benefit from prescription discounts to receive medications they need at a reduced price. There are various prescription discount cards available, with some allowing individuals to save their prescriptions and compare prices on a mobile app. Others also offer extra features such as home delivery and medication reminders.

This article looks at the different prescription discount cards and subscriptions that may help people save money on medication and other treatments. It also explores nonprofit organizations and pharmaceutical companies that offer assistance programs.

Please note that the writer of this article has not tried these products. All information presented is purely research-based and correct at the time of publication.

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Medical News Today chooses prescription discount services based on the following criteria where possible:

  • Participating pharmacies: Services that offer discounts that are valid in a range of pharmacies.
  • App connectivity: Services that have an app that people can download to view discounts easily.
  • Savings: Services that offer up to 80% discount on common medications.
  • Coverage: Services that offer coverage for the account holder, dependents, and pets.

SingleCare is a prescription discount plan available for individuals 13 years and older who live in the United States.

However, it is not a health insurance plan. Instead, the plan collaborates with various pharmacies to offer a free prescription discount program. With this plan, a person can purchase prescription medications at reduced prices.

Individuals can also use the SingleCare plan through a smartphone app.

People can get the SingleCare discount card whether they have health insurance or not. The discounts a person can access do not depend on their income, and individuals can reportedly save up to 80% on prescription drugs.

Customers can ask pharmacists for the prescription’s retail price and then apply a SingleCare coupon for the free discount.

Pharmacies and medications

Some U.S. pharmacies that accept the SingleCare prescription savings card include:

SingleCare is also available for most medications — individuals can look up drugs in the search bar on the SingleCare website and check whether they can get a discount.

Some of the medications eligible for a SingleCare discount include:

Learn more about how to save money on Viagra here.

Pros and cons

There are various advantages and disadvantages of SingleCare, including the below.

Pros

  • available for people with and without insurance
  • free membership
  • no credit card enrollment
  • home delivery option available

Cons

  • limited partnerships with pharmacies
  • different cards and coupons may be confusing
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America’s Pharmacy is a free prescription savings card available for adults living in the U.S.

Similar to SingleCare, individuals can save up to 80% on prescription drugs with the service, which collaborates with more than 62,000 pharmacies.

Once people complete their prescriptions, they can present their card or coupon to a pharmacist to receive a discount. They can also download the America’s Pharmacy app on their smartphone to find the nearest participating pharmacy and see how much they can save.

In addition, individuals could receive discounts on pet medications.

Pharmacies and medications

Some of the pharmacies that accept America’s Pharmacy prescription savings card include:

America’s Pharmacy also offers different discounts depending on the drug a person needs to purchase. People may also get alternative discounts depending on whether they have health insurance or not.

According to reviews, individuals who are unemployed and do not have health insurance can access this discount plan.

Some medications available from America’s Pharmacy prescription discounts include:

Pros and cons

There are various advantages and disadvantages of America’s Pharmacy, including the below.

Pros

  • available for human and pet medications
  • free membership and no enrolment fees
  • smartphone app available to view discounts and participating pharmacies

Cons

  • customer representatives unavailable on weekends
  • unavailable with insurance plans or government-funded programs, including Medicare or Medicaid
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The American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) offers a free prescription discount card for U.S. residents.

People do not need health insurance to use the AARP prescription discount card.

Those who are members of the organization may also benefit from additional features, such as:

  • home deliveries
  • medication reminders
  • access to caregivers

Pharmacies and medications

According to the AARP Program website, individuals can save at over 66,000 participating pharmacies, including Kroger, Walmart, and Walgreens.

People can also use the card on medications with approval from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and there is no limit on how often they can use it. A person also can access discounts for branded, generic, and over-the-counter (OTC) medications.

However, individuals will need a prescription to receive OTC drugs.

Pros and cons

There are various advantages and disadvantages of the AARP Prescription Discount Card, including the below.

Pros

  • home delivery options and additional benefits for AARP members
  • provides educational materials on its website
  • available for generic and brand-name drugs

Cons

  • prescription required for OTC medications
  • no smartphone app is available
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People can consider the Costco Membership Prescription Program (CMPP) for discounts on medications and immunization treatments. This program is available for people 18 years and older. Additionally, a person can add pets and those under 18 years of age as dependents.

Pharmacies and medications

Thousands of pharmacies accept the CMPP discount scheme, and people can save between 2% and 40% on prescription and OTC products.

Some medications the CMPP covers include:

Learn more about how to save costs on Cialis (tadalafil) here.

Pros and cons

There are various advantages and disadvantages of the CMPP, including the below.

Pros

  • covers prescription and OTC drugs, including pet medications
  • discounts on immunization treatments
  • available for all U.S. Costco pharmacies

Cons

  • limited dosage options
  • not available in combination with governmental programs
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With the GoodRx prescription discount card, a person can save up to 80% on prescription medications. Individuals can also get discounts for their family members and pets, and there is no fee to join. Additionally, the discount card has no expiry date.

According to the GoodRx website, the card has helped people save $20 billion on healthcare and prescription medications.

A person can also use the GoodRx mobile app to compare prices and save on prescriptions.

Pharmacies and medications

Over 70,000 pharmacies in the U.S. offer discounts for people with the GoodRx prescription discount card. Some of these include:

Some medications people can get with the GoodRx discount card include:

Pros and cons

There are various advantages and disadvantages of this GoodRx service, including the below.

Pros

  • offers a mobile app to compare prices
  • free mail delivery
  • covers pet medications

Cons

  • monthly subscription fee
  • prescriptions needed for OTC drugs
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Optum Perks is a free service that may help a person save up to 80% on FDA-approved prescription medications. The discount card covers prescriptions for all family members, including pets.

There is also a mobile app for iOS and Android users. This allows individuals to search pharmacies near them to compare discounted prices on their chosen medication.

The service also offers home delivery service to all 50 U.S. states.

Optum Perks states it does not require people to have insurance.

Pharmacies and medications

Optum Perks discounts are available at over 64,000 pharmacies within the United States. Some examples of these pharmacies include:

Some examples of medications people with an Optum Perks discount card can receive include:

Pros and cons

There are various advantages and disadvantages of the Optum Perks.

Pros

  • covers the whole family, including pets
  • mobile app for price comparison
  • free service and no personal information is necessary
  • offers a home delivery service

Cons

  • prices may be higher in comparison with other services
  • several reviews state the app may crash and prices may not always be accurate
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A person may wish to carry out some research before settling on a provider for prescription discounts. Considerations may include:

  • Price: Different services may offer greater discounts.
  • Coverage: Some services may cover pets, children, or spouses in addition to discounts for the account holder.
  • Medications: Not all services offer discounts for all medications.

According to the FDA, generic medications can be 80–85% cheaper than their branded counterparts.

Other companies offer discounts or financial assistance, including those below.

A person could access discount medications via nonprofit organizations.

Some nonprofit organizations offering this support may include:

  • NeedyMeds: Offers patient assistance programs, drug discount programs, and free or low cost medical care. Its database is free, and people may benefit from a 40% discount on medical equipment.
  • RxAssist: RxAssist is available for doctors who wish to help individuals obtain free medications or products at a low cost. Individuals can also use RxAssist to learn about the ways they can manage the cost of their medication.
  • Patient Assistance: People can access coupons and the patient assistance programs database with Patient Assistance. The service also offers information on the medication a person is intending to take, including side effects and interactions.

Some pharmaceutical companies offer sponsor assistance programs to help individuals with financial issues. They include the below.

  • Novartis: Offers various patient assistance programs. People can pay up to $30 for a 30-day prescription drug with the co-pay assistance scheme, while those with limited finances may also receive free medications with the Patient Assistance Foundation program.
  • Pfizer: The Pfizer savings program does not include any membership fees. A person can access discounts of up to 75% on certain medications.
  • Johnson & Johnson: Donates medications to those without insurance coverage.

Here we answer some common questions about how to find discounts for prescriptions.

Does Medicare offer prescription discounts?

People who are under Medicare Part D may be eligible for the plan’s Extra Help program.

If a person receives full coverage under this program, they will pay no more than $3.95 for each generic medication and no more than $9.85 for each brand-name medication. The program will need to cover the drugs for people to pay at a discount.

Those who receive partial coverage will pay no more than 15% of the cost for each medication the program covers.

Once a drug cost reaches $7,050, those on full coverage will pay nothing toward the cost of medication, and those on partial coverage will pay up to $3.95 for each generic drug and up to $9.85 for each brand-name drug.

People who receive full Medicaid coverage, help from their state in paying Medicare Part B premiums, or have Supplemental Security Income benefits are automatically eligible for the Extra Help program.

People who do not meet the above criteria may be eligible for the program if they are under a certain income and resource limit.

Individuals are eligible if their income is $20,385 or less and they have $15,150 or less in resources — which includes stocks and bonds and money in checking, savings, or retirement accounts — per year.

Married couples are eligible if their income is $27,465 or less and they have $30,950 or less in resources per year.

Learn more about Medicare and prescription costs here.

Can I get discounts on prescriptions if I do not have insurance?

Yes, many of the above discount services do not require a person to have medical insurance.

Are there coupons for prescription discounts?

Yes, prescription discount services usually provide coupons that allow people to receive their discounts in their chosen pharmacy.

A person can purchase medication at a reduced price by using discount prescription services. Certain companies offer plans that collaborate with various pharmacies to provide this service. Many plans cover common medications, while some even cover immunization treatments and pet medications.

However, an individual does not always need health insurance to access discount medication. They may also be able to access discounts if they are unemployed.

Additionally, individuals with limited finances may also wish to research nonprofit organizations and pharmaceutical companies. They may offer discount services and other assistance programs providing access to free or low cost medications and health products.

Please note: Medical News Today does not imply warranty of fitness for a particular purpose or endorse any of these applications. Nobody at MNT has evaluated these apps for medical accuracy. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not approved them unless otherwise indicated.