14 · SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2019 TRIB TOTAL MEDIA
HOW TO SAVE MONEY ON YOUR MEDICATION
Dear Savvy Senior,
I take several medications for multiple
health conditions, and the prices keep
going up, even with insurance. Can you rec-ommend
any tips that can help me save?
— Price-Gouged Patty
Dear Patty,
The rising cost of prescription
drugs is a problem that stings mil-lions
of Americans. While there’s
no one solution, there are some
different strategies and resources
that can help reduce your drug
costs, so you can afford what you
need. Here are several to consider:
Know your drug formulary
Most drug plans today have formularies
(a list of medications they cover) that place
drugs into different “tiers.” Drugs in each
tier have a different cost. A drug in a lower
tier will generally cost you less than a drug
in a higher tier, and higher-tier drugs might
require you to get permission or try another
medication first before you can use it.
To get a copy of your plan’s formulary, visit
your drug plan’s website or call the 800 num-ber
on the back of your insurance card.
Once you have this information, share it
with your doctor so, if possible, he or she can
prescribe you medications in the
lower-cost tiers. Or, they can help
you get coverage approval from
your insurer if you need a more
expensive drug.
You also need to find out if
your drug plan offers preferred
pharmacies or offers a mail-order
service. Buying your meds from
these sources can save you some
money too.
Talk to your doctor
Ask your doctor if any of the medications
you’re currently taking can be reduced or
stopped. And find out if the ones you are
taking are available in generic form. About 80
percent of all premium drugs on the market
today have a lower-cost alternative.
Ask for a 3-month prescription
This can be significantly cheaper for drugs
you take long-term. If you use insurance,
you’ll pay one co-pay rather than three.
Split your pills
Ask your doctor if the pills you’re taking
can be cut in half. Pill splitting allows you to
get two months’ worth of medicine for the
price of one. If you do this, you’ll need to get
a prescription from your doctor for twice the
dosage you need.
Find and use online discounts
Start by trying GoodRx.com, BlinkHealth.
com or WeRx.org. They will ask for the name
of the drug, the dose, the number of pills and
where you live. Then they will show you what
you can expect to pay at various pharmacies if
you use their discount coupons or vouchers,
which you can print or download to a phone.
Pay cash
Most generic medications cost less if you
don’t use your insurance. For example, chains,
such as Target and Walmart, offer discount-drug
programs that sell generics for as little as
$4 for a 30-day supply and $10 for a 90-day
supply if you pay out-of-pocket.
Shop online
You can also save by using an online
pharmacy, such as HealthWarehouse.com,
but be sure to use an online retailer that
operates within the U.S. and is licensed. The
site should display the VIPPS symbol, which
shows it’s a Verified Internet Pharmacy Prac-tice
Site.
Find drug assistance programs
If your income is limited, you can probably
get help through drug assistance programs
offered through pharmaceutical companies,
government agencies and charitable
organizations. To find these types of pro-grams,
use sites like BenefitsCheckUp.org,
PatientAdvocate.org, RxAssist.org and
NeedyMeds.org.
Send your senior questions to: Savvy Senior,
P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit
SavvySenior.org. Jim Miller is a contributor to
the NBC Today show and author of “The Savvy
Senior” book.
Jim Miller
SAVVY SENIOR
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