Drug Discount Cards and Coupons – What’s the Difference

Drug Discount Cards and Coupons – What’s the Difference Pharmaceuticals manufacturers raise their medications’ prices way above the yearly inflation rate. So, many individuals struggle to fill their prescriptions despite having health insurance. It becomes harder for people with low income and without insurance to get their prescription filled every time due to the rising medications’ costs. Coupons and drug discount cards are available to help people afford their medications and save on prescriptions. Many people consider drug discount coupons and drug discount cards the same thing, but they have some key differences and unique advantages though some features may be similar. Here, we have discussed the features, advantages and disadvantages of drug discount coupons and prescription savings card, and which one you should choose and why.

So, let’s start with drug discount coupons.

These can be of below three types: Prescription discount coupons: These are issued by the pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) who negotiate lower prices of medications with pharmacies. You may have to get a new coupon every time you go for a refill as a discount drug price may change frequently. Prescription discount coupons cannot be used to reduce your insurance copay amount.

Pharmacy discount coupons: These coupons can be used to reduce the cost of non-covered medications or the ones that come with quantity limits, prior authorization and other insurance restrictions. You may still be able to contribute to your high deductible health plan with pharmacy discount coupons.

Manufacturer copay coupons: These can be used as copay assistance to lower the copay amount. As the name suggests, these coupons are offered by the drug manufacturer and are generally meant for use on new medications or brand-name only medicines. Though these coupons can be helpful to those who need patient assistance for saving on drugs, they come with some strings attached, such as:

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You cannot use the manufacturer copay coupons indefinitely, so your coupons may not work when you need them the most, say six months or a year later. You may have to pay the full price of the expensive brand-name medication that you need.

They have generally limitations on how much you can fill in a specific time period.

You may be billed secondary to primary insurance, and may not be able to use your manufacturer savings coupon if you don’t have health insurance.

You may have to provide your medical information to the manufacturer.

The manufacturer can still charge your health insurance provider, leading to higher premiums.

Drug discount coupons have some more limitations, such as: o You can use your coupons for a limited number of fills. o Some coupons may not include the people with Medicare, Medicaid and other government insurances. o Many coupons provide you only a fixed number of discounts, like $15 for a 90-day supply. As such, you may not get the best price for your medications as the price of drugs may vary significantly from pharmacy-to-pharmacy. o Generics are always cheaper than the brand-name medications that you will have to purchase with coupons.

You may not find drug discount coupons to be the best option for you in view of their multiple limitations. However, some drug discount cards are also available that you can use to save on prescription costs. EzRx is one such card that has been designed to overcome the shortcomings of drug discount coupons. It can be freely downloaded and used by all irrespective of their age, income or coverage status.

Here are some key advantages of EzRx drug discount cards:  Changes in the discounted price, be it up or down, are automatically applied and passed on to the prescription savings card holder, from one refill to the next.  The prescription medication discount card has no refill limits and no expiration date.  It can be used regardless of your insurance status. People without health insurance or those with health insurance, both can use the EzRx drug savings card for prescription medication savings.  You can use your EzRx drug card to save on prescriptions if your insurance plan has high deductibles or copays.  Patients in the Medicare Part D coverage gap (donut hole) can also use the EzRx discount drug card to save on prescription medications.  You can use your EzRx drug card to save on new expensive medications.

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The card can be used regardless of your medical history.

Everybody is eligible to download EzRx drug discount card.

No upfront costs and no renewal charges, EzRx drug card is offered for Free to all.

The card can be used for an unlimited number of prescription fills for an unlimited time.

It can also be used to save on pet medications and OTC medications.

The card can also be shared with others to help them save on medications.

You can also check drug prices on www.ezrxdrugcard.com, and if you find the discounted drug price is lower than what you will have as a copay with your insurance, you may use your EzRx prescription savings card for medications savings.

Which one to choose – drug discount coupon or drug discount card?

Many physicians also want the consumers to stay away from these coupons as they simply lower the copayments that you must pay. So, while you may be paying less at the pharmacy, the insurance company has to pay more for the medication, ultimately resulting in a higher premium for you and an overall increased burden on the healthcare system.

From the above, it is clear that a prescription savings card is better and most convenient to use to get prescription cost savings. If you want to receive savings on drugs and save on meds, simply download your EzRx drug discount card from www.ezrxdrugcard.com, or get your digital drug saving card by texting the keyword phrase “EzRx” to the phone number 21000.

No registration required, no disclosure of personal information No registration is required, we will not seek your personal information to provide you EzRx card. It is provided pre-activated and comes with lifetime validity, so you can use your card right away at over 65,000 network pharmacies including the major chains such as CVS, Publix, Kroger, Rite-Aid and Winn-Dixie to save up to 85% on prescription brand-name and generic medications. Use it as Albuterol discount card, Adipex savings card, benzonatate discount card, to save on flu vaccine prices, or as a prescription saving card for saving on drugs. You can also share your EzRx drug card with family, friends and colleagues to help them also save on prescription drugs and improve their adherence to the treatment plan.