How to save money on prescriptions

Tips for using your healthcare dollars wisely

Saving money isn’t just about where you get healthcare. You can lower costs when it comes to prescriptions, too. Use these tips to save money and maximize your prescription drug coverage.

Lower tiers mean higher savings

We cover a wide variety of prescription drugs. We use a drug list, also known as a formulary, to classify these drugs based on the level of out-of-pocket costs for our members. These out-of-pocket cost levels are called tiers.

Different plans have different tiers. But the general rule is this: Prescription medications on lower tiers cost less. Members can sign in to their accounts to get detailed drug pricing by pharmacy based on their personal benefits. Log in to view personal plan information.

Search for your prescription medication on the covered drug list for your plan type.

Generic drugs

Generic drugs are in our lower tiers of prescription medication coverage. This means we cover them at lower copays than their brand-name counterparts.

Generic drugs are:

• Made from the same active ingredients as equivalent brand-name drugs
• Held to the same Food and Drug Administration standards as brand-name drugs
• Usually manufactured in the same facilities as their brand-name counterparts
• Less expensive to make than brand-name drugs
• Subject to greater competition among manufacturers, which means bigger savings for you

Use an in-network pharmacy

We work with more than 30,000 pharmacies as part of our network. These pharmacies contract with us to offer members prescription medications at lower rates than are available to other consumers. Make sure you fill your prescriptions at a pharmacy within the network.

Find a pharmacy near you or check out our home-delivery pharmacy service.

Savings beyond prescription coverage

You may be a member, but don’t have prescription drug coverage through your chosen healthcare plan. If so, you can still save on your medications by using an in-network pharmacy.

All you have to do is show your member ID card at an in-network pharmacy when you fill a prescription. You’ll benefit from our negotiated rate, which generally is lower than what you would pay for the medication on your own.

Over-the-counter drugs also can save you money. Your doctor may be able to recommend an appropriate, nonprescription option to treat many common conditions, such as:

• Allergies
• Coughs and colds
• Fever
• Headaches
• Heartburn

90-day prescription program

It can be a hassle to go to the pharmacy every month, especially for prescription drugs you take on a long-term basis – also known as maintenance drugs.

Save a couple of trips with our 90-day prescription program. You can fill up to a 90-day supply of maintenance drugs through this program. The typical cost is two copays, but it may vary per plan.

You can sign up for the 90-day prescription program through Pharmacy Advantage.

Sign up