| Are
Discount Prescription Drug Cards A Form of Affordable Health
Insurance?
By
The Affordable Health Insurance Network
In all likelihood,
you have probably seen them - whether you are at Walgreen's,
CVS, or any various pharmacy across America, discount prescription
drug programs seem to be offered everywhere. You can peruse
an array of discount prescription programs online, and emails
are often sent to elicit enrollment into different plans.
So, what exactly are discount prescription drug cards?
Let us
take a look at Walgreens as an example. Called the "Walgreens
Prescription Savings Club," members have access to discounts
on over 5000 brand name and generic medications. More specifically,
400 of the generic prescriptions are priced at $12 for a 90
day supply. For $20 a year, an individual can receive reductions
in the cost of many of the medications he or she already uses.
An entire family would pay only $35 a year.
Other discount
prescription drug programs do not charge any fee. For instance,
YourRxCard allows you to download a free prescription drug card
online, instantly providing you access to savings up to 75%
off all FDA approved drugs at 57,000 pharmacies across the United
States. This site lists the following as the benefits of the
program:
* No
deductibles
* No waiting period
* No pre-existing exclusions
* Everyone qualifies
* Instant activation
YourRxCard
even offers a medication pricing tool to find out how much
your prescription will cost, as well as a pharmacy locator
to find pharmacies in your area that participate in this program.
Are programs such as the "Walgreens Prescription Savings Club"
and YourRxCard considered a form of affordable health insurance?
The answer
is, quite simply, no. Although discount prescription drug
cards provide a savings for individuals and families who require
an assortment of medications, they are not really a form of
affordable health insurance. Instead, they are more of a supplement
to existing health insurance. However, even if one does not
have health insurance, he or she still can utilize the benefits
from these types of programs in order to receive lower costs
for prescriptions that are necessary to obtain.
Not all
discount prescription drug cards are for everyone. Some find
a significant savings while using one of these cards, while
others find little to no saving at all. Some programs have
restrictions, such as income limits and age limits, while
others claim to provide discounts to everyone with no constraints.
Some discount plans can be used in addition to one's health
insurance, while others can only be utilized if the person
or family does not already have access to prescription benefits
in existing insurance coverage.
Although
discount prescription drug cards are not considered a form
of affordable health insurance, it may prove to be a wise
decision to use them as additional coverage that will reduce
the costs of medications. This is especially the case for
those who find their monthly prescription bills to be very
costly.
The
Affordable Health Insurance Network (www.AffordableHealthInsurance.NET)
is an online resource that provides free tips and secrets
on how to obtain affordable health insurance.
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