# Those Dental Cards and Prescription Cards-Worth It Or Fraud?



## fmdog44 (Oct 30, 2018)

We all get prescription cards and dental cards in the mail. I toss mine because I have insurance but can anyone offer an insight to them?


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## Gary O' (Oct 30, 2018)

My insurance is weak in covering prescriptions

I’ve used the one I got via google for the last three years (recommended by a retired friend)
Wally world has the numbers on file so I never need to carry it

Very noticeable discounts, some huge


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## fmdog44 (Oct 31, 2018)

Gary O' said:


> My insurance is weak in covering prescriptions
> 
> I’ve used the one I got via google for the last three years (recommended by a retired friend)
> Wally world has the numbers on file so I never need to carry it
> ...



OK now here is my question, who is absorbing the cost?


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## Gary O' (Oct 31, 2018)

fmdog44 said:


> OK now here is my question, who is absorbing the cost?



My immediate thought is, the undiscounted prices are so exorbitantly high from the get-go, there's really nothing to 'absorb'

My imagination goes to the pharmaceutical mfgs, thinking they're missing out on sales (folks just not taking their meds due to cost impact of being uninsured) 

thus

those little offers

that's where my tiny mind goes

it's like all those mattress sales
When's the last time anyone paid 'full price'?


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## fmdog44 (Nov 1, 2018)

Gary O' said:


> My immediate thought is, the undiscounted prices are so exorbitantly high from the get-go, there's really nothing to 'absorb'
> 
> My imagination goes to the pharmaceutical mfgs, thinking they're missing out on sales (folks just not taking their meds due to cost impact of being uninsured)
> 
> ...



But that would man something for nothing from the pharmaceutical gangsters. I just decided against starting Humira because the first shot is $1,600, then $1,000 the next months then $500/mo. for the remaining 10 months then it recycles for the second and following years. I will ask the druggist this weekend.


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## AZ Jim (Nov 1, 2018)

fmdog44 said:


> We all get prescription cards and dental cards in the mail. I toss mine because I have insurance but can anyone offer an insight to them?


I do not have Prescription insurance but my discount card has saved me hundreds in the last few years.  The one I use is a PS Card.


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## Marie5656 (Nov 1, 2018)

*I always check on those cards or insurance plans by searching for the card name and include the term "reviews" and read customer reviews on the products.  Most are not worth it, if you go by reviews.
Here in New York we have EPIC, which helps with insurance payments. It is right from the State of NY, and is legit.  It is an add on to your regular drug coverage.  DH has it and it has saved him quite a bit so far.  I do not know if other states have similar coverage, but am posting the link for fellow New Yorkers, or for others to check if your state has it.    *https://www.health.ny.gov/health_care/epic/


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## Keesha (Nov 1, 2018)

I’ve never heard of prescription cards. We have insurance cards that pay for most of our prescription and dental bills up to $2,000 a year. If you  don’t have coverage in Canada or can’t afford it , our government will pay for it up to a certain amount.


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## fmdog44 (Nov 1, 2018)

AZ Jim said:


> I do not have Prescription insurance but my discount card has saved me hundreds in the last few years.  The one I use is a PS Card.



But who is paying is the question.


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## Gary O' (Nov 1, 2018)

fmdog44 said:


> But who is paying is the question.


Nobody
And nobody needs to
The prices, like mattresses, are jacked up, waaaay past the normal mfg to market mark up


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## fmdog44 (Nov 1, 2018)

Gary O' said:


> Nobody
> And nobody needs to
> The prices, like mattresses, are jacked up, waaaay past the normal mfg to market mark up



I can't buy that because then everyone would get them and use them. I will be at my pharmacy tomorrow.


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## Gary O' (Nov 1, 2018)

fmdog44 said:


> I can't buy that because then everyone would get them and use them. I will be at my pharmacy tomorrow.


Take yer discount card


The line can be long

(There's a lot of us freebee card carriers)


Seriously, talk to them about it


report back


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## Aunt Bea (Nov 2, 2018)

Gary O' said:


> Nobody
> And nobody needs to
> The prices, like mattresses, are jacked up, waaaay past the normal mfg to market mark up



I agree it's just a negotiated discount off of the suggested retail price.

Knowing why won't change a thing just hand the guy your card and enjoy the savings.


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## Gary O' (Nov 2, 2018)

Aunt Bea said:


> it's just a negotiated discount off of the suggested retail price.



there's the words


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## fmdog44 (Nov 4, 2018)

I received another on from a different source so now if we are getting multiple cards how many sources are there? I just was told my copay will 100 percent for Siliq a drug for psoriasis so I will see how much of this latest card will pay.


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## fmdog44 (Nov 4, 2018)

*Do discount cards really work?*
Some customers used a discount card to get a reduced price for a medication that costs $227, but they ended up paying $317. If they paid for the medication in cash, they could have saved $90.

Of course, the discount card can be used for other purchases, but not all of the time. How much discount you get will depend on the card that you're using.

For example, a customer who bought a discount card online only got a $5 discount when they used it in a pharmacy. In a bid to save more, the customer asked if there is a discount card available behind the counter.

Luckily, there was a RoadRunner Rx card available that would provide a 75% saving for a particular medication. Unluckily, the same amount of discount will not be enjoyed when used for other types of prescription drugs. 

Providers of pharmacy discount cards sometimes overcharge the customer, but limit how much a pharmacist could keep. In some cases, a pharmacy is only allowed to collect $1.50 for filling a prescription.

It is important to note, however, that there are discount cards by drug manufacturers and those from privately funded programs or so-called discount companies. The difference between these cards may not make much of a difference because drug manufacturers have contracts with discount card companies.

There may be price negotiations conducted on a patient's behalf, but the price that is agreed upon takes into account how much kickback a card company can get from a drug manufacturer. As such, there is definitely money that is lost from the consumers. 

Take, for instance, pharmacy discount cards offered by the Louisiana prescription assistance program. When the cards are used to buy medications, a prescription would cost $66, but only $17 without it.

You would think that the federal government, the FCC, and the FTC, would step in and put a stop to the blatant abuse on the sick and those who can’t afford to buy medications at the actual price, but they have not.

Pharmacy discount cards are advertised as free and convenient to acquire and use. But consumers are not actually getting the most beneficial deal out of them.

In the event that a patient is better off paying out of pocket for some prescriptions, professor of health policy at Emory University's Rollins School of Public Health, Dr David Howard, recommends that you ask your doctor if you can use older, less expensive drugs and if there is a generic medication available. 

_Joshua Pirestani is the President and founder of the American Pharmacy Purchasing Alliance._









Most Popular

Importance of Medication Reconciliation in the Continuum of Care 


The Truth About Pharmacy Discount Cards 




​​​​

*Do discount cards really work?*
Some customers used a discount card to get a reduced price for a medication that costs $227, but they ended up paying $317. If they paid for the medication in cash, they could have saved $90.

Of course, the discount card can be used for other purchases, but not all of the time. How much discount you get will depend on the card that you're using.

For example, a customer who bought a discount card online only got a $5 discount when they used it in a pharmacy. In a bid to save more, the customer asked if there is a discount card available behind the counter.

Luckily, there was a RoadRunner Rx card available that would provide a 75% saving for a particular medication. Unluckily, the same amount of discount will not be enjoyed when used for other types of prescription drugs. 

Providers of pharmacy discount cards sometimes overcharge the customer, but limit how much a pharmacist could keep. In some cases, a pharmacy is only allowed to collect $1.50 for filling a prescription.

It is important to note, however, that there are discount cards by drug manufacturers and those from privately funded programs or so-called discount companies. The difference between these cards may not make much of a difference because drug manufacturers have contracts with discount card companies.

There may be price negotiations conducted on a patient's behalf, but the price that is agreed upon takes into account how much kickback a card company can get from a drug manufacturer. As such, there is definitely money that is lost from the consumers. 

Take, for instance, pharmacy discount cards offered by the Louisiana prescription assistance program. When the cards are used to buy medications, a prescription would cost $66, but only $17 without it.

You would think that the federal government, the FCC, and the FTC, would step in and put a stop to the blatant abuse on the sick and those who can’t afford to buy medications at the actual price, but they have not.

Pharmacy discount cards are advertised as free and convenient to acquire and use. But consumers are not actually getting the most beneficial deal out of them.

In the event that a patient is better off paying out of pocket for some prescriptions, professor of health policy at Emory University's Rollins School of Public Health, Dr David Howard, recommends that you ask your doctor if you can use older, less expensive drugs and if there is a generic medication available. 

_Joshua Pirestani is the President and founder of the American Pharmacy Purchasing Alliance._









Most Popular

Importance of Medication Reconciliation in the Continuum of Care 


The Truth About Pharmacy Discount Cards 




​​​​

​​
​​


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## Don M. (Nov 4, 2018)

I've compared prices online at "GoodRX", but I don't take any drugs, and my wife only takes one minor prescription...which our insurance covers with a $4/month co-pay...so there isn't much incentive for us to worry about drug costs.  However, it appears that if someone is having to take some of these drugs, and doesn't have good insurance, there might be some financial advantage for using these discount services.


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