Insurance won't cover your prescription? 10 Ways to Save on Prescription Drugs

Healthcare costs are at an all time high, and the cost of prescription drugs gets higher and higher along with them. Most United States citizens can barely afford health insurance premiums, let alone the cost of medications that they need to stay healthy. Here are some ways to save your hard earned money when it comes to prescription drugs:

1. Ask if there is a generic version of the drug. This has saved me money time and time again. Generic versions of drugs work equally as well and are usually a fraction of the cost.
2. Ask your doctor if he/she has any in office samples of the drug. Though the samples that the doctor has are usually the more expensive versions of the medication that you need; some doctors will give you enough samples to cover your first month or two of medication that you need.
3. Check the website of the maker of the drug. If you do leave the doctors office with a name brand prescription for an expensive drug, go to the website of that drug. Often you will find high dollar coupons for money off of the drug.
4. Get a FREE prescription discount card. Prescription discount cards REALLY DO work ESPECIALLY for those who do not have health insurance that covers the cost of prescriptions. I personally have saved anywhere from 10%-50% off of drugs this way. Click here to sign up for a free prescription discount card (signup even if you have insurance because health insurance doesn't cover EVERY prescription prescribed).
5. Check into prescription discount plans. Most stores such as Walgreens, Target, etc that have a pharmacy will have a membership program that you pay around $10 a year for that will get you most prescription drugs for as low as $4 for generics.
6. Check online pharmacies. Only deal with online pharmacies that require your prescription before they ship you out medication because otherwise the pharmacy may be illegal. Other than that, you can find deep discounts online for prescription drugs.
7. Split the prescription up. If you absolutely have to have a prescription filled that is pricey and there's no way to go down on the cost, you could split the prescription up depending on the pharmacy that you go to. If you can only afford half during one portion of the month and the other half at the end of the month, then ask your pharmacist if they can split it up so that you can pay the cost a little easier.
8. Compare prices. All pharmacies don't have the same pricing for the same medications. Call around to local pharmacies and compare pricing. Mass retailers like Walmart often have the lowest prices.
9. Do some research on patient assistance programs. Most pharmaceutical companies have patient assistant programs that you can get information about on their website that will make your medications very low in cost if you qualify.
10. Talk to your doctor. Tell your doctor that you cannot afford the prescriptions that he/she is prescribing if they are too pricey and your doctor usually will find an alternative that is lower in price to offer you. It never hurts to ask!