Let’s face it, none of us want to pay full price for anything if we can avoid it. But you don’t want to cut corners when it comes to your health. Fortunately you don’t have to pay full price for prescribed medication. Because prescription discount cards are designed to save you money especially if you don’t have health insurance.
However, not all companies offering the service are worth your time and effort. That’s why we decided to list the Top 10 Best Free Prescription Discount Cards. So let’s break them down, shall we?
What Are Prescription Discount Cards?
Prescription discount cards are basically designed to lower the cost of drugs to patients paying for medication out of pocket. These cards are provided for free and you can use them whether you have health insurance or not.
How Do Prescription Discount Cards Work?
Different companies may have different ways of using their discount cards, but here’s how they work in a nutshell.
- Search for the lowest price – On the company’s website or mobile app, you’ll use the pill identifier or search tool to find your medication. The tool enables you to filter your search by drug name, your location. (zip), quantity, form and strength of the drug.
- Get your card – You can then download the card and print it or have it emailed to you. Some services allow you to use your card straight from the app without the need to print it. Others may send you a physical version of the card upon request.
- Receive your discount – You’ll then show the card at the pharmacy of your choice to receive your discount.
How Much Can I Save With Prescription Discount Cards?
Well most companies say you can save up to 80% of the drug’s retail price. But on average you expect to save around 40%. However, the savings vary from company to company. The prescription discount cards providers negotiate these prices with pharmaceuticals so there’s no fixed amount. Either way, these discount card prices can often make prescriptions even cheaper than what you would pay if you had insurance.
Top 10 Best Prescription Discount Cards
Below we have listed some of our top picks of the best free prescription discount cards we’ve reviewed before.
NationalDrugCard– The Washington, DC company offers prescription discount cards in both physical and digital form. Users credit it for offering better deals than most other similar companies. You can get discounts for pet medicine as well besides the normal discount service. Furthermore you can join their Savings Club and get 75 additional benefits including cash back, coupons and deals, online consultations, Lasik and more. You can read our full National Drug Card review to read all about the service.
GoodRx– GoodRx has been around for about a decade offering prescription discount cards nationwide. They offer up to 80% in discounts across over 75,000 pharmacies around the country. Users like their detailed pill identifier tool that offers additional health information and tips. On the flipside, some say discounts aren't all they are cracked up to be, and some common meds aren’t covered. You can read all about the company in our full GoodRx review.
Easy Drug Card– Also known as Klix, LLC, the service which also doubles up as an online pharmacy has been around since 2005. They cover pets as well, and users are happy with their reliable customer service as well as their availability in small local pharmacies. However, some pharmacies may decline your card even after showing up in the search results. But it’s a legit company you can check out on both desktop and mobile.
SearchRx– The New York-based company rebranded to Optum Perks in early 2020. It works more or less the same as most other prescription discount cards, with discounts topping 75% in over 70,000 pharmacies countrywide. But be sure to fish around for better deals before settling on SearchRx since users say their prices are not always the lowest. You can read all about the company in our full SearchRx review.
FamilyWize – FamilyWize has been in business for a decade and a half at the time of writing, offering prescription discount cards for both humans and pets. You don’t need to register for an account to use the service and users love their customer service. The family-friendly service is available on both desktop and mobile. Again, you may also want to shop around for better deals before settling for their service.
SingleCare– The Boston, MA company is a subsidiary of RxSense – a health technology company founded in 2015 by their current CEO Rick Bates. They owe their success in the field to their wide network of partner pharmacies around the country. They don’t cover pet medicine, but they do have an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau. However, you may pay more than retail if you don’t shop around for potentially lower costs.
OneRx– OneRx has been around since 2008 doing business as Truveris, Inc. In addition to discounts located by their interactive search tool, you can also find coupons for you and your pets medicine on top of the discounts. However, users say their prices are way higher than their competition and pharmacies may decline your card. You can read all about the company in our complete OneRx review.
RetailMeNot RxSaver – The Austin, Texas-based company has been offering discounts of up to 75% since early 2006. They don’t cover pet medicine, but they do have an A+ rating at the Better Business Bureau. However, users say you’re not always guaranteed a discount, as some common meds miss from the list. Their service is available on both desktop and mobile. You can read all about the service in our complete RetailMeNot RxSaver review.
Blink Health – Also known as Vital, the New York-based company was founded in 2014, on the way to becoming a popular choice for users owing to their free home delivery service. You can either walk into your pharmacy of choice or have your medicine delivered to you. But can only make your purchase online or through their app. But users have said their online consultation service and their discounts are not always the lowest. You can read all about the program in our full Blink Health review.
ScriptSave WellRx – ScriptSave WellRx is an oldie in the group having been around since the mid 90’s. They offer discounts of up to 80% in over 70,000 pharmacies but you should expect around 30% savings on average. They do cover pets as well, and customers credit them for including most common drugs. But be sure to confirm you're not settling for less if you choose to go for their offer. It’s a legit discount program well worth a spot in our list of the best prescription discount cards.
Prescription Discount Cards Complaints
Well,I bet you’re wondering where the catch is with these prescription discount cards. Well, here are the most common problem areas.
You can’t use the card together with your insurance – It’s unfortunate that you can’t combine your card savings with your insurance to lower the cost some more. But that’s just a general industry policy. But how great would it be if you could use both?
You may unwillingly pay more than the retail price! – The worst case scenario would be to go for a company’s discount offer only to realize later you could have paid less if you just walked into a pharmacy and made a purchase. The sad fact is that it has happened to users before. So always be sure to confirm with your insurer and other cards before circling back to your card of choice.
Pharmacies may turn down your card – In some rare cases, a pharmacy may reject your card for a variety of reasons.You can easily solve this by going for an alternative card on the spot. However, it can be a waste of time having to make the trip only to get declined at checkout.
Discounts are not what they are cracked up to be – Most of these companies make bold claims such as 80% savings, guaranteed discounts and so on. However that is rarely the case. If you regularly use these cards, then you know most offers don’t go past the 10% mark. But it’s true you can get an 80% discount but that’s in very rare cases.
Are Prescription Discount Cards Worth It?
Prescription discount cards are great, especially for the uninsured. The relief they provide by bringing down the cost of expensive medicine is invaluable. Best of all they are free to use and you have nothing to lose by using them. But always confirm that you’re actually getting a discount and not paying a premium by checking with your insurer’s price as well as what your card’s competition has to offer.
Well, I hope you found our list of the best prescription discount cards helpful. Have you used any of the cards we’ve just mentioned? If so,how was your experience? Please share your thoughts in the comments section below!
Until next time
Eddy “with a Y”