Step-by-Step Guide to Picking a Drug Discount Card Via Medicare's Website
By: Source: AARP Bulletin Today Date Posted: 2004-06-04 10:58:00-04:00
To compare drug prices among sponsors of Medicare drug discount cards, follow these steps to navigate Medicare's website:
1. Go to Medicare's website. Find a link to the site's Prescription Drug and Other Assistance Programs channel, or click into it directly here.
2. On the Prescription Drug and Other Assistance Programs page, click on the Quick Search tab at the top of the page.
3. On the Quick Search page, first type in your ZIP Code.
4. Now, still on the Quick Search page, scroll down to type the first few letters of a drug you take. When the name of the drug appears in the box below, click on it to highlight it, then click on the Add button to the right. Repeat this step until you have all your drugs listed in the Drugs Selected box, and then click Continue at the bottom of the page.
(Note for Mac users: You will see only a list of drugs. Hold down the "open apple" command key as you click on the names of the drugs that you take to select multiple drugs. Then click on Continue.)
5. On the next page, a User Agreement will appear. Review the terms, and click on Agree/Continue if you wish to proceed.
6. You next will see the Savings Card Program Comparison page, on which the name(s) of your drug(s) will appear. Select your dosage for each drug from the drop-down menus. Also, type in the number of pills that you use in a month if more or less than the default option of 30 pills. Click on Continue. (Note: If your medication is in the form of an inhaler, liquid drops, etc., click on the link labeled Help for Non-Oral Medications in order to calculate the quantities.)
7. You next will see the What Prices Do You Want to See? page. Select the number of miles you're willing to travel to a pharmacy. Also, click on the boxes indicating Mail Order Pricing and/or Generic Alternatives (when available) if you want those money-saving options. Click on Continue.
8. You next will see the Savings Card: Program Comparison page, which shows a list of card sponsors offering all your drugs—and another list of card sponsors that offer only some of your drugs. These lists show the name of each sponsor, how many pharmacies accept each card in the area you've specified, the sponsor's range of prices for the drug(s) you've specified (including mail-order and generic prices if available) and the enrollment fee for each card.
If you wish to sort the list of of card sponsors by lowest price, click on the left-hand triangle at the top of the Price column.
9. In the left-hand column of this Program Comparison page, there is a check box for each sponsor. Click the box next to any card sponsor for which you want to review a list of participating pharmacies and their specific costs for the drugs you have indicated. Click on Continue at the very bottom of the page.
10. The Detailed Savings Information page provides the name of each card sponsor you've specified, together with the names and addresses of pharmacies in your area that accept its card and the prices each pharmacy charges for each of your drugs. If you've listed several drugs, the total of what they cost at each pharmacy will appear.
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