3 Tips to Help You Save on Prescription Drugs, Plus Assessing Your Medicare Coverage Options

Prescription drug costs continue to be a concern for many people — in fact, the vast majority of Americans believe the cost of prescription drugs is unreasonable. Medicare annual enrollment is upon us, and understanding what prescription coverage you might need is important — especially given Original Medicare generally doesn’t cover medications.

Instead, you can get prescription drug coverage in two ways:

1. Through a separate stand-alone Part D plan, which works with Original Medicare and Medicare Supplement Insurance plans.

Or

2. A Medicare Advantage plan with prescription drug coverage, for an “all-in-one” package and can be a great way to help keep your prescription costs in check.

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Here are 3 simple tips to help you get the most out of your coverage.

1. Consider home delivery. Check to see if your plan has mail-order pharmacy benefits – if it does, this can be a great way to save money and a trip to the pharmacy. Through ordering a three-month refill on medications, you may get a discount on your prescriptions and the added convenience of having your drugs come to you.

2. Consider generics or preferred formulary alternatives. Prescription drugs are typically sorted into several tiers on the health plan’s list of covered drugs, known as a formulary, with generic or lower-tier drugs typically costing less than drugs on higher tiers. Often, there are clinical alternatives available on lower tiers, and your doctor can help determine what might be an appropriate option for you. You also have the power to ask whether more affordable alternatives are available, such as a generic or a drug on a lower tier of your plan’s formulary.

3. Check to see if your plan offers other savings opportunities. It’s never a bad idea to simply call your health plan, or your agent, to see if there are other ways to save that might not be on your radar. For example, if you like visiting the pharmacy rather than using a mail-order service, you should check to see if your plan has a preferred pharmacy network, which means you can get your drugs at a lower copay when you visit a preferred pharmacy.

Want to determine how much your prescription drugs will cost? Use this online tool to help you calculate.

The prescription drug landscape can seem complex. But there is help available. Call the number on your insurance ID card and ask about your plan’s coverage. If you are a UnitedHealthcare member, there is a tool within the member portal that enables members to compare drug prices, manage refills and have orders delivered to their home or picked up at a convenient pharmacy.

Need help finding a plan? Answer a few simple questions and get a personalized list of UnitedHealthcare® plans based on what’s important to you.

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^{Plans are insured through UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company or one of its affiliated companies. For Medicare Advantage and Prescription Drug Plans: A Medicare Advantage organization with a Medicare contract and a Medicare-approved Part D sponsor. Enrollment in these plans depends on the plan’s contract renewal with Medicare.}

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