The last thing anyone wants to think about when they’re sick is what it’s going to cost in order to get better. But, unfortunately, that’s the very question millions of Americans face when confronted with the price of their prescription medications.
One recent poll by the Kaiser Family Foundation found one in four adults currently taking prescription drugs reported having difficulty paying for those medications, while almost 30% said the high cost of their medicine led them to not take it as their doctor prescribed. Those who had to spend at least $100 per month on prescriptions had the most trouble affording them, the survey revealed. And nearly one in ten of adults polled by Kaiser said their condition grew worse because they didn’t follow a prescription as recommended.
The cost of prescription drugs, meanwhile, continues to go up year after year. In 2019, according to Kaiser, medications saw an average price hike of 21%. This year the average increase has been far less extreme—one report pegged it at 5.2%—but that’s still more than twice the projected rate of inflation, and no solace to anyone trying to make ends meet.
So what can you do if affordability is a concern for your patients? Thankfully, there are plenty of options. Here’s a quick look at a few of the best.
Patient Assistance Programs
PAPs, as they’re also known, are established by drug manufacturers to help the uninsured obtain medications at little or no cost. Each PAP has slightly different eligibility requirements, and most vary in the drugs that they offer and in how long they allow individuals to receive assistance. RxAssist offers a comprehensive and searchable database of PAPs that includes eligibility requirements, forms, coupons, and more.
Drug Discount Cards
Prescription savings card plans leverage the power of direct partnerships between pharmacies and the entities that manage these programs. Available through Medicare, state agencies, membership associations, and private companies, most cards are free or charge a low annual fee, and some offer savings of up to 85 percent off retail.
The Medicine Assistance Tool
An online search engine created by the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA), the Medicine Assistance Tool (MAT) offers patients and providers easy access to information on hundreds of public and private assistance programs.
Retail Store Drug Discount Programs
National chain pharmacies like Walgreens, Rite Aid, and others often offer their own prescription savings programs for free or low annual fees. These programs usually include access to generic medications only—and rarely to the newest, brand-name drugs—and some require a doctor’s prescription for enrollment.
Medicare and Medicaid Coverage
Anyone who has Medicare can get prescription drug coverage through the Medicare Prescription Drug Plan (Part D) or the Medicare Advantage Plan (Part C), while patients who qualify for Medicaid may receive similar coverage through their respective state-run programs. Medicare also offers a free online tool for searching state pharmaceutical assistance programs.
Finally, “BenefitsCheckUp,” a free online service from the National Council on Aging, provides an easy way for anyone over the age of 55 to search for health benefits of all kinds.
