When Free Really Isn’t
When Free Really Isn’t - About Free Discount Drug Cards We’ve all seen the free discount drug cards for years. So how can they offer a free card and still stay in business? The reality is most free drug cards don’t offer the true savings they promote. They do not offer true wholesale pricing on medications. They make money on usage. They offer minimal discounts to customers and they generate revenue on your prescriptions you order with their card. Discount cards do offer some discounts but nothing like what AWH members receive.
Who Is Our Customer?
- Any individual looking to save money on medications and supplies
- Any company looking for lower cost benefit programs for their employees
- The uninsured – 86.7 million lives (2007-2008 data)
- Underinsured – By one estimate, 25 million Americans can’t afford to cover the gap between what their insurance covers and their medical bills demand.
- Self Insured Employers
- Purchasers of lifestyle medications (Viagra, Prescribed weight loss medications, etc.)
- Medications not covered and/or partially covered under standard prescription formularies
- Non-“medical necessity” medications such as Birth Control/Contraceptives
- High deductible/HSA participants (that pay retail price on medications before deductible is met)
- Diabetics – supplies and medications
- High cost, specialty medications such as cancer medications, neurology medications, dermatology medications, allergy serums, etc.
- Doctor vs. HMO. Change in doctor prescribed medications by HMO to lower cost equivalent: (Our wholesale plan allows consumers to get the correct medications prescribed by Doctors.) Because HMOs bear the risk of pharmaceutical costs and influence the prescribing practices of the physicians in their network, there are different patterns of prescription use, such as proportionately more generic medications in HMOs.