August 2, 2008

Pharmacy Discount Cards

by Stephen C. Dayton

The secret is out - health care and medicine is expensive! It is so expensive in fact that many families cannot afford it. Others can afford it but have to sacrifice buying other things. The answer? Prescription discount cards.

These cards are usually programs and companies that have special relationships with pharmacies to give discounts. That means that you get the same drugs at a lower price. This is especially helpful if you do not have health insurance like so many others.

The companies providing these discount cards know that their clientele is generally lower on the economic scale and can't afford expensive memberships. As such many of the prescription discount cards can be had for free for qualified participants. I know what you're thinking, if it's free it must not have much value right?

Thankfully these companies actually have scored some huge discounts for you. You can get up to 75% off of the cost of prescription drugs. Pick your jaw up off of the floor! It's very true if you get the right card.

For argument's sake lets just say your prescription cost for a particular medication were $200 and that prescription qualified for the higher end 75% discount then your cost would only be $50! And this great discount can come courtesy of a card that cost you nothing!

Of course, they aren't all presented at such great discounts, but you'd be surprised. When you're pinching pennies any little (or big) amount helps.

The first thing to realize is that these are not health insurance programs. Many people mistakenly assume they are because having a health card is equated with having health insurance. They are vastly different.

A health insurance plan will protect you in case of health emergency as well as everyday health problems. A discount card will only give you some money off of your purchase. They generally have nothing to do with going to the emergency room or going to the doctor. If it is possible for you to get the health insurance plan that is what you should do.

Be sure to read the restrictions for the various cards carefully as some of these plans are limited to a very select group, sometimes by are such as seniors while others may even be for lower income families only. Fortunately there are some prescription cards that are more open to the general public, but even some of those may still be difficult to qualify for.

Here are a few prescription drug cards you may want to check out:

* Together RX Card

* GlaxoSmithKline Orange Card

* Novartis Care Card

* Pfizer Share Card

* LillyAnswers Card

There are many others to look into as providing prescription discount cards to those who need them is very important. You might need just one of these discount cards or you might need to get a few.

Drug companies and those related to drug companies are often coming out with their own cards that place restrictions on the medication it covers. So, if you have to take a few different prescriptions you might have to get a discount card for each of them.

If none of these prescription discount cards is available in your country or you simply don't qualify under their guidelines then there are still some options you may find that work better for you. Healthcritiques.com is a site where you'll find other prescription discount coupon options for 4rx or discount online pharmacies like xlpharmacy.

When evaluating all your options including all the prescription discount cards available do make sure to read the fine print so you know what part of any bill you may be responsible for. If you don't take a lot of various prescription medications then it's certainly possible to find a single card that will cover all your needs. If not, mix and match if need be or even try sites like HealthCritiques.com that are another option for those who don't qualify under the strict guidelines of some of these prescription discount card regulations.

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Filed under health insurance by Stephen C. Dayton

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