Are Discount Prescription Drug Cards A Form Of Affordable Health Insurance?

In all likelihood, you have probably seen them - whether you are at Walgreens, CVS, or any various pharmacy across America, discount prescription drug programs seem to be offered everywhere. You can peruse an array of discount prescription programs online, and emails are often sent to elicit enrollment into different plans. So, what exactly are discount prescription drug cards?

They are nothing more than membership cards that supposedly give you access to discounts on brand name and generic medications. Almost all drug stores and supermarkets sell them, giving their members access to discounts for thousands of brands. For an annual fee, an individual can receive reductions in the cost of many of the medications he or she already uses. Annual fees are also available for families.

Other discount prescription drug programs do not charge any fee. For instance, some will allow you to download a free prescription drug card online, instantly providing you access to savings on drugs at pharmacies across the United States. They will often list the following as the benefits of the program:

* No deductibles
* No waiting period
* No pre-existing exclusions
* Everyone qualifies
* Instant activation

They may even offer a medication pricing tool to find out how much your prescription will cost, as well as a pharmacy locator to find pharmacies in your area that participate in this program. Are such programs considered a form of affordable health insurance?

The answer is, quite simply, no. Although discount prescription drug cards provide a savings for individuals and families who require an assortment of medications, they are not really a form of affordable health insurance. Instead, they are more of a supplement to existing health insurance. However, even if one does not have health insurance, he or she still can utilize the benefits from these types of programs in order to receive lower costs for prescriptions that are necessary to obtain.

Not all discount prescription drug cards are for everyone. Some find a significant savings while using one of these cards, while others find little to no saving at all. Some programs have restrictions, such as income limits and age limits, while others claim to provide discounts to everyone with no constraints. Some discount plans can be used in addition to one's health insurance, while others can only be utilized if the person or family does not already have access to prescription benefits in existing insurance coverage.

Although discount prescription drug cards are not considered a form of affordable health insurance, it may prove to be a wise decision to use them as additional coverage that will reduce the costs of medications. This is especially the case for those who find their monthly prescription bills to be very costly.