5 Ways to Save on Prescriptions Using Your Pharmacy Benefits

Prescription drugs costs can add up, especially if you have a chronic illness. But your insurance and health care providers can both be a great resource. Eddy Ekobena, Manager of Pharmacy Services with Avera Health Plans, has some great tips to find the best price.

Choose Generic Prescription Options

Not all drugs have a generic option but this can be a big cost savings from buying brand name. Avera Health Plans pharmacy benefits have six tiers to pharmacy coverage. Besides preventive drugs, which can have as low as a $0 co-pay, generic drugs are the most affordable option.

• Preventive drugs
• Generic drugs
• Preferred brand drugs
• Non-preferred brand drugs
• Value specialty drugs
• Specialty drugs (brand and generic)

Avera Health Plans Rx makes it easy to find generic brand options with its Rx Savings Solutions tool. This tool analyzes your prescription history and recommends lower-cost alternatives, including generics or even different pharmacies with better pricing. You’ll get notifications when a cheaper option is available and can work with your doctor to switch medications if appropriate.

Choose an In-Network Pharmacy

Thanks to Avera’s new pharmacy benefits manager (Avera Health Plans Rx) this is easier than ever with more than 56,000 local and nationwide pharmacies. These include

• Avera Pharmacy retail locations
• Mark Cuban Cost Plus Drug Company
• Amazon Pharmacy

How to Find In-Network Pharmacies

Log in to your member portal to manage your prescription benefits. It allows you to check drug costs, find in-network pharmacies, view your formulary, and—most importantly—unlock savings opportunities through exclusive tools and discount programs.

Use Discount Programs

Avera Health Plans offers a number of ways to make prescriptions affordable.

Some online pharmacies, such as Amazon and Mark Cuban Cost Plus, offer discounted prices.

There are two programs within your pharmacy benefits that can help you compare and keep track of other savings opportunities.

Avera Rx Savings Card

This card provides discounted rates on a wide variety of generic and brand-name medications. Simply present it at the pharmacy, and you could pay less than your regular insurance co-pay, useful for medications not covered by your plan.

Download or print the card and show it at participating pharmacies.

RxWallet

RxWallet is a digital wallet that helps you store and manage all your medication discount cards and pharmacy savings tools in one place. It’s a convenient way to compare prices across different pharmacies and find the best deal — without digging through emails or printed coupons.

Find Cost Savings by Changing Drug Forms

Sometimes drugs can be available in varying formats from pills to creams or injections. Sometimes changing the drug form can offer cost savings. Use the Rx Savings Solutions tool to find these lower-cost opportunities, If there is a therapeutic equivalent, you’ll be notified and the team can work with your provider to switch drugs if appropriate.

Request a 90-Day Supply

This may not be available for every drug, but buying in bulk can save money. Many insurance plans provide a slight discount for a 90-day supply vs. a 30-day supply.

Learn more about pharmacy benefits with Avera Health Plans.