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- Retail price prescription medication is prohibitively expensive. If you have insurance, your policy still doesn't always cover as much as you'd like.
- Blink Health is a no-commitment, no-fee service that offers access to over 15,000 medications for a fraction of their retail price.
- Here's the quick and easy process: search for your medication on its site, pay the low price online, then pick it up at a major or local pharmacy near you.
I never particularly enjoy picking up a new prescription from the pharmacy because I know I'll stand at the counter in fraught silence, waiting for the pharmacist to tell me how much it's going to set me back.
Even though I have insurance, it doesn't always cover a lot, and I'm often surprised at how much I still have to pay out of pocket. If you don't have insurance, the damage is even worse. In either case, you feel like you have no choice but to pay for expensive prescriptions, or face the repercussions on your health.
It's a dilemma that millions have to face, but shouldn't. Though you don't have the power to negotiate prices, an online company called Blink Health does. Blink Health works with pharmacies, pharmacy benefit managers and pharmaceutical manufacturers to bring you lower prices on over 15,000 medications.
There are no membership fees or hidden fees, and the process is pretty simple. As long as you have a prescription from your doctor, you can use Blink Health's website or app.
You start by searching for your medication, making sure to match the medication form and dosage to that of your prescription. You'll see two prices, one that's available at major pharmacies and an even lower one available at one specific pharmacy near you.
Here's an example of how much Blink Health saves you on some common medications. It also has a price match guarantee on generic medications. If you find a lower price elsewhere, it will refund you the difference.
After paying online to lock in the price, you receive a "Blink Card," which you can either print out or show on your phone to the pharmacist. Bring this and your prescription to your chosen pharmacy, and they'll fill it like any other prescription. You should pay $0 at the pharmacy.
Its network consists of over 30,000 pharmacy partners nationwide, including major stores like Walmart and Albertsons as well as local independent pharmacies, so it's easy to pick up your prescription at a location convenient for you, or you can have it delivered to you for free in two days.
Whether you're uninsured, insured, or have Medicare, it's always helpful to check Blink Health to see how much you could be paying instead. Especially if you're taking a medication for a long period of time, the significant monthly savings are worth the few minutes of extra effort to look up your medication.