Author Topic: GoodRX coupons actually worked!  (Read 2569 times)

Exflyboy

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GoodRX coupons actually worked!
« on: December 11, 2018, 03:28:42 PM »
I don't know why but I was highly skeptical these downloadable coupons would be worth more than the paper they were printed on.

The price for my generic meds (allopurinol) has gone from $10 for a 90day supply to over $60. I was getting a bit pissed off with this blatant gouging so I printed off the GoodRX coupon.. Nothing to lose.

Sure enough, didn't get the advertised $19 price but still got for it for $24 and it saved me the hassle of having my prescription shipped to a different pharmacy etc.

My Wife gets her $260/month asthma inhaler from Medix pharmacy in the UK for $24.. Screaming deal (comparitively), but even they couldn't approach the $24 for my meds.

terran

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Re: GoodRX coupons actually worked!
« Reply #1 on: December 11, 2018, 03:37:52 PM »
Yep, they do. We needed to refill a prescription last year when my wife was changing jobs and we had a lapse (relying on retroactive COBRA, but we didn't need it). One thing to note is that since you're not using your insurance company's negotiated rates, I think it means these purchases don't count towards your deductible.

Frankies Girl

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Re: GoodRX coupons actually worked!
« Reply #2 on: December 11, 2018, 03:38:17 PM »
I like GoodRX, but Do check out all the options. I had one med that Good RX priced out at $15, but found RetailMeNot's Rx coupons got it to $6! And in another case, asking for the tablet instead of capsule form dropped a $21 script to $5.
« Last Edit: December 11, 2018, 06:00:39 PM by Frankies Girl »

Exflyboy

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Re: GoodRX coupons actually worked!
« Reply #3 on: December 11, 2018, 03:56:59 PM »
Good to know.. I will check other coupons for next time.

I had already dropped my per dose cost in half because I found by cutting the pills in half I was still able to avoid the symptoms. Now I only have to pay for the required lab tests in my Drs office once every two years.. I tell them my Dad in the UK has a boatload of these pills and sends them over on 90 day increments.. Anything to get one over on our ridiculous so called healthcare system.

And before anyone freaks out about me doing experiments on myself.. Its what I do..:)

Exflyboy

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Re: GoodRX coupons actually worked!
« Reply #4 on: December 11, 2018, 04:11:18 PM »
Yep, they do. We needed to refill a prescription last year when my wife was changing jobs and we had a lapse (relying on retroactive COBRA, but we didn't need it). One thing to note is that since you're not using your insurance company's negotiated rates, I think it means these purchases don't count towards your deductible.

Good point. In our case we have a high deductible plan so end up buying meds out of pocket anyway (we need very few meds thankfully). We find the $7900 we can throw into the HSA (thus reducing our MAGI) will reduce our HC premium to $8/month.

Of course something will happen one day and we'll have to pay the $13,200 deductible.

FIFoFum

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Re: GoodRX coupons actually worked!
« Reply #5 on: December 11, 2018, 04:12:07 PM »
Yep, they do. We needed to refill a prescription last year when my wife was changing jobs and we had a lapse (relying on retroactive COBRA, but we didn't need it). One thing to note is that since you're not using your insurance company's negotiated rates, I think it means these purchases don't count towards your deductible.

Yep, that's correct about it not going toward the deductible. For people who can stock up on medications - multiple refills allowed at same time by law, even if insurance doesn't cover it that way - it makes sense to buy a lot NOW with a coupon in December when you already know if you (haven't) come close to your annual deductible anyway.

I was skeptical like you EFB, and then shocked to see that it actually worked! And was so much cheaper. It's cool and depressing at the same time (that a wholesaler negotiating for a scam-like seeming coupon is cheaper than ACTUAL negotiated health insurance prescriptions just goes to how broken the system in the US is).

katsiki

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Re: GoodRX coupons actually worked!
« Reply #6 on: December 11, 2018, 06:39:44 PM »
And before anyone freaks out about me doing experiments on myself.. Its what I do..:)

But what about that rash?  Did it clear up yet?

:)

Exflyboy

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Re: GoodRX coupons actually worked!
« Reply #7 on: December 11, 2018, 07:42:40 PM »
And before anyone freaks out about me doing experiments on myself.. Its what I do..:)

But what about that rash?  Did it clear up yet?

:)

..:)

OmahaSteph

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Re: GoodRX coupons actually worked!
« Reply #8 on: December 20, 2018, 11:00:40 AM »
Super useful info. I'd seen the commercials and assumed I couldn't use the coupons because we have insurance, but it's a high-deductible plan and starting Jan. 1, one of my meds goes back up to over $400. Sure, that gets us to our first deductible in a hurry and I do have quite a bit in our HSA, but that giant bill is a whopper. Going to go see if I can knock it down.

**ETA**
My whopper script would not be any cheaper (it would actually be double) BUT all our other scripts have major discounts. Guess we'll rely on my spendy injection to get us to our first deductible, but use the coupons to lower the rest of our costs.

Very grateful for this thread!
« Last Edit: December 20, 2018, 11:20:56 AM by OmahaSteph »

dandarc

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Re: GoodRX coupons actually worked!
« Reply #9 on: December 20, 2018, 11:08:13 AM »
Refilled my crestor-generic at Walgreens with insurance - $72 for 30 days. This was the first time I needed a refill after moving.

Next time, GoodRX at Costco - $20 for 90 days. Would have only been ~$50 for 90 days at Costco without, but the coupon did work. Doesn't come off the deductible on our insurance, but considering we never even approach the deductible any way, I'm fine with that.

Exflyboy

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Re: GoodRX coupons actually worked!
« Reply #10 on: December 20, 2018, 12:08:24 PM »
Super useful info. I'd seen the commercials and assumed I couldn't use the coupons because we have insurance, but it's a high-deductible plan and starting Jan. 1, one of my meds goes back up to over $400. Sure, that gets us to our first deductible in a hurry and I do have quite a bit in our HSA, but that giant bill is a whopper. Going to go see if I can knock it down.

**ETA**
My whopper script would not be any cheaper (it would actually be double) BUT all our other scripts have major discounts. Guess we'll rely on my spendy injection to get us to our first deductible, but use the coupons to lower the rest of our costs.

Very grateful for this thread!

Have you looked at https://www.medixpharmacy.co.uk/

Wife's asthma meds at $760 for 90 days at Walmart.. with or without coupon.

Exact same thing from the UK under a different brand name was $77... That was with a coupon that Medix offered. Without the coupon it was still "only" $100.

terran

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Re: GoodRX coupons actually worked!
« Reply #11 on: December 20, 2018, 12:17:27 PM »
Have you looked at https://www.medixpharmacy.co.uk/

Wife's asthma meds at $760 for 90 days at Walmart.. with or without coupon.

Exact same thing from the UK under a different brand name was $77... That was with a coupon that Medix offered. Without the coupon it was still "only" $100.

Holy cannoli, if that's not the sign of a broken market I don't know what is.

M2 pilot

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Re: GoodRX coupons actually worked!
« Reply #12 on: December 20, 2018, 06:35:42 PM »
It's been that way forever.  I'm a pharmacist. I visited Australia 25 years ago.  At that time in the US Proventil inhalers wholesale cost was approx. $18 & they retailed for approx. $21 on prescription only. In Australia they were OTC & retailed for $AU5.  At the time that was about $US4.  Figger the Australian pharmacy was making a reasonable profit, their cost must've been around $US3.

katscratch

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Re: GoodRX coupons actually worked!
« Reply #13 on: December 20, 2018, 06:49:41 PM »
Exflyboy thank you so much for linking that pharmacy!! I'd gotten inhalers from Canada when I lived in Bellingham but have only gotten them locally here. There is one tiny spring in the actuator that is still on patent for my daily inhaler so it'll be spendy here for a few years yet!

I've never tried printing the GoodRx coupons but I love checking prices at different locations via their directory. I'm on quite a few medications for asthma and have cut my monthly bill by 2/3 just by price shopping with their information.

Exflyboy

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Re: GoodRX coupons actually worked!
« Reply #14 on: December 21, 2018, 12:59:01 PM »
Exflyboy thank you so much for linking that pharmacy!! I'd gotten inhalers from Canada when I lived in Bellingham but have only gotten them locally here. There is one tiny spring in the actuator that is still on patent for my daily inhaler so it'll be spendy here for a few years yet!

I've never tried printing the GoodRx coupons but I love checking prices at different locations via their directory. I'm on quite a few medications for asthma and have cut my monthly bill by 2/3 just by price shopping with their information.

Did you do a cost comparison with the Medix pharmacy? You can enter the drug name right there on the website.

katscratch

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Re: GoodRX coupons actually worked!
« Reply #15 on: December 21, 2018, 06:14:09 PM »
I did! My most expensive medication is just over half the cost at Medix compared to what I pay now :)

OmahaSteph

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Re: GoodRX coupons actually worked!
« Reply #16 on: December 24, 2018, 11:42:32 AM »
Super useful info. I'd seen the commercials and assumed I couldn't use the coupons because we have insurance, but it's a high-deductible plan and starting Jan. 1, one of my meds goes back up to over $400. Sure, that gets us to our first deductible in a hurry and I do have quite a bit in our HSA, but that giant bill is a whopper. Going to go see if I can knock it down.

**ETA**
My whopper script would not be any cheaper (it would actually be double) BUT all our other scripts have major discounts. Guess we'll rely on my spendy injection to get us to our first deductible, but use the coupons to lower the rest of our costs.

Very grateful for this thread!

Have you looked at https://www.medixpharmacy.co.uk/

Wife's asthma meds at $760 for 90 days at Walmart.. with or without coupon.

Exact same thing from the UK under a different brand name was $77... That was with a coupon that Medix offered. Without the coupon it was still "only" $100.

I haven't but I will now!

**ETA: They don'y offer my particular Rx or the one most like it. :( But was worth a look anyway.
« Last Edit: December 24, 2018, 11:47:26 AM by OmahaSteph »

Exflyboy

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Re: GoodRX coupons actually worked!
« Reply #17 on: December 24, 2018, 02:43:04 PM »
Super useful info. I'd seen the commercials and assumed I couldn't use the coupons because we have insurance, but it's a high-deductible plan and starting Jan. 1, one of my meds goes back up to over $400. Sure, that gets us to our first deductible in a hurry and I do have quite a bit in our HSA, but that giant bill is a whopper. Going to go see if I can knock it down.

**ETA**
My whopper script would not be any cheaper (it would actually be double) BUT all our other scripts have major discounts. Guess we'll rely on my spendy injection to get us to our first deductible, but use the coupons to lower the rest of our costs.

Very grateful for this thread!

Have you looked at https://www.medixpharmacy.co.uk/

Wife's asthma meds at $760 for 90 days at Walmart.. with or without coupon.

Exact same thing from the UK under a different brand name was $77... That was with a coupon that Medix offered. Without the coupon it was still "only" $100.

I haven't but I will now!

**ETA: They don'y offer my particular Rx or the one most like it. :( But was worth a look anyway.

Just a suggestion but you could do some researh on what the prescription you have actually does and see if there is something similar on the Medix website.. Next time you are talking with your primary care provider you could have the Medix pharmacy pulled up on your smart phone and enter the drug name right there in the surgery.

Just a thought.

remizidae

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Re: GoodRX coupons actually worked!
« Reply #18 on: December 25, 2018, 11:04:02 AM »
One of my pet peeves is when doctor's offices ask me what "my pharmacy" is. Why would I be loyal to a pharmacy? It's not like I need drugs that often, and if I do I'm going to go to whoever offers me the best price.

Exflyboy

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Re: GoodRX coupons actually worked!
« Reply #19 on: December 25, 2018, 07:57:08 PM »
One of my pet peeves is when doctor's offices ask me what "my pharmacy" is. Why would I be loyal to a pharmacy? It's not like I need drugs that often, and if I do I'm going to go to whoever offers me the best price.

Yes its a clunky system.. I'd rather my Dr just gave me a printed prescription that I could take anywhere. The problem is of course is that there would be nothing to stop me using the same prescription to get several times the intended amount at several pharmacies. Thats presumably why they don't like to do that.