Microsoft word - orthodox health plan discount drugs announcement.doc

Save on Drugs
While You Save on Groceries
You know that shopping at stores like Costco, Walmart, and Sam’s Club is a good way to stretch your household budget. But did you know that you can also get big savings on your prescription drugs? A number of warehouse stores and drugstore chains offer discount-drug programs with no annual fees. You can buy a 30-day supply of generic medication for as little as $4—a much better deal than the medical plan’s $15 copayment. Here are some of the programs that can help cut drug costs for both you and the Orthodox Health Plan. Visit these websites or call the store nearest you to find out about lower-cost options.
The Store
To Learn More
Pay $4 for a 30-day supply and $10 for a 90- Get a wide range of generics for $4 for a 30- Receive discounts on all your prescription drugs, including many generics under $10. Save up to 20% on thousands of brand-name and generic prescription medications; select generics cost $8.99 for a 30-day supply and $15.99 for a 90-day supply. Get more than 300 widely prescribed generic drugs for $4 for a 30-day supply and $10 for a 90-day supply. *You don’t have to be a Costco or Sam’s Club member to buy prescription drugs there; just say at the door that
you’re visiting the pharmacy.

For Example. The antibiotic amoxicillin is one of the top 10 drugs prescribed under the Orthodox Health Plan.
Both Walmart and Target offer a 30-day supply of amoxicillin for $4 and a 90-day supply for $10. And generic
alternatives to Lipitor—the #1 drug used by Orthodox Health Plan participants—are available at all of the stores
listed above.
You can also find great deals on prescription drugs at many local grocery chains, such as Shop & Stop, Giant,
and Wegmans. For instance, Stop & Shop offers a 90-day supply of over 350 commonly prescribed generic
medications for only $9.99. Check your local stores to see if they offer special prices for generic drugs.

Why Generics Are Your Best Value
A generic drug has the same active ingredients—and works the same way—as the brand-name version.
Although a generic may have a different name or appearance, the Food and Drug Administration requires that
generic and brand-name drugs meet the same quality standards. Why pay more for a label?
The accompanying bulletin explains what every smart health care consumer should know about generic drugs.
The Bottom Line
Whether you’re in the market for frozen food, back-to-school clothes, or prescription drugs, it makes sense to shop where you’re going to get the best deal! What is a generic drug?
Are generics as good as brand-names?
A generic is a copy of a brand-name drug. A brand- By law, al generics must have the same active name drug has a patent. When the patent runs out— ingredients as the brands they copy. Th ey must be the usual y aft er 10 to 14 years—other companies can same strength and work the same way as the brand- name drug. Generic drugs are not like generic cereal or canned goods, where the brand name can be a Drug companies spend bil ions of dol ars advertising brand-name drugs, like Lipitor and Celebrex. But oft en you can get a generic drug that works just as wel — What is diff erent about generics?
The big difference is that generics usual y cost less than brand-name drugs. There are a few other differences— like color, shape, size, or taste—but they do not aff ect Today, there are generics for about half of al prescription Generics have diff erent names. Most drugs have a
brand-name and a generic name. For example, Advil and Motrin are just brand names for the generic drug Get to know the generic names. Do not pay for brand-names just because you recognize them or they Generics look diff erent. Brand-name drugs are oft en
advertised by color and shape. Remember the ads for the “purple pil ” for heartburn? Generics are oft en Do not be fooled by looks. Sometimes the shape or coating on a brand-name drug wil make it easier to swal ow or digest, but this does not make it better. Try the generic whenever possible. You wil get the same benefi t to your health, and you wil save money.
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Generic Drugs: The Same Medicine for Less Money How much money can I save with generics?
Can the pharmacist give me a generic if my
doctor prescribed a brand-name drug?
• If you pay a flat fee co-pay for your drugs, the co-pay Yes. In most cases, your pharmacist can give you the is lower. You may pay $5 to $15 for the generic drug generic instead of the brand-name drug.
but $15 to $35 for the brand-name drug. • If you pay a co-pay based on the ful cost of the drug, What if there is no generic version of the
like a 30% co-pay, you also save money. The ful cost brand-name drug I take?
of a brand-name drug is about 3 times the cost of Ask your doctor about generics in the same class of drugs. Ask if one of these generics would work as well as the brand-name drug. For example, there is a class • If you do not have drug coverage and you pay out of drugs, cal ed statins, to treat high cholesterol. Some of pocket for your medicine, you save even more statins come as generics, while others do not. If you take a brand-name statin, ask if one of the generic Remember, generic drugs have been in use for more than 10 years—first as a brand-name and then as a generic—so we know a lot more about their safety Resources
Consumer Reports Best Buy Drugs can help you find
lower-cost generic drugs. Visit our free website, www.ConsumerReportsHealth.org/BestBuyDrugs.
Compare Costs
This chart lists the ful cost—what you pay if you do not have drug coverage. This series is produced by Consumers Union and Consumer Reports Best Buy Drugs, a public information project supported by grants from the Engelberg Foundation and the National Library of Medicine of the National Institutes of Health. These materials were also made possible by a grant from the State Attorney General Consumer and Prescriber Education Grant Program which is funded by the multi-state settlement of consumer fraud claims regarding the marketing of the prescription drug Neurontin. This brief should not be viewed as a substitute for a consultation with a medical or health professional. It is provided to enhance communication with your doctor, not replace it. Neither the National Library of Medicine nor the National Institutes of Health are responsible for the content or advice herein.

Source: http://www.orthodoxhealthplans.com/documents/OrthodoxHealthPlanDiscountDrugsAnnouncement.pdf