Tips to help you save on prescription drugs, plus assessing coverage options

Nov. 13, 2023

Prescription drug costs continue to be a concern for many people — in fact, the vast majority of Americans believe the cost of prescription drugs is unreasonable. Medicare annual enrollment is upon us, and understanding what prescription coverage you might need is important — especially given Original Medicare generally doesn’t cover medications.

Instead, you can get prescription drug coverage in two ways:

Through a separate stand-alone Part D plan, which works with Original Medicare and Medicare Supplement Insurance plans.
A Medicare Advantage plan with prescription drug coverage, for an “all-in-one” package that can be a great way to help keep your prescription costs in check.

Three simple tips to help you get the most out of your coverage

1. Consider home delivery

Check to see if your plan has mail-order pharmacy benefits – if it does, this can be a great way to save money and a trip to the pharmacy. Through ordering a three-month refill on medications, you may get a discount on your prescriptions and the added convenience of having your drugs come to you.

What else? Access to medication in the home can be a smart choice. In 2023 and 2024, all standard UnitedHealthcare® Medicare Advantage plans offer $0 copays for tier 1 and tier 2 prescriptions ordered through Optum Home Delivery®, a service available through OptumRx®.

2. Consider generics or preferred formulary alternatives

Prescription drugs are typically sorted into several tiers on the health plan’s list of covered drugs, known as a formulary, with generic or lower-tier drugs typically costing less than drugs on higher tiers. You also have the power to ask your prescribing provider whether more affordable alternatives are available, such as a generic or a drug on a lower tier of your plan’s formulary.

What else? Good news for UnitedHealthcare members: UnitedHealthcare’s Medicare Advantage formulary will continue to cover hundreds of the most-used prescriptions on tier 1, often for a $0 copay.

3. Check to see if your plan offers other savings opportunities

It’s never a bad idea to simply call your health plan, or your insurance agent, to see if there are other ways to save that might not be on your radar. For example, if you like visiting the pharmacy rather than using a mail-order service, you should check to see if your plan has a preferred pharmacy network, which means you can get your drugs at a lower copay when you visit a preferred pharmacy.

What else? UnitedHealthcare standard Medicare Advantage plans offer a month’s supply of insulin for only $35, while those members enrolled in Chronic Special Needs plans will pay $25 or less for covered insulin and have coverage for diabetic supplies on a lower drug tier than UHC’s standard MA plans.

The prescription drug landscape can seem complex. But there is help available. Call the number on the back of your member ID card and ask about your plan’s coverage. If you are a UnitedHealthcare member, there is a tool within the member portal – an Rx Online Marketplace – that enables members to compare drug prices, manage refills and have orders delivered to their home or picked up at a convenient pharmacy.

For more information on UnitedHealthcare Medicare plans, visit UHCMedicareHealthPlans.com.

Disclaimers

Plans are insured through UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company or one of its affiliated companies. For Medicare Advantage Plans: A Medicare Advantage organization with a Medicare contract. For Dual Special Needs Plans: A Medicare Advantage organization with a Medicare contract and a contract with the State Medicaid Program. Enrollment in the plan depends on the plan's contract renewal with Medicare.

$0 copay may be restricted to particular tiers, preferred medications, or home delivery prescriptions during the initial coverage phase and may not apply during the coverage gap or catastrophic stage.
Optum Rx is an affiliate of UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company. You are not required to use Optum Rx home delivery for a 90-100 day supply of your maintenance medication. Benefits, features and/or devices vary by plan/area. Limitations, exclusions and/or network restrictions may apply.

You will pay a maximum of $35 for each 1-month supply of Part D covered insulin drug through all coverage stages.

Optum Home Delivery is a service of Optum Rx, a home delivery pharmacy, pharmacy benefit manager and affiliate of UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company. There is no requirement to use Optum Rx for maintenance medications. Other pharmacies are available in the network.