There is an illusion out there that we all subscribe to that insurance saves us money on all of our medication costs. This is NOT the truth. Approximately 20% of Americans take at least five prescription medications per day. In addition, as much as 86% of all prescriptions filled in the U.S. are for generic medications and dozens of these drugs can be bought for less than the insurance co-pay that most people pay. WRAL News Investigates recently aired a segment in which Renee Chou reported on how many pharmacies are charging the $10 co-pay even when generic medications cost less.

Are You Getting Ripped Off?

If your monthly co-pay is $10, then that seems reasonable. After all, $10 for a month’s worth of medication seems like a good deal. But what if you can get your medication for less than $10 per month? What if your medication only costs $4 or $5 per month? When your co-pay is more expensive than the cost of the medication, then you would like to think that the pharmacist would say, “Hey, it’s only going to cost you $4 for this medication.” Unfortunately, many of the chain pharmacies still charge the $10 co-pay, even though the medication only costs a portion of that $10 because this is one of the biggest sources of profit for these pharmacies.

Which Medications Cost Less than Your Co-pay?

Well over 200 generic brands of medications cost less than the monthly insurance co-pay? These include antidepressants, such as citalopram (Celexa) and sertraline (Zoloft); antibiotics, such as some forms of penicillin; cholesterol-lowering medication, such as the generic forms of Lipitor and Crestor; and arthritic pain killers, such as naproxen.

Do Your Homework

You don’t have to accept higher prices for your prescription medications in the name of insurance, which is supposed to be saving you money. If you are currently taking brand name medications, then ask your doctor about switching to a generic version. If you are already taking a generic version or are switching over, research your drug prices and your pharmacies and don’t be afraid to ask your pharmacist outright how much the medication costs without your insurance co-pay. Find out how much your medication costs per pill and do the math. You might be surprised!

Your prescription medication is an important part of maintaining your good level of health and quality of life and so is having enough money to live on. For this reason, you want to save as much money as possible when purchasing your prescription drugs, and unfortunately, you will need to take an active role in reducing these costs. One more way to save between 50%-90% on the cost of all your prescription medications is to visit eDrugSearch.com, where we have been working with trusted licensed online pharmacies for over seven years. Visit us today and see how much we can save you this month!