Medication Resources

The staff and providers at Family Medicine Specialists, P.C., understand that some medications prescribed to improve or maintain your health can be expensive. Please be assured that we will do our best to assist you in keeping your cost down. Below are some suggestions as well as some resources you may want to consider when attempting to lower your out of pocket expenses:

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Go on-line or contact your insurance company and ask for a copy of your drug formulary

 

• A formulary is a list of drugs that your insurance company will cover. It does not mean that there will be no cost however these medications are going to be cheaper than similar medications that are not part of your insurance plan. The formulary will tell you which tier the medication falls into and if a prior authorization would be needed before the medication would be approved. The higher the tier the medication is listed in, the more costly it will be.
   

Go to the manufacturer of the medication’s website and look for co-pay or savings cards.
 

• If you are uncertain if a co-pay or savings card is available, you can often obtain contact information to the manufacturer on their website and you can call to inquire

• NOTE: In many cases, patients with Medicare, Medicaid, Iowa Total Care, or AmeriGroup insurance will not be able to use a manufacturer co-pay card to lower their out of pocket costs

• NOTE: Some patients may qualify for financial assistance if the manufacturer has a Patient Assistance Program. Therefore all patients are encouraged to contact the manufacturer to determine eligibility for programs they offer
   

Go to needymeds.org
 

• NeedyMeds is a national non-profit organization that maintains a website of free   information on programs that help people who can't afford medications and healthcare costs.

• The website is updated regularly to maintain accuracy and also publishes information about resources for specific diseases

• All information is provided at no charge and without registration.
   

Go to goodrx.com
 

• GoodRx is a website that provides drug cost comparisons between pharmacies as well as money saving coupons
   

Go to iowadrugcard.com
 

• Iowa Drug Card is a free statewide discount prescription assistance program. The program was launched to help uninsured and underinsured residents afford their prescriptions.

• There are no requirements needed to use the Iowa Drug Card program. The program is designed to help patients  who do not have prescription drug coverage or who have coverage but are subject to large deductibles, large co-pays, formulary limitations, dosing limitations, gaps, and/or any cash out-of-pocket expenses.
   

Go to panfoundation.org

 

• The PAN Foundation offers nearly 70 disease-specific assistance programs to help patients pay for their out-of-pocket costs, such as deductibles, co-pays and coinsurance, travel expenses and health insurance premiums.

• The user clicks on the names of the funds listed on the site to see which funds are currently accepting applications, what type of assistance is available and whether the patient is eligible for a grant based on their type of health insurance coverage and household income.