Do prescription discount cards count toward a deductible?

Key takeaways

• When using a prescription discount card, the amount you pay will not count towards your insurance deductible.
• A prescription discount card can be used to lower medication costs, but it isn’t insurance and it can’t be combined with insurance to further reduce the price.
• You can use a prescription discount card instead of insurance if the card’s discounted price is lower than your insurance copay or if your insurance deductible has not yet been met.

Overview

Prescription drugs can be expensive, and people continue to look for ways to save. Prescription discount cards and coupons, like the ones Optum Perks offers, can greatly lower out-of-pocket expenses.

But discount cards and coupons do not typically work alongside insurance coverage, so they generally do not count toward meeting your deductible, although there may be a few exceptions.

Need a diagnosis or prescription quickly? Optum Perks offers personalized on-demand care in as little as 15 minutes. For $29, answer a few questions online and receive a diagnosis and treatment plan from a US-licensed healthcare professional. Get started here.

How do prescription discount cards work with insurance?

If you have health insurance, you’ll usually use either your insurance or your discount card, depending on which option offers the better deal.

Prescriptions purchased with a discount card do not count toward your deductible because you did not use your insurance plan to make the purchase.

If your insurance does not cover the medication you need, a prescription discount card might be the best way to save you money.

But if you have one of the following accounts, you can use the money to pay for eligible medical expenses, including your discounted prescription medications:

• flexible spending account (FSA)
• health savings account (HSA)
• health reimbursement arrangement (HRA)

Learn more about these savings accounts and how they work.

If you need help covering the cost of medications, the free Optum Perks Discount Card could help you save up to 80% on prescription drugs. Plus, you can now get them delivered to your home in as little as 3 days. Search for your medication here.

Understanding a deductible

A deductible is the dollar amount you must pay toward your medical expenses, including prescriptions (if you have coverage), before your insurance plan will contribute to the costs. Usually, you’ll pay the entire medication price until you reach your deductible amount.

For example, if your deductible is $500 and your medication is $50, you may pay $50, which will be deducted from the $500, leaving your deductible at $450.

You may only have to pay a copayment toward your medication. This means that if your medication is $50 and your copayment is $10 per prescription, you’ll pay the $10, and the insurer will cover the remaining $40. Each $10 payment will be subtracted from your deductible.

This process will continue until the deductible amount reaches zero. Insurance then pays for some or all of the remaining medication costs.

To determine whether you have a deductible or the amount, you can refer to your insurance plan documents or contact the insurer directly.

What are prescription discount cards?

Cards like the Optum Perks Discount Card offer discounts on prescription medication prices for people with and without insurance.

The discounts can sometimes save you hundreds of dollars on the cost of a medication, making the prescriptions affordable to people without insurance and sometimes even beating the copayment price.

But if you use a prescription discount card or coupon, it may take longer for your deductible to reach zero.

How do prescription discount cards work?

Prescription card providers usually have a network of participating pharmacies that they partner with to negotiate lower drug prices, much like a health insurance network.

You can present your card or coupon at participating pharmacies for discounted prices.

How do I get a prescription discount card?

With Optum Perks discounts, when you visit the website, you can search for your prescription in the search bar.

Optum Perks finds the lowest prices at pharmacies near you, and you can print, email, or text the discount card to yourself to present at the pharmacy.

To learn more about how Optum Perks discount cards work and to discover more about prescription savings, you can visit the FAQ section.

Summary

It’s not typically possible to use a prescription discount card or coupon alongside health insurance. This means that when you use a card or coupon, the amount will not count toward your deductible.

A deductible is an amount you must pay before an insurer begins to cover all or some of your eligible medical expenses.

But there are some health savings accounts that you can use with a discount card or coupon, including HSAs and FSAs.

Download the free Optum Perks Discount Card to save up to 80% on many prescription medications. Plus, you can now get them delivered to your home in as little as 3 days. Search for your medication here.