How to use GoodRx or Other Discount Coupons

What is a Prescription Drug Savings Program?

A prescription drug savings program (sometimes called a discount card or coupon program) helps you pay less for certain medications — especially those not covered by Medicare Part D. Popular examples include GoodRx, Amazon Pharmacy, SingleCare, and others.

These programs aren’t insurance. Instead, they negotiate discounted prices directly with pharmacies and drug distributors, then pass those savings on to you. Think of it as a marketing program to get you in the door at retail sites.

These programs are NOT Manufacturer Copay Programs which are offered directly by drug manufacturers to help reduce the copay for a specific brand-name medication. Manufacturer Copay Programs typically work by covering part of your insurance copay or coinsurance amount

When you use a prescription savings coupon, you pay cash instead of using your insurance. The discounted price you pay is usually based on a pre-arranged deal between the savings program and the pharmacy.

How Pharmacy Discount Programs Can Affect Your Medicare Part D Out-of-Pocket Costs

Many people use pharmacy discount programs like GoodRx, SingleCare, or BuzzRx to save money on prescription drugs. These programs can offer lower prices than what you’d pay using your Medicare Part D plan — but it’s important to understand how they work and how they might affect your total out-of-pocket (OOP) spending under Medicare.

What Happens When You Use a Discount Coupon

When you use a pharmacy discount card or coupon:

• You’re not using your Medicare Part D coverage for that prescription.

• The pharmacy sale is treated as a cash purchase, not a Medicare-covered claim.

• Because the transaction doesn’t go through your plan, the amount you pay does not count toward your deductible or your out-of-pocket spending limit.

That means even if the coupon saves you money today, it won’t help you reach your deductible or your OOP limit faster.

Why This Matters

Let’s say your plan has a $545 deductible. If you use a GoodRx coupon for a drug that would otherwise cost $200 through your plan:

• You’ll save that $200 now — great!

• But because that purchase doesn’t go through your Part D plan, your deductible will still be $545 remaining.

• Later, when you refill a covered drug through your Part D plan, you’ll still pay toward that deductible as if the coupon purchase never happened.

If you regularly use coupons, you might delay or even avoid hitting your deductible or reaching the out-of-pocket threshold that can reduce your drug costs later in the year.

When Coupons Can Still Be a Smart Choice

There are times when using a discount card makes perfect sense:

• When a medication is not covered by your Part D plan.

• When your plan requires prior authorization, step therapy, or quantity limits that make it hard to get your medication.

• When you’ve already reached the maximum benefit of your plan and need to pay out-of-pocket for a non-formulary drug.

What to Consider Before Using a Coupon

Before you hand over that coupon:

1. Check the price under your Part D plan first. Sometimes your plan price may actually be lower.

2. Ask your pharmacist whether a coupon purchase will be processed through Medicare (it usually won’t).

3. Keep receipts for any coupon purchases — they can be useful for tracking your actual annual spending.

4. Re-evaluate mid-year. If you’re consistently using coupons, your Medicare costs and plan choice for next year may need to be adjusted.

HeyMOE Tip:
Sometimes a lower price today can mean a higher cost later! If you’re using coupons frequently, make sure to factor that into your total annual cost comparison. HeyMOE’s analysis focuses on covered medications under Medicare Part D — so if you rely heavily on coupons, it’s worth noting that those savings won’t show up in your projected out-of-pocket totals.

How to Use a Prescription Drug Savings Program

Go to the GoodRx coupon section of HeyMOE:

• Click on the account icon in the upper right corner of HeyMOE (it looks like a person in a circle). Then, click on the Coupons link from the drop down menu.

  
  

  

• On the coupons page, you'll be able to see GoodRx coupons from various pharmacies for all of your medications on one page. This is very convenient to compare costs at an actual pharmacy counter.

  

Or, you may go to the coupon company’s website.

Examples: GoodRx, SingleCare, BuzzRx, Amazon Pharmacy and more

1. Enter your ZIP code, medication name, and dose to compare pharmacy prices.

2. Choose your best price and note the associated pharmacy.

3. Print or save the coupon.
   Many programs let you send the coupon to your phone or email.

4. Show the coupon to the pharmacist when you fill your prescription.
   They’ll process it as a cash payment at the discounted rate.

Other Important Things to Know About Prescription Savings Programs

• You cannot use Medicare coverage when using a savings program. It’s one or the other — not both.

• Most savings programs are free to use (no membership required). Paid versions rarely offer better discounts.

• Pharmacies fund these discounts by paying the savings program a small fee for bringing in customers.
  Because of that, independent pharmacies often don’t participate because they simply can’t absorb the cost.