How to Use Discount Cards for Cholesterol Medication

A discount card is a great way to save money on prescription medications. It allows you to purchase your medication at lower prices even if you don't have health insurance. Most discount cards work on a variety of brand and generic medications to treat a number of health conditions.

If you currently struggle with high cholesterol and are prescribed medication as treatment, you know how high the cost of maintaining your cholesterol can be. Read on to learn more about where and how to get discount cards for cholesterol medication.

Discount Cards for Cholesterol Medication and How They Work

Prescription savings programs often offer discount cards to help patients afford their medications. Here's how they work: First, a patient downloads or signs up for the discount card of their choosing. This card, whether a physical or digital version of the card, is then presented to the pharmacist at their local drugstore. Then, the pharmacy processes the prescription using the discount card information, allowing the patient to pay a reduced cash price. Finally, the pharmacy pays a transaction fee to the discount card provider. Pharmacies are willing to do this because it encourages patients to return to the store to fill their prescriptions, translating to more business.

Typically, discount cards are available through the provider's website or app. Users can easily download or print a generated digital card if they wish to get their hands on one.

How to Choose a Discount Card for Cholesterol Medication

There are tons of discount card providers, each with their own procedures and restrictions. Unfortunately, the abundance of choices makes it more difficult to select the right one based on your needs. Plus, you might have many unanswered questions about requirements and possible fees.

Here are some answers to these questions.

Is My Medication Covered?

Discount cards often cover generic and brand name medications for cholesterol-related diseases. However, to ensure a particular drug is covered, you can look through the provider's medication list to avoid disappointing store trips.

Am I Eligible?

Anyone with a valid prescription can get a discount card, but unfortunately, only some are eligible for discounts. Card providers often have stringent guidelines regarding who can avail of possible prescription price markdowns. Therefore, you have to read their rules carefully before getting a card.

Is It Free?

Most discount cards are freely offered on the provider's website or app. You can generate a unique card within seconds with just a few clicks.

Is It Convenient?

Using a discount card is as straightforward as it gets. Present it to your local pharmacy and enjoy healthy savings the next time you fill prescriptions.

Using Inside Rx Discount Cards for Cholesterol Medication

You may be able to save on a variety of cholesterol medications using the discount card from Inside Rx, one of the nation's leading prescription savings program. With an Inside Rx discount card, it's possible to save up to 80% on brand and generic medications. Just present it to one of our pharmacy partners and enjoy healthy savings.

Inside Rx has one of the largest networks of partnerships in the country. We work with over 60,000 pharmacies in the United States and Puerto Rico; all are committed to helping people access the medication they need. In addition, we have ongoing partnerships with the following:

H-E-B Pharmacy

H-E-B Pharmacy operates in over 300 locations all over the United States. All stores accept Inside Rx discount cards for generic cholesterol-lowering medications, including Atorvastatin Calcium, Fluvastatin and Lovastatin.

Walgreens

Walgreens is a gigantic pharmaceutical company with a long-term partnership with Inside Rx. This means you can present our discount card at any of their branches to fill your prescription. Common cholesterol medications they carry are generics like Pravastatin and Rosuvastatin.

Rite Aid

Inside Rx discount cards are accepted at any of Rite Aid's locations. The prominent pharmaceutical chain carries generic drugs and brand-name cholesterol medications like Flolipid®, Zocor® and Crestor®.

Inside Rx is also in partnership with CVS, Safeway, HyVee, Meijer and many more. Browse through our list of participating pharmacies to find out if you can get a discount at your local drugstore.

About High Cholesterol

Cholesterol is essential in building healthy cells, but too much leads to various complications. With high cholesterol levels, the body develops fatty deposits in blood vessels, which build up over time. This clog makes it difficult for blood to flow through the arteries. High cholesterol can be inherited but is often the result of poor lifestyle choices.

If you have high cholesterol, you are among the 47 million people in the United States with the same condition. The scariest thing about this affliction is that it has no symptoms. An individual can have high cholesterol levels without feeling anything until it's too late. Then, too much buildup in arteries can cause them to burst, leading to a heart attack or stroke. For this reason, it is notoriously termed "the silent killer."

To avoid the adverse effects of high cholesterol, it is crucial to monitor its levels regularly. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends having a cholesterol screening every four to six years.

Making positive lifestyle changes can help lower unhealthy levels for someone with high cholesterol-related diseases. However, cholesterol medication is required for most people.

The Costs of Cholesterol Medication

The medication for lowering cholesterol levels depends on a person's risk factors, age and overall health. However, the main prescribed classes are statins, fibrates, PCSK9 inhibitors, bile, niacin and omega-3 fatty acids.

Statins are the most common prescription medications for high cholesterol. They work by limiting the liver's capacity to produce cholesterol while helping remove cholesterol already in the blood. The costs of statins range between $8 to $43. Many of them are not as expensive as medication for other conditions, but if you take them for an extended period, the out-of-pocket costs can quickly add up.

Many Can't Afford Cholesterol Medication

It's possible to manage cholesterol levels until they return to normal with the proper medication. However, many Americans are struggling with the rising costs of prescriptions in the country. According to Gallup, 18 million people cannot pay for their prescribed drugs, and 10 percent reported skipping dosages to save money.

Cholesterol drug prescriptions must be administered religiously. Failing to take the required daily dosage will reduce the medication's efficacy. While lowering cholesterol levels by making healthy lifestyle choices is possible, this is not enough for many people, especially if the condition is inherited.

Cholesterol medication is vital to reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases and stroke, but it can be expensive over time. Fortunately, there are steps you can take to possibly reduce prescription costs.

Other Ways To Save on Cholesterol Medication

As mentioned above, cholesterol medication includes several drug classes, each with its specific price range. Some are much more expensive than others. Even the cheaper options can be pricey if you take several per day over months.

If you are searching for ways to possibly save money on prescriptions or get a cholesterol medication discount, then keep the following ideas in mind:

Seek Generic Options

Generic drugs are medicines that are cheaper than their brand name counterparts. However, both types contain the same active ingredient and dosage strength. Moreover, generics are manufactured at the same industry standards as brand name medications. The only real difference they have is their price. According to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), generics can cause 80 to 85 percent of their branded equivalents.

More and more people are exploring generic options in the market. As a result, the FDA's Office of Generic Drugs reported that 90 percent of all prescriptions dispensed in the United States are for generics. This means more patients and healthcare providers have gained confidence in the efficacy of generic medicines in cutting down costs without compromising quality.

Compare Local Prices

Comparing prices is also a great way to possibly save money on your cholesterol prescriptions. Pharmacies sell medicine at different prices, so investigating costs allows you to explore your choices and pick the store more suited to your budget. Don't worry about physically going to every pharmacy to check prices because you can now do that on your phone.

With the help of technology, you can compare cholesterol medication via websites and apps. For example, Inside Rx is a prescription savings program with a website and app to check and compare prices at pharmacies near you. All you have to do is input the name of your prescription and your zip code and the website or app will collect the medication costs at your local pharmacies.

Use Your Inside Rx Discount Card for Cholesterol Medication

Inside Rx believes everyone deserves access to affordable medication, and costs shouldn't hinder health. We have helped millions of patients save on their prescriptions since starting the program, and we don't plan on stopping anytime soon. Give Inside Rx a try if you are not covered by insurance and want to reduce the out-of-pocket costs of your cholesterol medication.

Check if you are eligible and get an Inside Rx discount card today!

Sources:

• https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/11918-cholesterol-high-cholesterol-diseases
• https://www.cdc.gov/cholesterol/testing/
• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3216447/
• https://www.webmd.com/cholesterol-management/cost-high-cholesterol
• https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/at-what-cholesterol-level-is-medication-required#bile-acid-sequestrants
• https://www.fda.gov/drugs/generic-drugs/generic-drug-facts
• https://www.fda.gov/drugs/generic-drugs/office-generic-drugs-2021-annual-report