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Those people can agree that healthcare in America could perhaps use a little bit of improvement. Medications are often very expensive, and may even be so expensive that people who need them can’t afford them, even if they have insurance.
The benefits of discounted medication for such people are expansive. Discounted medication may even allow people who otherwise would not be able to take the medicine they need to stay healthy.
Chronic Conditions
Chronic conditions are one of the most expensive classes of disease, and many are considered pre-existing conditions that may exclude them from insurance coverage. People may even be passed over for job opportunities if employers find out that they have a chronic condition, despite the fact that this kind of discrimination is illegal.
Chronic conditions may affect an individual’s ability to work or cause them to miss work, which means they have even fewer funds to buy the medication that they need. Discounted medication can help people with chronic conditions manage their condition safely, which is one of the most important benefits of the discounted medication.
Childhood Diseases
Diseases that affect children are often among the most heartbreaking. Even the most responsible parents rarely can plan or save to treat their child for an expensive condition. Children who are born with a condition or develop it early in childhood may not have the insurance coverage that they need in order for their parents to be able to afford the medication. For children, the benefits of discounted medication are huge. Parents may be able to save enough on medication to provide for other needs, such as extra help with school or saving for college.
How Can You Get Discounted Medication?
Saving money on your medication sounds great, and the benefits of discounted medication are clear, but how can you actually achieve these benefits in your own life? Here are a few ways to get discounted medication for you or your family member.
Buy Generic
Some of the most expensive medications are those with a recognizable brand name. Companies who create these medications spend millions of dollars not only in developing the medicine but also in promoting it. Their goal is to make consumers believe that their medication is superior to any other options and worth the extra money.
In fact, many times, there are other medications available which are just as effective as the brand name. When a pharmaceutical company creates a new medication, they are the only ones who can sell it for a fixed period, during which they charge high prices in order to recoup the money they spent developing the drug and make a profit for their company.
After this period, other companies can create the same medication under different names. No reason to find that a medication produced by these companies is any less quality or even a different formulation than the original, despite the advertising produced by brand-name companies.
If you are on a brand-name medication, find out how long until a generic copy of that medication can be made or if there are already generic medications available and make the switch.
Comparison Shop and Use Coupons
The price for medication may vary by the pharmacy to pharmacy. Pharmacies in affluent areas may charge more than pharmacies in less affluent areas. By shopping around within the area that you can reasonably drive to or by ordering your medication online, you may be able to significantly reduce what you spend. Similarly, searching out and utilizing coupons is a great way to reduce your costs on medication, even if you need to buy brand name medication.
Keep Trying
It can be extremely frustrating to be prescribed a necessary medication that costs more than most other expenses in your life but doesn’t give up. By shopping around, choosing generic, and looking for coupons, you can find the medication that you can afford.
