Healthshare RX: How Prescriptions Work with Health Sharing Programs

With the cost of prescription medication on the rise, it helps to have a health sharing program in place to maintain affordable prescription costs.

According to a National Center for Health Statistics brief released in August of 2019, 69% of Americans used one or more prescription medications in the previous month and 22.4% used five or more in the same time period.

The costs of those prescriptions continue to mount. According to a recent study that examined Blue Cross Blue Shield pharmacy claims between 2012 to 2017, all but one of the 49 brand-name medications that were analyzed saw regular cost increases, whether annually or biannually.

The price for 36 of those medications increased by over 50% during that time period, and 16 more than doubled in cost. The median cost of the medications assessed in the study increased by a whopping 76%.

Just this year alone, the cost of nearly 500 prescription medications already increased since January 1.

Given the rising costs of medication, it’s important to consider how to handle the expense of medication for your family. A health sharing program from UHSM can provide peace of mind for you and your family with the selection of a program that includes prescription benefits and access to a national pharmacy network.

Prescription Coverage Through Health Sharing Programs Can Help Save You Money

While traditional health insurance is a popular option for medical coverage, more and more Americans are turning to health sharing programs to help with the costs of medical care and treatments. If you are considering making the switch to a health sharing program, you may be curious about how such programs deal with prescription benefits and costs.

A health sharing program from UHSM can help you handle the cost of prescription medication.

Not all health sharing programs consider prescription medication as eligible medical expenses under their program guidelines. Some programs include prescription benefits and some do not, so it is always a good idea to research the health sharing ministry that you are considering joining to fully understand how prescription costs will be handled according to the pharmacy services and benefits of your specific program and the ministry’s member guidelines.

With UHSM, having a prescription filled is easy. UHSM offers access to 60,000 pharmacies within the CVS Caremark network. With such a wide array of pharmacies across the nation, it’s easy to find a nearby drug store to get a prescription filled. You can always go to CVS, but you can also visit Costco, Walmart, Walgreens, Kroger, Target and more. Simply take your UHSM member ID card to any of the pharmacies within the network, which you can find by visiting www.uhsm.com/Rx.

The amount you will pay for your prescription is determined by the health share program you have chosen. For example, if you are a member of the UHSM Gold Sharing Program (one of our most popular programs), here are some examples of what you can expect to pay for your prescription in-network.

• Formulary generic prescription medications:
  • $10 per prescription, up to a 30-day supply.
  • $20 per prescription, up to a 90-day supply.
• Formulary brand medications:
  • $35 (after AMCS*) per prescription, up to a 30-day supply.
  • $70 (after AMCS) per prescription, up to a 90-day supply.
• Non-formulary brand medications:
  • $65 (after AMCS) per prescription, up to a 30-day supply.
  • $130 (after AMCS) per prescription, up to a 90-day supply.
• Specialty medications:
  • 50% after AMCS per prescription, up to a 90-day supply.

*AMCS = Annual Member Care Share

The best value for those on maintenance medication Is signing up for mail-service pharmacy through CVS Caremark – which gives you a 90-day supply of medication for the price of a 60-day supply! In addition to saving money, your prescriptions get shipped direct to your doorstep and you don’t have to worry about running out and refilling each month!

If you are looking for a better, more flexible and affordable way to handle your prescription drug costs, then a membership with one of UHSM’s health sharing programs can help.