Consider Lower-Cost Therapeutic Alternatives
You may be able to save money even if your drug doesn’t have a generic equivalent. Ask your doctor if there is a “therapeutic alternative” that treats the same condition but costs less under your plan. “For many health conditions, particularly for things such as high blood pressure and cholesterol, there are often several drugs that do very similar things,” says Jon Maesner, chief pharmacy officer for Cigna. The insurer may charge a 35% coinsurance rate for one drug, for example, but just a 20% coinsurance rate for another that’s a preferred brand-name drug. Or the other drug may have a generic version that can save you even more money.