Managing Your Medications: Using Online Tools and Apps to Make the Most of your Prescription Drug Plan (PDP)
It’s important that you continually assess ways to make your health more convenient
Every year, millions of Americans struggle with medication adherence, often caused by a complex routine, lack of comprehension about their conditions and medication side effects. This is especially true for our nation's population over fifty, who may have increased health needs, and often face additional financial and physical barriers to comprehensive care at the same time.
In fact, 36% of older adults regularly take at least five different prescription drugs, yet 19% said they had not filled a prescription in the past two years because they could not pay for it. With these factors compounding, it's clear that older adults are looking for a less expensive, more convenient way to manage their prescription medications.
Not long ago, it was your responsibility to manually manage your medications, which included contacting your physicians, pharmacy and insurance providers to determine prescription drug coverage and cost. The hassle of juggling multiple medications often results in missed doses and refills. The consequences of medication non-adherence can be severe. Older individuals are more likely to have multiple chronic health conditions and unexpected health issues which can be perpetuated by missing your medications.
Today, there are online tools and mobile applications that can help you manage your prescriptions in one convenient location. Many pharmacies and health plans now have mobile applications or websites that can help maintain a comprehensive list of your medications, their side effects and costs, all in one place to help keep you at your healthiest without the hassle. With online tools you can do many things on your own including:
Determine What is Covered
Before the internet, you were solely responsible for contacting multiple providers to determine drug coverage. Now, you can see a list of covered drugs within your plan's dashboard and how much you pay for the drug.
Find Lower Cost Alternatives
When determining if your prescription medication is covered, you can also compare alternatives that may better fit your budget. Generic medications are often 80 to 85% less expensive than the brand name drug, typically offering you the same results without unnecessary strain on your wallet. There also could be similar drugs that target the same condition, available at a lower price. When comparing alternatives, it is important that you contact your physician who can help advise on whether the new medication will properly treat the condition, cause any adverse side effects, and help monitor your transition between medications.
Some insurance providers offer unique resources that can help you find an alternative, lower cost medication while providing the amount of coverage on your plan and breaking down how much you would pay for the medication. SmartSummary Rx and Maximize Your Benefit Rx are a few of the resources available that allow Humana members to track, manage and potentially save money on prescription drugs. Additionally, Humana's Real-Time Benefit tool allows members to check the cost of their medications at their pharmacy of choice to identify potential cost savings by switching to a similar but more affordable medication.
Alleviate Costs Through Preferred Pharmacies
Preferred pharmacies are select retail or home delivery pharmacies within a plan's network that work to reduce the copays for their members looking to fill prescription drugs. To determine which pharmacies are preferred in your health plan, you can contact your physician, insurance provider or access that information on your plan's website.
Though preferred pharmacies are helpful in alleviating expensive copays for members, some individuals struggle with picking up their prescriptions due to transportation limitations. For many older individuals, trips to the pharmacy may not be as easy as they once were. Many prescription mail order pharmacies, like CenterWell Pharmacy, can deliver prescriptions right to your doorstep, on-time and safely.
Stay On Top of Premiums, Out-of-Pocket Costs, and Utilize the Dashboard
Additionally, many plan providers have member dashboards that showcase premium amounts and out-of-pocket spend. You can manage how much you are paying for your medications and determine if it fits your budget and health needs. There are also assistance programs to help patients pay for their prescriptions, since the number one cause of medication non-adherence is financial complications. Some assistance programs have eligibility requirements so be sure to understand the details when contacting your insurance provider.
Many PDP plans offer benefits including $0 copays on certain medications and vaccines, the option of home delivery and more affordable insulin.
It's important to continually assess how to make your healthcare more convenient by reviewing your current Prescription Drug Plan (PDP) and determining the best ways to ensure your health and medication needs are being met.
Humana is a stand-alone PDP prescription drug plan with a Medicare contract. Enrollment in this Humana plan depends on contract renewal. Other pharmacies are available in the network.
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Humana Inc. is committed to helping our millions of medical and specialty members achieve their best health. Our successful history in care delivery and health plan administration is helping us create a new kind of integrated care with the power to improve health and well-being and lower costs. Our efforts are leading to a better quality of life for people with Medicare, families, individuals, military service personnel, and communities at large.
