How to Save on Prescription Medications and Medical Expenses
With the costs of a healthy lifestyle rising each year, it pays to take advantage of health, wellness, and medication deals where you can find them. These stores and programs will help you be healthy at prices within reach of all budgets. These programs are year-round and available to everyone (except where noted).
Learn how to get Free or Discounted Eye Exams
Continue reading for information on FREE prescription medications, fitness classes, medical exams, and free mental health support.
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How to Save on Prescription Medications and Medical Expenses
Given the rising costs of so much these days, it helps to save money wherever you can! Browse these medical savings programs for great offers to save you money on your medical expenses and medications.
Medical Discounts
The following medical discounts can make professional medical examinations more affordable and thus, more accessible.
Free Medical Exams
While it is often irresistible to search online for medical symptoms and self-diagnose, there is no substitute for in-person care by a doctor. Take advantage of these resources to get a professional opinion on your health concerns.
Eye Care America
Eye Care America helps to provide eye health exams to 2 distinct groups. For seniors wondering, “where can I get a free eye exam?”, they should look into whether they qualify for a free eye test through the Eye Care America Seniors Program.
- The Seniors Program connects eligible seniors (65+) with local volunteer ophthalmologists who provide a medical eye exam (often at no out-of-pocket cost), and up to one year of follow-up care for any condition diagnosed during the initial exam
- The Glaucoma Program provides a glaucoma eye exam at no cost to those who are eligible and uninsured
- Eligibility is determined by those at increased risk for glaucoma (based on age, race, and family history)
- Seniors may also be interested in learning about additional Senior Discounts available to them
Note that free eye tests are only available to select people who qualify for the program.
FreeClinics.com
Visit FreeClinics.com for a list of city and state resources that can connect economically disadvantaged people with free or low-cost healthcare, screenings, and more.
Planned Parenthood
Planned Parenthood is one of the nation’s leading providers of high-quality affordable health care. The nation’s largest provider of sex education has low- or no-cost services available for both women and men.
Free Medical Tests
There are many different types of free medical tests available with state resources (too many to list). Please check with state health departments and local libraries for resources that may offer free cholesterol screenings, free diabetes screenings, blood pressure checks, and more.
In addition to state resources, every home in the US can request two (2) sets of four (4) free at-home rapid antigen COVID-19 tests. It is free to order these online and there is no shipping cost or payment information required.
- At-home COVID-19 Tests: Order 4 free at-home COVID-19 tests per order
Free Mental Health Counseling
Some issues need to be addressed quickly and cannot wait for an in-person visit to a doctor. Free mental health counseling is available over the phone at any hour of the day. Choose to talk to someone over the phone or chat via text.
These free mental health counseling services are vital resources that save lives.
Free Crisis Support via Phone and Online
This resource connects people in need to trained crisis counselors via text or WhatsApp.
- Text “HOME” to 741741 (USA – see website for other regions)
National Domestic Abuse Hotline
The National Domestic Abuse Hotline offers free and confidential resources and support to victims of domestic abuse. This service is also available en Español.
- 1 (800) 799-7233 / 1 (800) 787-3224 (TTY)
- Online chat available
National Sexual Assault Telephone Hotline
RAINN provides 24/7 support, information, advice, and referrals for victims of sexual assault.
- 1 (800) 656-4673 / 1 (800) 656-HOPE
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
This 24-hour hotline
- 1 (800) 273-8255 / 1 (800) 273-TALK
- 1 (800) 799-4889 (TTY)
The National Suicide Hotline Designation Act designated “9-8-8″ as a three-digit dialing code for the Lifeline. The 988 emergency code is already active in select areas, but should be nationally available in the US by July 2022.
Prescription Medication Discounts
Once you have received medical attention, the doctor will often prescribe medication to help with any concerns. Unfortunately, some prescription medications are notoriously expensive, so it can really pay off to shop around.
The programs below either offer Free Prescription Programs, Discounted Generic Prescription Programs, or Discounted Generic Prescription Membership Programs. Choose one (or more) of these programs to save money on medications.
Free Prescription Medications
While there used to be many more places that offered free generic medications, there are currently only 2 places with active Free Prescription Programs. If you live near these stores, you may be able to save big with these free Rx offers!
Meijer FREE Prescriptions
Select generic prescriptions are free at Meijer. Browse list of qualifying medications online.
- Free antibiotics (select generics)
- Free prenatal vitamins (select generics)
Price Chopper FREE Prescriptions
People managing their chronic diabetes should definitely look into the free Diabetes AdvantEgde Program at Price Chopper Supermarkets.
- FREE diabetes medication (select generics)
- Free diabetes management supplies (select products)
Note that all Rx discount programs require a valid doctor’s prescription to fill an order.
Discounted Prescriptions
While these discounted generic medications are not offered for free, the cheap Rx prices can be found in numerous local stores across the US.
H-E-B Discount Prescriptions
- $4 for a 30-day supply (select generics)
- $10, $20, or $30 for a 90-day supply (select generics)
HyVee Discount Prescriptions
- $4 for a 30-day supply (select generics)
- $10 or $25 for a 90-day supply (select generics)
Walmart Discount Prescriptions
- $4 or $9 for a 30-day supply (select generics)
- $10 or $24 for a 90-day supply (select generics)
Winn-Dixie Discount Prescriptions
- $4 for a 30-day supply (select generics)
- $10 for a 90-day supply (select generics)
Discounted Prescription Membership Clubs
FREE and Discounted Prescription Drug Programs
There are also places that offer free and discounted medications to members of their paid membership programs. It may be worth looking into these programs if there are no other options for low- or no-cost medications in your area.
This plan is accepted across all participating Kroger families of pharmacies.
- Annual fee to join grants access to 100+ prescriptions for Free, $3, or $6
- Individual plan is $36 per year
- Family plan is $72 per year (up to 6 people including pets)
Sam’s Club
- Annual fee to join Sams Plus grants access to Free prescriptions (select generics) at participating stores
- Membership is $100 per year and can be shared with someone in your household
Walgreen’s Prescription Savings Club
- Individual plan is $20 per year
- Family plan is $35 per year
Prescription Plan Changes
Unfortunately, the following discontinued prescription savings programs no longer offer their big Rx savings. Many of these places can still fill prescriptions, but the cost may now be higher without the medication savings programs.
- Bi-Lo went out of business in 2021
- Price Chopper no longer offers the RxAdvantEdge discount program
- Publix announced in April 2022 that its free prescription program would end on June 1, 2022
- Rite Aid discontinued its Rx Savings Plan in 2020
- Schnucks pharmacy business was acquired by CVS Pharmacy in 2020
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Medical Savings Plans
Wishing you wellness and health! Please share any additional resources that may be helpful.
Great suggestions! Many medical bills are too high and it’s a good idea to ask your physician how to save on medical expenses before the visit. You can then negotiate the cost or find another doctor if you cannot afford the bill. Another way to save is to ask your physician if the tests or procedures they recommend are medically necessary. This way, they can determine if they can recommend an alternative treatment. Depending on the procedure, they can also work with you to determine whether insurance covers them.
To reduce the cost of your medical care, check out what your health insurance covers. There may be discounts available for specific services or medications. You may also be able to negotiate with your provider about a payment schedule. Many providers will give you a discount for some services simply because you are a regular customer. By taking advantage of these programs, you can reduce your costs and enjoy a sense of financial security. Listed below are some ways to save money on medical costs.
Set aside emergency funds for your medical care. Setting aside a portion of your budget each month can cover a few thousand dollars in medical bills. Besides setting aside money each month, health savings accounts are another good way to pay for medical expenses. These accounts are usually offered through your employer and are specifically designed for medical bills. They are particularly helpful when the deductible is high. If you do not have health insurance or pay cash, you can always ask for a discount.
Hi Todd, Thanks for sharing all of your tips regarding saving money on healthcare expenses. It’s such a shame that getting health care is so expensive and complicated!
Thanks Alyce for providing all of these awesome discounts and freebies all in one place! I will definitely be checking out the REI classes because I love to go biking and be outdoors. I also haven’t been to the YMCA in a while so I need to look into another membership. Thanks again for this great page of discounts!
Hello Ashley B! Those are both excellent places to find great fitness programs. Enjoy!!
With the high cost of supplements and medication, it is great to see that there are discounts and even free options available. And the same goes for gym membership.
If you want to exercise on a regular basis and cannot afford the membership fees, then exercising ta home can become lonely, so to be able to join a group and get access to free exercises, is great. I wish more countries would offer these great deals for discounts and free options to have a healthy life.
Hi Line, We’re all so blessed to live in a time when common ailments can be easily treated with prescription medications. Unfortunately, the cost of certain medications is more than some budgets can handle. Hopefully, these generous programs are able to help our friends and families stay healthy without causing undue financial burdens.
Personally, I really do need to start taking more care of my health, I’m over weight and I don’t do much in the form of exercise these days, I’m also on a low budget, so I’m pleased that I came across your informative article Alyce, you must have done lots of research to have found all these discount programs and special offers, I am on long term medication for high blood pressure so I will certainly be taking advantage of the discounts I have found here, thank you for sharing this very useful information, I have bookmarked this website for future reference.
Russ
Hi Russ, we all need to take care of our health in order to perform our best. It’s sometimes a challenge to find ways to stay engaged and motivated, so it’s great to see a variety of free options to gain some momentum on that front.
Wishing you all the best, Alyce
I am always one for living a healthy lifestyle and I love discounts! and Freebies!
I will definitely join the Free Fitness Events and Classes. Yoga is what I like to add to my routine of working out. I do yoga after working out to calm down my muscles after training them. I won’t mind these free extra lessons on yoga.
Thank you for sharing such a wide variety of options and for covering this topic.
All the best to you.
Hi Aabidah! Isn’t it awesome that there are so many different free classes to take advantage of? Yoga is such a great way to stay centered — excellent choice!
Warm Regards, Alyce
Your area of specification requires a lot, you are indeed a hard working type in your researchs for you to get many program that helps in discount it is not an easy task keep it up I like it.
i have note among the list in your post that offer almost free fitness classes because I don’t joke with my fitness I would visit one of the programs in your list.
thank for helping.
Thanks for the tips 🙂 I’ve done both the Classpass and Lululemon free event before in LA. They had a beach yoga event, entirely free. Highly recommend for anyone in a city they run events in as they’re taught by actual trained instructors and are usually more interesting than a gym class.
How cool! I’d love to try a beach yoga class – that sounds so good for the body and spirit!!
Thanks for sharing how impressed you’ve been with both Classpass and Lululemon!!
Warm Regards, Alyce
This website has a lot to offer in terms of available discount programs and special occasions that will appeal to many people. The list of discount programs and special occasion offers is long and extensive.
Again, I liked your website very much, especially your choice of photos and graphics. I hope it’s very successful for you.
Well done!
Thank you Jay. Your visit and feedback is very much appreicated!!
This is an amazing resource page. There are not enough of these out the for prescriptions. As someone who has to take a pill every day and have for the last 3 years I know how costly reaccuring prescriptions can be. I have insurence now thank goodness but this is awesome for when you don’t. I cannot believe the price of some medications today, even the generic ones. I think this is an awesome page, very useful!
Hi Jenny, I imagine there are a lot of us out there who would like to spend less on Rx! It can be frustrating to comparison shop for prescriptions, but these stores make it easy with their published lists of generic drugs that qualify for the low pricing.
Wishing you all the best. Warm Regards, Alyce
Wow! What an eye opening and completely thorough article. I never knew there were so many options available. This has given me a ray of sunshine today as the current medications I am taking can be a little expensive. The fitness classes mentioned can hopefully be a good place to start with making some necessary changes to eventually reduce my medications.
Are you aware of any senior discount rates that might be offered at the gyms you mentioned?
Thanks,
-Mike
Hi Mike, It’s great that these will save you some money! I was also surprised at the fantastic Rx deals available and will be switching my pharmacy to Publix next month!!
The YMCA does have a small senior discount on their annual rates at my local gyms. I didn’t notice senior discounts for any others, but it never hurts to ask! Also, stay tuned for new posts as a “Senior Deals” post is coming soon.
Wishing you all the best!