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Prescription Savings Glossary
Clear definitions of the prescription, insurance, and pricing terms you run into at the pharmacy counter.
- What Is a 90-Day Supply?
- 90-day supply definition: what it means for a prescription, how it can lower cost-sharing per dose, and when it may not be the cheaper option.
- What Is a Biosimilar?
- Biosimilar definition: how the FDA defines these biologic medications, how they differ from generics, and why they can cost less than the original.
- What Is a Brand-Name Drug?
- Brand-name drug definition: how it differs from a generic, why it usually costs more, and how patents affect availability of lower-cost versions.
- What Is a Copay Accumulator?
- Copay accumulator definition: how these programs stop manufacturer copay assistance from counting toward your deductible, and what it means for you.
- What Is a Copay Card?
- Copay card definition: how manufacturer copay cards lower your out-of-pocket cost, their limits, and how copay accumulators can affect them.
- What Is a Copay?
- Copay definition: what a fixed prescription copay is, how it differs from coinsurance, and how it affects what you pay at the pharmacy.
- What Is a Deductible?
- Deductible definition: what you pay before insurance kicks in for prescriptions, how it resets, and how it interacts with copays and coinsurance.
- What Is a Formulary?
- Formulary definition: what a drug list is, how tiers set your copay, and what to do if your medication isn't on your plan's formulary.
- What Is a Generic Medication?
- Generic medication definition: how the FDA defines generics, why they usually cost less than brand-name drugs, and how to check availability.
- What Is a Mail-Order Pharmacy?
- Mail-order pharmacy definition: how home delivery of prescriptions works, why it can be cheaper for maintenance drugs, and its trade-offs.
- What Is a Patient Assistance Program?
- Patient assistance program definition: how manufacturer programs provide free or reduced-cost medication, and who typically qualifies.
- What Is a Pharmacy Benefit Manager (PBM)?
- PBM definition: what a pharmacy benefit manager does, how it affects your formulary and copay, and why PBMs face regulatory scrutiny.
- What Is a Prescription Discount Card?
- A prescription discount card definition: how these free cards work, what they cost, and how they differ from insurance. Plain-language answer plus FAQs.
- What Is a Specialty Pharmacy?
- Specialty pharmacy definition: what makes a drug 'specialty,' why these medications need extra handling, and how it affects your cost.
- What Is a Therapeutic Alternative?
- Therapeutic alternative definition: how a different drug that treats the same condition can sometimes cost less, and how this differs from a generic.
- What Is an Authorized Generic?
- Authorized generic definition: how it differs from a regular generic, why a brand-name maker sells one, and how it can affect pricing.
- What Is an Out-of-Pocket Maximum?
- Out-of-pocket maximum definition: the most you'll pay in a plan year, what counts toward it, and how it interacts with prescription costs.
- What Is Coinsurance?
- Coinsurance definition: how the percentage-based cost share works for prescriptions, how it differs from a copay, and how it affects your bill.
- What Is Medicare Part D?
- Medicare Part D definition: what the prescription drug benefit covers, how formularies and costs work, and the new annual out-of-pocket cap.
- What Is NADAC?
- NADAC definition: what the National Average Drug Acquisition Cost measures, who publishes it, and how it differs from what you pay at the counter.
- What Is Pharmacy Price Comparison?
- Pharmacy price comparison definition: what it means to compare prescription prices across pharmacies, and why it can lower your out-of-pocket cost.
- What Is Prior Authorization?
- Prior authorization definition: why insurance requires pre-approval for some prescriptions, how the process works, and what to do about delays.
- What Is Step Therapy?
- Step therapy definition: why insurance requires trying a cheaper drug first, how the 'fail first' process works, and how to request an exception.
- What Is the Cash Price for a Prescription?
- Cash price definition: what you pay for a prescription without insurance, how it differs from the usual and customary price, and when it can be cheaper.
- What Is the Usual and Customary Price?
- Usual and customary price definition: what U&C means for prescriptions, how it's set, and why it's usually what uninsured patients pay.
Want the how-to? Browse the prescription savings guides.
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