If you’re attempting to save cash on prescription drug refills, Amazon has some attention-grabbing information at present: the launch of RxPass, a $5-per-month add-on to Amazon Prime that can cowl the prices of prescribed drugs and delivery for prescription drug refills — however excludes some key states.

Amazon’s RxPass is a part of Amazon Pharmacy, which already presents lower-priced prescribed drugs. Amazon Pharmacy will stay, however RxPass can even be out there in 42 states. Unfortunately, residents of California, Louisiana, Maryland, Minnesota, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Washington aren’t eligible, Amazon stated.

For those that stay elsewhere, although, Amazon’s RxPass sounds prefer it might supply substantial financial savings, whether or not or not you’ve got insurance coverage. “RxPass is a benefit for Prime members that gives subscribers access to the most common generic medications for a flat fee of $5 a month,” in accordance with Amazon. “Subscribers can get all their prescribed medications on the RxPass list filled as often as they need for one flat monthly fee. RxPass also works with auto-refill so that you get all your eligible prescriptions automatically for no more than $5 a month.”

Over 50 medications are covered by RxPass, together with drugs for diabetes, gout, hypertension, excessive ldl cholesterol, and extra.

Mark Hachman / IDG

Amazon’s RxPass does include some restrictions, nonetheless. Medicare and Medicaid recipients aren’t eligible, and you’ll’t pay for an RxPass through an FSA or HSA plan. Instead, you’ll have to make use of the Amazon Pharmacy plan as a substitute. And, in fact, it’s a must to be an current Amazon Prime member, which prices $14.99 monthly or $139 per 12 months.

Alternatively, prospects trying to find low-cost prescribed drugs on-line can flip to CostPlus Drugs, based by entrepreneur Mark Cuban. Cuban (and his associate, TruePill) cost a markup of 15 p.c on the provider value of the capsule, and provide them to all 50 states. CostPlus accepts prescription insurance coverage for Capital Blue Cross, Rightway, and different “select prescription plans,” in accordance with the positioning. CostPlus will provide as a lot medication as a physician prescribes.