Medicare patients now eligible for Amazon RxPass
A Medicare beneficiary who takes at least one medication available through RxPass could save approximately $70 per year, retailer says.
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Amazon Pharmacy is expanding the prescription drug subscription program RxPass to Prime members who have health coverage through Medicare.
RxPass enables affordable access to common medications, free monthly delivery and the ability to connect with a pharmacist 24/7, according to Amazon.
The company claims that a Medicare beneficiary who takes at least one medication available through RxPass could save approximately $70 per year, while someone who takes two or more medications could save even more. If all Medicare beneficiaries transitioned their eligible medications to RxPass, Medicare spending would be reduced by nearly $2 billion, and customer out-of-pocket spending would also decrease, the online retailer said.
WHAT'S THE IMPACT?
RxPass is an extension of Amazon Pharmacy, a full-service digital pharmacy with free home delivery. The pharmacy branch boasts transparent pricing, including an estimated insurance price, on the Amazon app and on the website.
RxPass does not use insurance; instead, it offers another way to cover the cost of eligible medications for customers with or without insurance, the retailer said.
Customers have the option to use insurance for some or all of their eligible medications, or use savings programs from Prime for eligible medications, which do not use insurance. Prime savings programs including RxPass and the Prime prescription saving benefit offer up to 80% off the cost of generics and up to 40% off the cost of brand-name medications.
Research published in JAMA shows people don't take their medications as prescribed about half the time. KFF data showed that most older adults (76%) report the cost of prescription drugs is unreasonable. And according to the National Library of Medicine, about 16 million Americans live in a pharmacy desert, and an estimated 10% of people face mobility concerns.
THE LARGER TREND
A KFF report from 2019 found that an estimated 133 million Americans – nearly half the population – manage at least one chronic illness, such as hypertension, heart disease and arthritis. Nearly nine in ten adults 65 and older (89%) report taking prescription medications regularly, and more than half of adults 65 and older (54%) report taking four or more prescription medications.
Approximately 38 million people, or about 12% of the U.S. population, have diabetes, according to the American Diabetes Association. The percentage of Americans age 65 and older managing the complex and, at times, debilitating disease is even higher, at 29%, or approximately 16 million seniors.
Jeff Lagasse is editor of Healthcare Finance News.
Email: jlagasse@himss.org
Healthcare Finance News is a HIMSS Media publication.
