Type the drug, the dose, what you pay, and your coverage. In a few seconds you get the cheaper paths that exist for that drug and that coverage, in order, what each needs, and what to say at the counter. Never stop or switch a medicine without the prescriber. No account. Nothing stored.
Free — takes 20 seconds
The name on the bottle, the dose, how many a month, what you pay now, and what coverage you have. If it's insulin, an inhaler, or a brand-name drug, say so.
Why this exists
Insurance price, cash price, discount-card price, 90-day price, program price — and for many people a federal subsidy or a manufacturer program that drops it to nearly nothing. Nobody at the counter has time to walk through them. This does, in order, with the words to say.
How it works
Name, dose, what you pay, what plan. Nothing is saved.
Programs, alternatives to ask about, where to fill — in large type, English or Spanish.
The counter script, the prescriber script and the program checklist — printable in the full version.
Plans
The free version lists the paths and the scripts. The price card is a printable one-pager with the program checklist and the exception letter for the prescriber.
A printable one-pager for this drug: the paths with checkboxes, both scripts, the program application checklist and the exception-request letter. English or Spanish.
For a community clinic, an independent pharmacy, a senior center or a parish nurse program that hears 'I can't afford it' every day.
All prices in USD, handled by Stripe. Finding the paths is free and always will be.
Common questions
For you as a patient, yes — the tool is free, has no account, and nothing you type is stored. It also offers optional paid products for organizations: a $4.99 price card per prescription, and $99/month plans for clinics, pharmacies, and senior centers. Prescription Price Cutter is not medical, pharmacy, or insurance advice, so still confirm any program or price with your pharmacist or SHINE.
No. It will never tell you to stop, skip, split, or change a medicine or dose — every option is phrased as something to ask your prescriber about. If you're already skipping doses because of cost, tell your prescriber and pharmacist today; they can often help the same day. This tool can be wrong, so always confirm with them.
It walks you through the Medicare Part D $2,000-a-year cap and the $35-a-month insulin cap, and whether Extra Help (apply free through Social Security) could cover most of your Part D costs. It also explains formulary exceptions and using Medicare.gov's Plan Finder during Open Enrollment (Oct 15–Dec 7). For free, unbiased help applying any of this in Florida, it points you to SHINE at 1-800-963-5337.
Yes — the tool points you toward community health centers (HRSA's Find a Health Center), which often charge on a sliding scale and may have 340B-priced pharmacies, and toward manufacturer and charity assistance programs you can search by drug name through NeedyMeds' Medicine Assistance Tool. It also explains discount cards in general — including that they usually can't be combined with insurance on the same fill. It never states an actual drug price, since prices differ by pharmacy.
According to the FDA, an FDA-approved generic must meet the same standards as the brand-name drug. The tool can show you generic or therapeutic alternatives to ask your prescriber about, but it's not medical advice — always confirm with your prescriber or pharmacist before switching anything.
Para usted como paciente, sí — la herramienta es gratis, no requiere cuenta, y nada de lo que escriba se guarda. También ofrece productos pagados opcionales para organizaciones: una tarjeta de precio de $4.99 por receta, y planes de $99 al mes para clínicas, farmacias y centros para personas mayores. Prescription Price Cutter no es asesoría médica, farmacéutica ni de seguros, así que confirme cualquier programa o precio con su farmacéutico o con SHINE.
No. Nunca le dirá que deje de tomar, se salte, divida o cambie un medicamento o dosis — cada opción se presenta como algo que debe preguntarle a quien le receta. Si ya se está saltando dosis por el costo, avísele hoy mismo a quien le receta y a su farmacéutico; muchas veces pueden ayudarlo el mismo día. Esta herramienta puede equivocarse, así que confirme siempre con ellos.
Le explica el límite de $2,000 al año de la Parte D de Medicare y el límite de $35 al mes para la insulina, y si Extra Help (que se solicita gratis a través del Seguro Social) podría cubrir la mayoría de sus costos de la Parte D. También explica las excepciones de formulario y el uso del Plan Finder de Medicare.gov durante la Inscripción Abierta (15 de octubre al 7 de diciembre). Para ayuda gratuita e imparcial en Florida, lo remite a SHINE al 1-800-963-5337.
Sí — la herramienta lo orienta hacia centros de salud comunitarios (use HRSA para encontrar uno), que suelen cobrar según sus ingresos y muchas veces tienen farmacias con precios 340B, y hacia programas de asistencia de fabricantes y organizaciones benéficas que puede buscar por el nombre del medicamento a través de la Herramienta de Asistencia de Medicamentos de NeedyMeds. También explica en general las tarjetas de descuento, incluyendo que normalmente no se pueden combinar con el seguro en la misma compra. Nunca indica el precio exacto de un medicamento, ya que los precios varían según la farmacia.
Según la FDA, un genérico aprobado por la FDA debe cumplir los mismos estándares que el medicamento de marca. La herramienta puede mostrarle genéricos o alternativas terapéuticas para preguntarle a quien le receta, pero esto no es asesoría médica — confirme siempre con su médico o farmacéutico antes de cambiar cualquier medicamento.
Built by the same team, free to try.