Reviews – TheFrugalPharmacist

Americans are facing higher and higher healthcare costs every year. Some are turning to buying medications from online pharmacies as a way to reduce their out of pocket costs. Unfortunately, may of these same people are getting scammed out of their hard earned money by these same online pharmacies. The good news is, there IS a LEGITIMATE online pharmacy based right here in the USA that can offer fair pricing on many of the top medications prescribed for the most common diseases. Today, I am introducing you to grossly undervalued and unknown way of getting your medications. This exciting new tool is not an app or a discount card, but an actual, American based, online mail-order-pharmacy by the name of Healthwarehouse.com. Their out-of-the-box business model allows them to provide several of the medications and medical supplies you might need at discounted prices while having the absolute best customer service. They can take care of your household’s medication needs, right down to the drugs that might be needed for your furry family member(s)! Who can Benefit from using Healthwarehouse? Uninsured individualsHealthshare plan membersMedicare members on a fixed incomeInsured individuals with high deductiblesThose with pets on prescription medicationsThose that pay high copays for cheap generic medications Uninsured Americans Although our nation has made significant strides in “healthcare for all”, we still have over 2 million low income Americans who are not covered by Medicaid. If a person exceeds the max income-to-federal poverty line (FPL) limit they will be denied Medicaid coverage. Qualifying for this government-funded healthcare program is even harder if the person lives in a state that has chosen NOT to expand its Medicaid coverage limits and/or uses pre-Affordable Care Act (ACA) income-to-FPL ratios. Our formidable Medicaid coverage gap is formed when those who do not qualify for Medicaid don’t get an ACA subsidy and cannot afford private-pay health insurance (PHI). These individuals simply make barely too much for one (Medicaid), but vastly not enough for the other (a subsidy or PHI). This unlucky in-between has millions of Americans left trying to figure out how to get the medications and help they need. Healthshare plan members If you are a member of a health insurance alternative called a healthshare then you most likely do not have prescription coverage. Many healthshare plans provide their members with what seems like a prescription discount service but all it is in reality is a drug discount card in disguise. If you have a healthshare plan I encourage you to shop around and check out Healthwarehouse.com and my other recommended services to get the lowest pricing on your prescription medications. Medicare members For those who have reached the golden years of retirement, Medicare offers prescription plans for eligible enrollees. These plans cover medications and durable medical equipment (DME). However, if you miss the enrollment period or require a non-formulary Medicare Part B/D outpatient medication/supply, you could get caught in the Medicare gap. Insured individuals Sometimes dealing with your private or employee funded prescription plan can feel like being on the short end of a tough relationship. You do your part by paying your required insurance premium, but still have to come up with extra money. This might include covering a medication with a higher than expected co-pay or even dealing with an out-of-pocket charge for a non-formulary med! Let’s walk through a few quick scenarios: Scenario 1-uninsured You don’t have healthcare insurance at all. You tried to get a doctor or community clinic appointment, but they were either too booked or not accepting cash-paying patients. The result is a visit to the emergency department and leaving with a prescription you know you probably won’t even be able to pay for. Trying to choose between getting the medicine needed to take care of yourself and being able to buy food/pay bills is a tough place to be in! Scenario 2-not covered by insurance You just left your doctor visit with a new prescription, so you head to your local pharmacy. You walk up to the counter and confidently hand over your prescription insurance card and new script. Moments later you are called over and given the following news... your medication is not covered, will require a prior authorization of some sort, or may even have a co-pay price you simply can’t afford. How frustrating! Scenario 3-meds for your pet Your pet was just diagnosed with a chronic condition that will now require a medication they will need each month. Now you have to figure out how this new expense will fit into a possibly already tight budget. Yikes! You may not have personally experienced any of these scenarios, but I can guarantee someone you know or have met has. Whether someone is having issues with Medicaid, Medicare, or private health insurance, how awesome would it be for you to share a resource with them that would have alleviated their stress?! Healthwarehouse could have been the answer to their prescription dilemma. What is Healthwarehouse, how much is it, and how does it work? Healthwarehouse is an online pharmacy. They provide manufactured over-the-counter products/medications, prescription medications, and diabetic supplies for humans and pets. They also sell DME (durable medical equipment) like canes, crutches, walkers, etc. The best part is, you do NOT need insurance to get your medications filled through this pharmacy. In fact, they don't accept any insurance and all as a way to reduce the cost and simplicity of processing your prescriptions. All prices are cash. The more you buy, the bigger your potential savings so make sure your doctor writes your prescription for the maximum amount you would like to buy since you aren't constrained to a 30 or 90 day limit from an insurance company. Expert Tip: Have your Doctor write your prescription for an entire year of medication at once to get the maximum savings. Affordable prescription medication prices For example, a 90-day supply of atorvastatin 40mg costs about $19 or a little over $6/month; that's even cheaper than Walmart! 30 tablets of ondansetron 4mg are only ~$20. 360 tablets of metformin ER 500mg cost $36, that’s only $0.10/tablet. These are just a couple of examples of potential savings! How are they able to have such cheap medication prices? Healthwarehouse uses some very unique technology to fill and process their prescriptions. You can see some video of the robotics at work on their facebook page. Another unique attribute of Healthwarehouse is that they source their medications directly from the manufacturers, cutting out layers of middlemen, each adding extra costs along the way in a traditional pharmacy setting. How's it work? The process of using Healthwarehouse to fill a prescription is super easy; just as easy as going to your local pharmacy. Actually, it's better than that, because you know what the price will be and you don't have to worry about dealing with insurance or long lines of sick people. To get the process started, all you have to do is: Visit Healthwarehouse.comType in your zip codeCreate a profileAdd your drugs to the online cartSubmit your order! EASY! Send your prescription of have them request a transfer or new Rx from your doctorWait for the medication to be delivered, Free. If you are getting a new med order filled you can: mail the original prescription to them, have your doctor/vet call-in or e-prescribe your order, or fax the new prescription over. You can even get current orders (with refills left) transferred from your current pharmacy to Healthwarehouse. Easy, Right! Every medication might not have such a substantial discount, so do your research. If your local pharmacy’s cash price, insurance co-pay, or prescription assistance program provides you with a lower price then, by all means, fill your prescription that way. As a healthcare provider, I am happy as long as you are getting the medication you need to get or stay healthy. Of note, this pharmacy does NOT appear to provide specialty compounded medications for humans or pets. However, if there is a manufacturer product they do not carry, the website encourages customers to contact them to discuss adding the medication to their inventory. Why is Healthwarehouse so good and receives my highest recommendation? Healthwarehouse operates on 4 pillars ConvenienceAffordabilityQuality and SafetyCustomer Service Convenience Mail order pharmacy is THE new trend. Who would have thought that prescriptions would be ushered into the direct-to-door (DTD) boom? Getting such an important package delivered might make you a bit apprehensive. However, Healthwarehouse provides this convenience with reassurances that you get free delivery, easy access to licensed pharmacists and pharmacy technicians through chat or by phone, an easy online ordering portal, and more. Affordability As mentioned above, Healthwarehouse has been able to cut out middlemen wholesalers, insurance companies, and pharmacy benefit managers to reduce the overall cost of medications. Serving the entire country from a centralized facility and using automated robotics to fill the prescriptions further reduces the costs significantly. Quality and Safety Healthwarehouse openly identify the suppliers of their products. The number of people being hurt by ingesting false, adulterated, and illegal products sold to them from online sites will always be an unfortunate, looming threat. Having a site that is transparent about where they get the medication/supplies they send you speaks volumes to their honesty/accountability practices. The use of the robotic dispensing machines mentioned earlier in addition to other technologies employed, allows for an exceptionally accurate dispensing rate. Highly trained pharmacist and technicians review your prescriptions for drug interactions, effectiveness, appropriateness, and accuracy just like any other pharmacy. The difference is that the work environment of this closed door facility is much more conducive to low distractions and interruptions that would lead to potential error. Take it from me, this is a HUGE concern for pharmacists in retail environments like Walgreens, CVS, and Walmart. Healthwarehouse also took the time to get a “Verified Internet Pharmacy Practice Site” (VIPPS®) accreditation and .pharmacy domain through the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy® (NABP®). This is a step they chose to take to provide their consumer with more confidence in their business and product. Obtaining and maintaining accreditation is no easy task, and I for one am glad they did it. In fact, Healthwarehouse is the ONLY only cash-based online pharmacy that is VIPPS accredited AND licensed in ALL 50 States. Also Read: Insider Tips to Consider Before Using an Online Pharmacy to learn about how to identify a legit online pharmacy. Customer Service I've spoken with their Director of Customer Experience and Marketing and he informed me that Healthwarehouse is so focused on your experience that they don't just hire customer service reps or outsource to another company. Healthwarehouse has its own employees, all licensed pharmacy technicians, on staff providing customer service. " We believe American's deserve excellent pharmacy experiences. That means doing more than just answering consumer questions. It means taking the time with every customer interaction to make sure they are taken care of, and that they enjoyed the conversation. "Justin DanfordDirector, Customer Experience and MarketingHealthWarehouse.com, Inc. This is a BIG DEAL folks. When you call or chat with a representative you are talking to an actual employee of the company not some person in India at a call center like with most other companies. Lastly, they are registered with the Better Business Bureau® (BBB®) and have an A+ rating. Again, more transparency! Healthwarehouse isn’t hiding from the public’s opinion of their service and clearly use the BBB® as a tool for improvement as you can see they response to every complain or comment. They used Healthwarehouse, what’d they think? So now, when you’re ready, head to the Healthwarehouse.com, check the prices on your medications and read over some of the 9,000+ reviews from some of their 500,000 other customers that have taken the time to write about their experience. They have a great FAQs page that covers a lot of the standard questions you might think of. Anything not covered there can be asked by calling or emailing the company (you talk to ACTUAL, licensed employees, remember). They even have pharmacists available Monday through Friday during regular business hours to take care of your orders and questions. Get your Healthwarehouse groove on Healthwarehouse is a new pharmacy option that could substantially reduce your healthcare cost, save you time, and decrease the headache sometimes involved with simply getting the care you need. Although they are a new company, they have been trusted for over 10 years and are enthusiastic about providing you with the best service possible and are well equipped to take care of your pharmacy needs. Don’t delay checking out Healthwarehouse.com to get you (or your pet) on a more affordable journey towards your better, healthier life.