Paying for prescriptions, explained
The numbers and rules behind prescription assistance, in plain language. Where an article quotes a count or a limit, it comes from the same checked program data as the rest of the site.
· 10 min read
Formulary and Step Therapy Exceptions: How to Request One
When your plan says a drug is not on its list, sits on a costly tier, or has to wait until you try something cheaper, you can ask for an exception. Here is which kind to ask for, what your prescriber has to show, how fast the plan must answer, and which maker programs still help if it says no.
· 5 min read
GoodRx and Discount Cards vs Insurance: Which to Use
A pharmacy discount card can beat your insurance copay on some prescriptions and do almost nothing for others. Here is how the cards work, when one saves money, what it does to your deductible, and when the drug maker’s own program is the better place to look.
· 7 min read
Medicare Negotiated Drug Prices for 2026 and 2027
Medicare now negotiates the price of some of its most expensive drugs directly with the companies that make them. Ten drugs have had negotiated prices since January 2026, and 15 more join them in January 2027. Here is the full list, and what a lower price does and does not change for you at the pharmacy.
· 4 min read
$35 Inhaler Programs: Symbicort, Spiriva, Breo and Trelegy
Three of the biggest inhaler makers cap what eligible patients pay at $35 a month. The caps cover private insurance and no insurance, but not Medicare. Here is which inhalers they cover, how to get the price at the pharmacy, and what helps if you are on Medicare.
· 6 min read
GLP-1 Costs Compared: Wegovy, Zepbound, Ozempic and More
The same family of medicines can cost you anything from a $25 copay to around $1,350 a month, depending on which one you take and how you pay. Here is what each maker’s own programs charge, by coverage, and where Medicare’s $50 program fits.
· 4 min read
Humira and Stelara Biosimilars: Costs and Assistance
Humira and Stelara now each have several biosimilars, and most come with their own assistance programs. If you are switching, or your plan is switching you, the help you had does not move with you. Here is what each product offers.
· 4 min read
Medicare Open Enrollment: Check Your Drug Coverage for 2027
Every fall, each Medicare drug plan can change which medicines it covers, what they cost and what it takes to get them. If you or a parent take an expensive prescription, a plan that worked this year may not work in January. This guide is about one job: checking your own medicines against the plan you have, or the one you are thinking of switching to.
· 5 min read
$35 Insulin Programs: Who Qualifies for Each One
Each of the three big insulin makers runs a program that sells its insulin for about $35 a month and another that gives it free to lower-income patients. Which one you can use depends mostly on your coverage, not your income.
· 5 min read
Bridge Programs: Your Medicine While Insurance Decides
A new prescription can stall while your insurer reviews it. Some drug makers cover that gap with free starting doses. Here is how these programs work, who can use them, and what to do while you wait.
· 4 min read
Federal Poverty Level 2026: 200%, 300% and 400% in Dollars
Most patient assistance programs write their income limit as a percent of the federal poverty level. Here is what those percents come to in dollars for each household size, and how to read the limit on a program’s page.
· 4 min read
Medicare Extra Help 2026: Income Limits and Costs
Extra Help is federal money toward your Medicare Part D drug costs. Here are the 2026 limits, what you pay once you have it, and the one application that gets it.
· 4 min read
Medicare Prescription Payment Plan: How It Works
The Medicare Prescription Payment Plan changes when you pay for your drugs, not how much. It helps in some situations and does nothing in others. Here is how to tell which one you are in.
· 4 min read
Copay Accumulators and Maximizers Explained
A copay card can bring a prescription down to a few dollars and still not count toward your deductible. Here is why, how to find out whether your plan does it, and what you can do.
· 3 min read
Patient Assistance Program Application: Documents You Need
Most patient assistance applications ask for the same few things. Here is what they are, which one needs your doctor, and what to do if you are turned down.