AARP Prescription Discount Card Issue w/ Home Delivery

[MerryB646930]

I have spent hours on the phone with Optum Rx trying to get my Mom's Alzheimer's medication from Optum Home Delivery using the AARP Prescription Discount Card. I was expecting to find others reporting the issue here, but didn't find anything. The medication, Galantamine ER, is cost prohibitive using her health insurance, so we got the discount card and used it without a problem to fill 30-day supplies at Safeway Pharmacy. When we determined she could tolerate the med at the higher dosage, the price had gone way up in January for a 30-day supply at a local pharmacy. Since Optum Rx provides home delivery for the AARP Prescription Discount Card program, I asked the PCP to send a new Rx for a 90-day supply to Optum Rx. Optum automatically put the prescription through her AARP Medicare Advantage health plan from United Healthcare, and the order was not filled because her insurance required prior approval. I made multiple calls to the AARP Prescription Discount Card program in February and March to try to have the prescription processed using the card instead of insurance, but each time the CSR for the program passed me to a CSR at Optum Home Delivery, that person didn't know what AARP Prescription Discount Card was, and/or didn't understand how a prescription sent to Optum wasn't supposed to go through insurance, and/or didn't see her AARP Member ID associated with her Optum account and didn't have access to add it, and/or couldn't find someone with the knowledge and system access to resolve the problem. Using the online AARP/Optum account inbox to spell out the problem and attach screen shots only yielded automated responses from "John" with no route to getting assistance. None of the reps I spoke to in a call center in the Philippines were empowered to escalate to a manager. I finally had to give up because I didn't have any more hours to spend on getting the meds. I called again today to give it one more try and spoke to someone who claimed that she would personally contact my Mom's PCP office tomorrow to request the prescription be re-sent so she could make sure it was not put through insurance but processed with the AARP Prescription Discount card. I don't have high hopes, but $65.20 for a 90-day supply is significantly better than the GoodRx.com Gold discount for home delivery at $100.54 (includes $10/mo subscription x 3 every 90 days). I will probably have to give up on AARP/Optum and on home delivery to get the med from a CVS/Target for $78.24. It's hard to believe that AARP would let Optum provide such a terrible customer experience when the program touts the benefit of home delivery for AARP members.

[AARPConsumerCare]

MerryB646930 We're sorry to hear you're having trouble with AARP Prescription Discounts provided by OptumRx. We are listening and would like the chance to help as soon as possible. Please visit https://help.aarp.org/s/article/contact-aarp to chat, text, or speak with a representative who can get you in touch with our Member Relations team. - Christy C.

[GailL1]

A doc is gonna send any new Rx to the insurance plan not to the discount plan. You should perhaps just get the Rx from the doc and then used the AARP Discount at one of the pharmacies that accepts it.

Also Just remember, if it matters to you  - her (this) medication will not be included in her Medicare Prescription Drug Plans total out of pocket of $ 2000 for 2025 or against any deductible unless it goes thru the insurance plan. If she is taking other medications too it would not take too long to reach that limit all inclusive.   

Remember to that the AARP discount plan can change without notice because it is offered thru a third party.  

AARP.org - Prescription Savings for You & Your Family 

Note the DISCLAIMER.