Our private health insurance is dictating where we can get our prescriptions. Is this common?

[PatriciaF822307]

Why is my insurance-not medicare insurance- restricting where I can fill my prescriptions and for only 90 days of meds at a time?  

[GailL1]

Because it is the private health insurer that has completed the negotiations on the drug prices that you get under the formulary under that insurer and they also have networks of pharmacies which are supposed to give you the better pricing.

However, you don’t have to use your insurance coverage and you can get them any place you want using other discount programs which many times might be cheaper like GOODRx or others.  You won’t get the insurer’s negotiated price if you get the RX somewhere else - but you might find that somewhere else is cheaper than your insurer’s price.

A 90 day supply is standard for reoccurring medications - and sometimes after a few 90 day refills, you have to go back to the Doc for him to review and write a renewed prescription.  Sometimes it is not even 90 days because of the medication - might be less or even a “prior authorization” each time by the doc.