If you’ve never tried an app to help you comparison shop for prescription medications before, FamilyWize could be a good way for you to start saving money.
For this article, I downloaded the FamilyWize app and shopped for some of the most popular prescription medications. See the prices I was shown here or get more in-depth information about the app below.
Here’s What You Need to Know About FamilyWize
FamilyWize is a drug savings mobile app and website that can save you up to 45% on most FDA-approved brand and generic prescription medications.
While it is a for-profit business, it’s endorsed by many of the biggest names in the nonprofit world. That includes the American Heart Association, the National Council on Aging and United Way, among others.
To date, FamilyWize says it’s helped more than 13 million people save more than $1.5 billion on prescription drug costs.
But here’s the thing: If you have past experience with competitors like Blink Health, GoodRx, RXSaver or SingleCare, then FamilyWize is likely to seem pretty no-frills and basic to you.
That’s because there are no bells and whistles like there are with the competitors. So don’t expect any:
- Premium subscription-based membership program
- Way to get prescriptions written and filled without a doctor visit
- Home delivery options
The most notable feature FamilyWize does offer is a Drug Price Lookup tool. That allows you to do basic comparison-shopping before filing a prescription.
Table of Contents
- How Does FamilyWize Work?
- What Pharmacies Work With FamilyWize?
- How Do I Join FamilyWize?
- How Much Can You Really Save With FamilyWize?
- Can FamilyWize Be Combined With Insurance?
1. How Does FamilyWize Work?
Using FamilyWize is easy. Just follow this simple three-step process:
- Search for your medicine by name online or in the app (Android and iOS) and enter your zip code
- Select the nearby pharmacy offering the best price
- Show the app to the pharmacist — or email or text the discount card to yourself from the website to get the price you saw
2. What Pharmacies Work With FamilyWize?
Unlike a lot of its competitors, FamilyWize doesn’t disclose how many pharmacies it partners with — beyond saying “all major retail pharmacies and most independent drugstores in the U.S.” on its website.
However, it does prominently display the logos of the following retail pharmacies on the site:
- Albertsons
- CVS
- Hy-Vee
- Kmart
- Kroger
- Rite-Aid
- Safeway
- Walgreens
- Walmart
3. How Do I Join FamilyWize?
The best part of FamilyWize is that there’s no membership necessary. It’s entirely free to use either by downloading the app or logging on to the website from a desktop computer.
Since this is not insurance, that means there are never any:
- Monthly fees to pay
- Claim forms to fill out
- Deductibles you have to meet, or
- Eligibility requirements you have to meet
4. How Much Can You Really Save With FamilyWize?
Here’s the most important part of any FamilyWize review: The prices!
To develop this price list, I first identified some of the most commonly prescribed drugs. Then, I shopped each of those medications by visiting FamilyWize on a desktop computer, using 30309 (midtown Atlanta) as the zip code.
Here’s what I found:
| Drug Name | Dose | Count | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lisinopril (Prinivil) | 10 MG | 30 | $4.00 |
| Levoxyl (Levothyroxine Sodium) | 50 MCG | 30 | $4.00 |
| Atorvastatin Calcium (Lipitor) | 20 MG | 30 | $15.00 |
| Metformin Hcl (Glucophage) | 1000 MG | 60 | $4.00 |
| Simvastatin (Zocor) | 20 MG | 30 | $6.59 |
| Omeprazole (generic) | 20 MG | 30 | $15.00 |
| Amlodipine Besylate (Norvasc) | 10 MG | 30 | $8.94 |
| Metoprolol-Hydrochlorothiazide (generic) | 50-25 MG | 30 | $24.17 |
| Losartan Potassium (Cozaar) 50MG 30 count – $9.00 | 50 MG | 30 | $9.00 |
| Gabapentin (Neurontin) | 300 MG | 90 | $15.32 |
Prices change often, so be sure to search for medications yourself to see what the going rate is when you’re ready to fill your prescription.
5. Can FamilyWize Be Combined With Insurance?
Unfortunately, you cannot stack the savings from FamilyWize on top of your insurance. It’s either one or the other.
However, you may find that your prices with FamilyWize are lower than your insurance co-pay.
In addition, you can use this app for prescription drugs that are excluded by your insurance plan or are not covered because you have exceeded your plan’s limits.
Final Thought
FamilyWize is one of the most basic prescription drug savings apps out there. In general, if you find yourself challenged by technology, this might be a good one to try because it has so few bells and whistles.
On the other hand, if you find that FamilyWize is just too remedial for you, try checking out competitors like Blink Health, GoodRx, RXSaver and SingleCare. Each one offers a more robust user experience and may be more your speed.
The two most popular ones are GoodRx and SingleCare. We put them head-to-head for a price comparison. You can see which one was cheaper here.
Meanwhile, if you want even more ways to save money on medications, be sure to check out our article on 10 Ways to Save on Prescription Drugs.
More Prescription Savings Stories on Clark.com:
The post FamilyWize Review: 5 Things to Know Before Filling a Prescription appeared first on Clark Howard.
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