Health plans partner with Amazon Pharmacy to offer members drug discounts

Business insurance - Amazon

Blue Plan members in five US states now have a discount card available to save on medication.

Blue Cross Blue Shield health plans customers in five US states now have a prescription drug discount card available to save on medications at Amazon Pharmacy.

The announcement was made by Amazon Pharmacy chief medical officer Nworah Ayogu.

Ayogu announced the new discount cards for members of the health plans last week at a health tech conference. The initial rollout of the discount cards will be available to members in Nebraska, New Jersey, Alabama, Kansas and Florida.

The partnership between Blue Cross Blue Shield and Amazon Pharmacy will allow customers to use the MedsYourWay card to get discounts when they use the digital drugstore to fill their prescriptions. Moreover, the cost of those medications will still count toward their deductibles.

Members with prescription discount cards would usually be required to make a choice between purchasing a medication out-of-pocket and receive a discount without having the cost go toward their deductible, or they would have to purchase the medication using their insurance coverage but forfeit the discount.

Health plans - Pharmacy

This new discount drug program makes it possible for the health plan members to avoid that choice.

“They can be free to choose whatever’s cheapest and not have to worry about what applies to their out-of-pocket maximum or the deductible because both apply,” explained Ayogu when speaking at the conference.

The MedsYourWay drug discount card is provided through the Prime Therapeutics pharmacy benefit manager, which is owned by more than a dozen Blue Cross Blue Shield plans. Prime Therapeutics has been providing Amazon pharmacy home delivery services since fall 2021.

Customers can use the MedsYourWay card to fill their prescriptions at Amazon Pharmacy. The majority of prescription discount cards can be used only at a network of pharmacies.

Amazon Pharmacy first launched in 2020, two years following their PillPack drug delivery company acquisition. The e-commerce giant has been moving into a growing segment of healthcare. It has since launched Amazon Care, a nationwide telehealth service, in addition to a fitness brand, and an integration of Alexa into healthcare settings.

This new partnership with the health plans for discount drug cards is only the latest in a rising number of steps in this market.

Leave a Comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.