Here at True Dental Benefits, we pledge to have answers to basic questions about our Dental Care, Vision Care, Hearing, and Prescription Benefits.
Q. What can I expect to save with this membership?
A. Prices will always vary on prescription drugs and therefore it is impossible to estimate specific dollar savings through any non-insured drug program. Your membership offers two avenues for drug purchases: The Neighborhood Pharmacy program offers 10% to 85% discounts on acute care medications and the Mail Order Pharmacy guarantees an average of 10% off AARP's prices. Should you receive a quote anywhere else for less than our mail order pharmacy, we will beat it by a minimum of $5.00 on brand name and generic medications priced at $10.00 or more with no postage or dispensing fees added. Savings can not be used in conjunction with other discount or insurance cards.
Q. Do I get a discount on every single drug at the neighborhood pharmacy when I use my Membership card?
A. Not necessarily. Drug stores, like hardware and grocery stores determine their own pricing structures. Due to large discounts from manufacturers, some drugs may already be priced at or below the PBM's discount price. However, as a general rule, you can expect that 80% to 90% of your required, acute care prescription needs will be discounted below the stores usual retail price. The PBM network pharmacies have agreed to sell prescription drugs at the contract price, or their "usual retail price" whichever is lower.
Q. Why didn't I save any money at the participating local drugstore?
A. More than likely, you ordered a long-term maintenance medication versus a short-term acute care medication such as an antibiotic or pain-killer. Most pharmacies use long-term, maintenance medications as "loss leaders" and price these drugs at or below cost. They do this so that their customers will assume that all their prices are low. It's a marketing strategy. The pharmacy realizes that for long-term medications, you'll shop around in order to get the best price for a medication that you may be taking for the rest of your life. As the consumer, you are led to believe that this pharmacy has low prices on all their prescription drugs and other items. Our pharmacy program has contracted with independent and chain pharmacies nationwide to offer you a discounted price that will normally save you 10% to 85% on short term medications. However, in order to draw customers, many pharmacies opt to price their prescriptions lower than the contracted price. In this case the member gets the lower of the two. Normally, they use high profile maintenance drugs for these "loss leader" price reductions such as Prozac, Zantac, and Premarin. In order to guarantee members a savings, we established a mail order pharmacy program which absolutely, positively guarantees to beat any price quoted elsewhere by a minimum of $5.00 with no dispensing or postage fees added provided the brand or generic price exceeds $10.00.
Q. What if the Pharmacist doesn't recognize the card's name?
A. Always make inquiries in person and be sure to bring your card with you. When the pharmacist sees the Pharmacy Benefit Manager information on the card, the pharmacist then understands which program you are on.
Q. Is this a co-pay insurance card?
A. No. A co-pay card is an insured product where the customer pays a preset amount and the insurance company pays the remainder. This membership is a discount card offering reduced prices. You are responsible to pay the pharmacy 100% of the discounted price.
Q. I'm a member and called the Mail Order Pharmacy to get a price quote on my maintenance drugs. The price quote was higher than my old pharmacy. What should I do?
A. When you call the Mail Order Pharmacy to get a price quote, be sure to tell the representative where you found it for less. If the quotation you are given does not beat the price you are currently paying by at least $5.00, the operator will verify the price being charged at your local pharmacy and beat it by $5.00. This outstanding price guarantee is effective for all brand or generic drugs priced over $10.00.
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