Medicare Recipients Can Now Use Amazon Pharmacy's RxPass

(Image credit: Gabby Jones/Bloomberg via Getty)

For the many people who take recurring medications but find collecting them from the drugstore at best a chore and at worst a struggle, the rise of mail-order prescription services has been, quite simply, a lifesaver. And now, millions of Medicare users are being offered another service that can cut the cost and hassle of ordering meds: the RxPass from Amazon Pharmacy.

Launched a year ago, the RxPass is designed to provide lower-cost access to generic medicines that treat more than 80 common health conditions, including high blood pressure, anxiety and acid reflux. Subscribers can get as many eligible medications as they need, plus free home delivery and the ability to connect with a pharmacist 24/7, for a flat fee of $5 a month. Until recently, those with Medicare insurance plans were excluded from the service, but Amazon has now widened accessibility.

A Medicare beneficiary who takes at least one medication available through RxPass could save approximately $70 per year, and a beneficiary who takes two or more medications could save even more, Amazon said. And if all Medicare beneficiaries transitioned their eligible medications to RxPass, Medicare spending would be reduced by nearly $2 billion.

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Amazon RxPass small print

While signing up to the scheme is straightforward using the Amazon Pharmacy website or app, you will need an Amazon Prime subscription to be eligible to join. This currently costs $14.99 per month/$139 per year.

RxPass isn’t currently available to send medications to California, Texas and Washington, although Amazon Pharmacy is available in all of those states. And those with state-funded insurance such as Medicaid and CHIP are not eligible. If your prescription medication needs change, you can cancel the service at any time.

Dr. Vin Gupta, chief medical officer of Amazon Pharmacy, said: “Many common health conditions can be well-managed through consistent use of medicine and healthy lifestyle choices. Expanding RxPass to Medicare beneficiaries can help solve affordability and access challenges among a patient population who experiences high levels of chronic disease.”

If you’re eligible to join, it’s worth considering whether you’d benefit from using the RxPass. Don’t forget to factor in the cost of traveling to the drugstore to collect your prescription — and the time you’ll save by not having to wait in line.

Charlotte comes to Kiplinger with more than two decades of experience in print and online journalism in the UK, with a focus on consumer rights, personal finance and law. She has worked for leading consumer rights organisation Which? and the UK government, and studied modern and medieval languages at the University of Cambridge.