Your guide to prescriptions and refills [Video] | hioscar Blog | Oscar
Your guide to prescriptions and refills [Video]
Oscar's Dr. Stephanie Reznick explains how to get the medications you need, including when to ask for a renewal.
Virtual CareClinically Speaking
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Confused about prescriptions and refills? We've got you covered. Oscar's Dr. Stephanie Reznick explains how to get the medications you need, including when to ask for a renewal.
First, it is very tempting especially during the pandemic to use the telemedicine service to get refills of your medication. While often this is perfectly fine and safe, there are many medications that require special monitoring to make sure it's still safe and effective for you to take the medication at its current dose.
For this reason, I strongly encourage you to reach out to your primary care provider or other prescriber's office to make sure it is safe for you to get refills through telemedicine or other virtual visits.
Getting your prescription
Another thing you can ask the prescriber is if it's safe for you to get a 90-day refill. This is a great option since you won't have to refill the medication as often.
Mail pharmacies will be able to deliver medication directly to your front door through shipping. Local pharmacies can also often deliver medications to your home either for long-term or even short-term prescription lengths.
In regards to the difference between a renewal and a refill, it's actually quite simple. If you look at the bottle and there's something that says along the lines of refills or refills number left and that number is not zero and that refill was sent in less than a year ago, then all you need to do is call the pharmacy when you're out of medication and tell them you need more.
If the refill number says zero or it's been over a year since that prescriber sent in that prescription, then you'll need to contact the prescriber or a different prescriber to get a renewed prescription.
Prescription tiers
Another area of confusion for many people is what tiered drugs are and what does that mean. Every insurance has a formulary which is a list of drugs that they cover.
Tier 1 drugs are the most preferred drugs. Often these medications are generics and this is going to cost the least amount for you out of pocket.
Tier 2 is a little bit more in-between. They may or may not be generic, they might be a preferred brand that the insurance company was able to get a good price on and the cost for you is normally, again, in-between.
Tier 3 medications tend to be the most expensive and the often specialized brand name medications. Sometimes there is no option but a Tier 3 medication but if you have any questions you can always ask your doctor if there are cheaper alternatives for you.
If you have any questions about what medications are covered at what cost or what tier, please reach out to your insurance. If you're an Oscar member, you can call your Care Team (opens in new tab) and they can help you with any of these questions."
Video published 2020-8-5
This content does not constitute medical advice and is not meant to be a substitute for professional medical advice, including diagnosis or treatment. Contact your physician with any questions you may have regarding COVID-19 or your personal health. If you are experiencing a medical emergency, dial 911 for immediate assistance.
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