Just started as a new HSA participant, and got to admit, I'm surprised by just how much everything costs - especially prescriptions. I need advice on how to make sure I'm getting the best deals for prescriptions. I was so desperate I was wondering how much cheaper prescriptions would be in Canada. Please help.

Me too!! I am looking for a legitimate way to lower the cost of my family's meds. I know about walmart, publix and discount cards, but what about Canadian? Also, how does one find out what the insurance company's negotiated rates are with the drug companys? Do any of the the big insurance companys have signifcantly better deals with pharmacies than others? Also,what about Costco. I hear their prices are pretty good.

First, make sure that you have checked with your insurance company that is covering you via your High Deductible Health Plan. Usually, you will get their negotiated discount rates that they have already secured for their other health insurance products.

Second, you can find an icon on our site that will take you to Drugstore.com and their special store dedicated for those who have HSAs.

Thirdly, try out www.healthpricer.com and see if they can help you with prescription prices.

Lastly, there is a great site called DestinationRx that may be able to help you as well.

As I get more information, I will post it here so keep checking for updates.

The site mentioned in a previous reply post, called destinationrx.com or www.drx.com can help with three of the key layers of consideration when trying to manage prescription costs.
The first consideration is what you buy - or therapeutic choices. You can enter medications and see what therapeutic alternatives might save you money based on clinical equivalency. This works for a HDHP user or for a traditionally insured if you enter your plan and benefit design details. You can save as much as 50% through this choice layer alone.
The second consideration is how you buy. This has to do with choosing retail or mail order pharmacies and buying larger quantities in order to get better per-dose pricing. The DestinationRx site will help you to see the differences in costs immediately. You have to change quantities to get a view for pricing. Some of the retailers and mail order houses that are known for better pricing, like Costo or RxUSA.com have the best pricing if you buy 100 pills as opposed to 90 because that is the quantity they buy from the wholesaler so they do not have to repackage. Don't forget you will need a new prescription from your doctor to buy larger quantities.
The third consideration is where you buy. The Destinationrx site allows you to compare pricing at different local and mail order pharmacies. They do not have all of the $4 or free antibiotics programs listed yet, but have been adding them. Some of the pricing is very aggressive. Don't forget to explore different quantities to see if you can get a better deal.
Good luck.

I checked out www.healthpricer.com noted in sandmans earlier post, specifically for Singulair. Every price quoted was via canadian pharmacies. Upon further review, I found out that Singulair in Canada has a generic equivalency. There is no generic sold in the US to my knowledge. 2 questions: Is this common? How does one know if a canadian pharmacy is AOK?

Canada definietly has the cheapest prescription prices I have seen. Try Costco, Walmart, and Meijer.