The Pharmacy Shell Game: How I Used an Airline Industry Secret to Finally Understand Prescription Discount Cards and Save Thousands

The $400 Shock at the Pharmacy Counter: My Personal Brush with America’s Opaque Drug Pricing

For years, I moved through the world of healthcare with a certain confidence.

As a professional in an adjacent industry, I thought I understood the rules.

I paid my premiums for a “good” high-deductible health plan (HDHP), I knew what a formulary was, and I always presented my insurance card at the pharmacy counter, assuming I was getting the best possible deal my plan had negotiated.

That confidence shattered one Tuesday afternoon.

My wife needed a refill for a common, non-specialty medication she’d been taking for years.

I walked up to our usual pharmacy counter, expecting the familiar, manageable copay.

Instead, the technician looked at her screen, then back at me with an apologetic wince.

The price, she said, would be over $400 for a month’s supply.

The medication, it turned out, had been dropped from our plan’s formulary.

My “good” insurance was now functionally useless for this specific drug, leaving me exposed to the pharmacy’s full retail price.¹

The feeling was a potent mix of sticker shock, anger, and helplessness.

How could a routine medication suddenly cost more than a cross-country flight? This experience, I soon learned, was far from unique.

It was my personal entry point into a nationwide crisis of affordability and opacity.

Nearly one-third of American adults report struggling to afford their medications, with many resorting to dangerous practices like skipping doses or cutting pills in half to make them last longer.²

One in four has difficulty paying for their prescriptions.³

The feeling of being blindsided at the pharmacy is practically a feature of the system; in 2021, a staggering 79% of patients reported that their prescription cost more than they expected at pickup.⁴

My frustration was a reflection of a systemic failure.

This set me on a path of discovery.

I was determined to understand the hidden architecture of a system that could produce such a bewildering outcome.

If my insurance wasn’t the key to the best price, what was? The answer, I would find, was not in healthcare at all, but in the seemingly unrelated world of air travel.

The “Airline Alliance” Epiphany: A New Way to See the Prescription Marketplace

My initial mental model was flawed.

I saw prescription pricing as a simple retail transaction: there’s a price, and my insurance card is a coupon.

This is wrong.

The breakthrough came when I started thinking about the prescription drug market not as a store, but as the global airline industry.

This “Airline Alliance” analogy became the key that unlocked the entire system.

Here is the framework that changed everything:

• Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs) are the Airline Alliances (Star Alliance, Oneworld, SkyTeam). These are the massive, often invisible, backbone networks. You rarely interact with Star Alliance directly; you deal with its member airlines. Similarly, PBMs are the powerful entities that negotiate everything behind the scenes, creating the networks and setting the prices that determine what you pay.²
• Your Health Insurance Plan is your primary “Frequent Flyer Program” (e.g., United MileagePlus). This is your default way of accessing the system. It comes with certain rules and benefits (like copays after you meet your deductible), but it is loyal to its own alliance. Crucially, it will only ever show you the prices—the “fares”—that it has negotiated within its network.
• Prescription Discount Cards (like GoodRx or SingleCare) are the “Partner Booking Engines” (Kayak, Expedia, Google Flights). These are third-party platforms that have agreements with multiple PBM “alliances” or can access different, privately negotiated rates within the same alliance. They can search across these networks to find a cheaper “fare” for the exact same “flight”—the same pill, from the same pharmacy—simply by using a different network’s contract.²
• Pharmacies (CVS, Walgreens, Independents) are the “Airports.” They are the physical points of service. An airport doesn’t set the ticket price; it services planes from United, Delta, and American. Likewise, a pharmacy honors the pricing from whichever PBM network is accessed, whether by your insurance card or a discount card coupon.¹

This analogy immediately clarifies the central mystery.

The reason a “free” discount card can beat your insurance price is that it’s not a “discount” in the traditional sense.

It’s an access key to a different, and in that instance, cheaper, negotiated contract.

The price of a drug is not a fixed number; it is a variable determined entirely by which network contract is used at the point of sale.³

The goal for the consumer, then, is not just to have a ticket, but to find the

cheapest ticket for that specific journey.

The Invisible Networks: A Deep Dive into Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs)

To truly understand the pharmacy shell game, you have to understand the game masters: the Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs).

Using our airline analogy, these are the alliances that dictate the routes, the fares, and the rules of engagement.

The modern prescription drug market is dominated by three colossal PBMs—CVS Caremark, Cigna’s Express Scripts, and UnitedHealth’s OptumRx—which together control an estimated 80% of all prescription claims in the United States.⁷

This immense concentration of power shapes the entire landscape.

A Brief History: From Claims Processors to Market Makers

PBMs were not always this powerful.

Their history shows a steady evolution from administrative helpers to dominant market forces.

• Origins (1960s-1980s): When health plans first began covering prescriptions, PBMs emerged as a solution to a simple problem: managing a high volume of small-dollar paper claims. They were essentially data processors. Their invention of the plastic drug benefit card in the 1970s and their pioneering of electronic claims processing in the 1980s were revolutionary administrative simplifications.⁷
• The Rise of Cost Control (1990s-2000s): As drug costs began to soar, the role of PBMs expanded dramatically. They moved beyond simple claims processing and began actively managing costs. They did this by creating networks of pharmacies that agreed to certain reimbursement rates, developing formularies (lists of preferred drugs covered by an insurance plan), and negotiating rebates from drug manufacturers.⁷ The introduction of the Medicare Prescription Drug Discount Card program in 2003, which relied on this model, further cemented their role and expanded their market share.¹³
• Vertical Integration and Dominance (2010s-Present): The last decade has been defined by massive consolidation. Large insurance companies acquired the largest PBMs, and those PBMs, in turn, acquired or built their own mail-order and specialty pharmacies.⁷ This vertical integration created the giants we see today, entities that control the flow of money and medicine at nearly every step, from the manufacturer to the patient.

The PBM Business Model: How They Shape the Market and Make Money

The power of PBMs stems from their opaque and complex business practices, which directly create the market conditions that make discount cards possible.

• Formulary Management and Rebates: PBMs act as gatekeepers, deciding which drugs get favorable placement on an insurer’s formulary. They leverage this power to demand substantial rebates from drug manufacturers.⁷ A manufacturer might pay a large rebate to have its brand-name drug placed on a lower copay tier than a competitor’s. This system can create a perverse incentive to favor more expensive drugs that come with bigger rebates over cheaper, equally effective alternatives, as the PBM may retain a portion of that larger rebate.⁸ The process lacks transparency, so employers and patients rarely know how much of the rebate is kept as PBM profit versus being used to lower premiums.⁷
• Spread Pricing: This is a core profit-driving mechanism. A PBM will charge a health plan (like an employer) a certain amount for a drug—for example, $30. It will then reimburse the pharmacy that dispensed the drug a lower amount—say, $25. The PBM pockets the $5 difference, known as the “spread”.⁶
• Pharmacy Network Management: To be able to serve insured patients, pharmacies have little choice but to join PBM networks and accept their contractual terms, which often include low reimbursement rates that squeeze pharmacy margins.²

This complex web of secret deals and negotiated rates means there is no single “price” for a drug.

The existence of prescription discount cards is a direct symptom of these PBM-created market inefficiencies.

Companies like GoodRx partner with multiple PBMs, gaining access to a portfolio of different negotiated rates.

When you use a discount card, its system is effectively searching across its PBM partners to find the lowest available price for that drug at that specific pharmacy, offering you an access key to a contract that is, in that moment, better than your insurance plan’s.²

Booking Your Ticket: The Mechanics of a Prescription Discount Card Transaction

For the average person, using a discount card seems almost too simple, which is what often fuels skepticism.

The process is designed to be frictionless for the consumer, while a complex series of events happens behind the counter.

The Simple Steps for the Consumer

The user-facing process is straightforward and mirrors how we shop for anything else online:

1. Search: You go to a discount card’s website or mobile app, such as GoodRx or SingleCare, and enter the name, dosage, and quantity of your medication.¹⁵
2. Compare: The platform displays a list of prices at various participating pharmacies in your area, allowing you to see where the best deal is.¹⁶
3. Get Coupon: You select a pharmacy and get a free coupon, which is a set of numbers (BIN, PCN, Group, Member ID) that can be displayed on your phone or printed out.³
4. Present to Pharmacist: At the pharmacy, you show this coupon to the technician. They process this information in their system exactly as they would an insurance card.³
5. Pay: You pay the final discounted price shown on the coupon. This is a cash transaction, not an insurance copay.¹⁵

What Happens Behind the Scenes: The Flow of Money and Data

When the pharmacist processes that coupon, they are initiating a transaction that is the lifeblood of the discount card industry.

• The Transaction: The coupon’s numbers route a claim through the PBM network that the discount card company has partnered with. The PBM’s system returns the pre-negotiated price for that drug at that pharmacy, which is what you pay.² This is fundamentally a cash claim, completely bypassing your insurance.³
• How the Card Company Makes Money: That “free” service is funded by a multi-pronged business model:

1. Transaction Fees: The primary revenue source is a fee paid by the pharmacy. For every transaction processed using its coupon, the discount card’s PBM partner charges the pharmacy a fee. The PBM then shares a portion of that fee with the discount card company for generating the business.⁵
2. Data Monetization: This is the most controversial aspect. Because these companies typically operate as technology platforms rather than healthcare providers, they are not considered “covered entities” under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). This means they are not bound by its strict patient privacy rules.²⁰ They are legally permitted to collect, aggregate, and sell user data—what you search for, where you fill it, and other personal information—to third parties like data brokers, advertisers, and tech giants for marketing and research purposes. A 2020 Consumer Reports investigation famously exposed GoodRx for sharing sensitive user data with Facebook and Google, a practice they later curtailed after public outcry.²⁰ This remains a significant “hidden cost” of using these services.
3. Premium Subscriptions: To create a more direct and stable revenue stream, some platforms have introduced paid membership tiers. GoodRx Gold, for example, charges a monthly fee in exchange for access to even deeper discounts and other perks like telehealth visits.²³

The term “free discount card” is therefore a masterful piece of marketing.

The consumer pays with their data, and the pharmacy pays with transaction fees and squeezed profit margins.

The card itself is not the product; the consumer’s transaction and data are the products being sold.

Choosing Your Carrier: An In-Depth Comparison of Major Discount Card Platforms

The prescription discount card market is crowded with players, each with a different strategy and value proposition.

Choosing the right one depends on your specific needs, location, and priorities.

While dozens of brands exist, the market is dominated by a few key players, including GoodRx, SingleCare, Blink Health, and PBM-owned services like Optum Perks.²⁷

Head-to-Head Analysis

A direct comparison reveals that there is no single “best” card for everyone.

The optimal choice is situational.

• GoodRx: As the market leader, GoodRx’s primary strength is its sheer scale.⁶ With a network of over 70,000 pharmacies, it offers the broadest acceptance across the U.S..²⁴ Its app is feature-rich, offering telehealth services and a premium “Gold” subscription for those seeking maximum savings.¹⁶ However, this leadership comes with baggage. The company has faced the most scrutiny over its data privacy practices ²⁰, and its relationships with pharmacies can be contentious, as evidenced by a 2022 dispute with Kroger that temporarily impacted its service.⁶ User reviews are often polarized, with many celebrating life-changing savings ²⁹ while others report frustrating experiences with customer service and coupon validity.³⁰
• SingleCare: Positioned as a strong competitor, SingleCare’s strategy is built on simplicity and a completely free model.²³ Its pharmacy network is smaller, at around 35,000 locations, but it includes all the major national chains.²³ For many common generic drugs, users report that SingleCare’s prices are often better than GoodRx’s.²⁸ Its unique features, like a loyalty program that offers a $5 sign-up bonus and ongoing rewards, and price alerts that notify you of cost changes, are designed to build user trust and engagement.²⁴ The user experience is widely praised for being straightforward and accessible.³³
• Blink Health: Blink operates on a slightly different “pay online first” model. Users find a price, pay for the medication through the Blink platform, and then take their proof of purchase to a participating pharmacy for pickup.³⁵ It also has a smaller network of around 35,000 pharmacies and offers integrated telehealth services.²⁵
• Optum Perks: This card is the consumer-facing discount arm of Optum, the massive health services and PBM division of UnitedHealth Group.²⁷ This is a prime example of the vertical integration trend sweeping the industry.¹³ With a large network of over 64,000 pharmacies, it leverages its parent company’s negotiating power to offer significant discounts.¹⁶ For the consumer, using an Optum card means engaging directly with one of the PBM giants that shapes the market.

Comparative Analysis of Leading Prescription Discount Platforms

The table below summarizes the key differences between these major platforms, providing a quick reference guide for making an informed choice.

Feature	GoodRx	SingleCare	Blink Health	Optum Perks
Business Model	Freemium (Free tier + Paid “Gold” subscription) 24	Free (with optional loyalty program) 24	Free tier + Paid subscription options 25	Free
Network Size	70,000+ pharmacies (Largest) 24	35,000+ pharmacies 23	35,000+ pharmacies 25	64,000+ pharmacies 16
Unique Features	Telehealth visits, Gold membership, vast network 16	Loyalty program ($5 bonus + rewards), price change alerts 24	“Pay online” model, telehealth services 35	Backed by major PBM/Insurer (Optum) 27
Reported Cons	Data privacy concerns, complex programs, customer service issues 22	Smaller network, store-specific card confusion 23	Limited pharmacy network in some areas 36	Fewer features than competitors 24

Ultimately, the smartest consumer is not loyal to any single Card. Just as a savvy traveler checks multiple booking sites before buying a plane ticket, a savvy patient should check multiple discount platforms for every prescription.

The market is a fluid competition for your business, and the winner can change with every transaction.

Turbulence and Hidden Dangers: The Risks and Controversies of Using Discount Cards

While the promise of immediate savings is alluring, the prescription discount card ecosystem is fraught with hidden risks and significant controversies.

A clear-eyed understanding of these downsides is essential before handing over your prescription information.

The Privacy Problem: The Real Price of a “Free” Discount

This is arguably the most significant and least understood risk.

As mentioned, discount card companies are generally not bound by HIPAA’s privacy protections.²⁰

This legal distinction has profound consequences.

Your name, location, and the specific medications you take—incredibly sensitive personal health information—can become a commodity.

These companies can and do share or sell this data to a vast ecosystem of data brokers, advertisers, and tech platforms, where it is used to build detailed consumer profiles for targeted advertising and other purposes.²⁰

When you use a “free” card, you are often paying with your privacy.

The Pharmacy Squeeze: An Unsustainable Model

The savings you see on your screen are not created out of thin air; they are largely extracted from the pharmacies that dispense the medication.

When a pharmacy processes a discount card claim, it is reimbursed at a very low rate and is also charged a transaction fee by the PBM and card company.²

For many prescriptions, especially common generics, this means the pharmacy makes little to no profit or even loses money on the transaction.²⁰

While large chain pharmacies may tolerate these losses as a cost of acquiring customer foot traffic, this model is devastating for small, independent pharmacies.

This financial pressure is a major contributor to the decline of independent pharmacies, which can lead to the formation of “pharmacy deserts” in rural and underserved communities, reducing access to care for vulnerable populations.²

The Deductible Dilemma: Winning the Battle, Losing the War

For anyone with health insurance, this is a critical and often overlooked pitfall.

Payments made using a discount card are cash transactions.

They occur outside of your insurance plan and therefore do not count toward your annual deductible or your out-of-pocket maximum.³

This creates a dangerous financial trade-off.

You might save $20 on a prescription this month, which feels like a win.

However, that $20 you saved is also $20 you didn’t put toward meeting your deductible.

If you have a major health event later in the year that requires expensive care, you will be further away from reaching the threshold where your insurance provides its full financial protection.

This short-term saving can lead to a catastrophic long-term liability, a scenario where you’ve effectively saved money for your insurance company at your own expense.²

For Medicare beneficiaries, the risk is similar and even more acute, as discount card payments do not help them progress through the Part D coverage gap, or “donut hole”.²

The Illusion of Savings and Other Pitfalls

Finally, the marketing around these cards can be misleading.

The headline claims of “80% off!” are almost always calculated against a pharmacy’s “Usual and Customary” (U&C) price, an inflated sticker price that very few cash-paying customers ever actually pay.²²

Furthermore, a discount card price is not guaranteed to be cheaper than your insurance copay; it is simply another option that must be compared.²⁰

Prices can also fluctuate wildly and without notice, meaning the great deal you found last month may have vanished by your next refill.³

Your Personal Flight Plan: A Step-by-Step Strategy for Maximizing Savings

Navigating this complex system requires a new mindset.

You must shift from being a passive patient to being an active, informed consumer—the captain of your own healthcare costs.

The power lies not in loyalty to any one company, but in strategically leveraging the competition between them.

Here is a practical, repeatable flight plan to use for every prescription fill.

Your Pre-Flight Checklist

Follow these steps every time a prescription needs to be filled or refilled to ensure you are getting the best possible price.

1. Check Your Insurance First (Your “Frequent Flyer” Rate): Always start by asking your pharmacist for the price using your insurance plan. This is your baseline. It is especially important to consider using insurance if you have chronic conditions or anticipate significant medical expenses, as each payment gets you closer to meeting your deductible and unlocking your plan’s full benefits.⁴⁴
2. Consult Multiple “Booking Engines”: Before you go to the pharmacy, use your computer or smartphone to check the price of your exact prescription (drug name, strength, and quantity) on at least two different discount card platforms, such as GoodRx and SingleCare. Note the prices at several nearby pharmacies.
3. Compare All Prices: You should now have a list of potential prices: your insurance price, the GoodRx price at Pharmacy A, the SingleCare price at Pharmacy A, the GoodRx price at Pharmacy B, and so on.
4. Make a Strategic Choice:

• If a discount card price is significantly lower and you are generally healthy with few other medical costs (making it unlikely you’ll hit your deductible), using the discount card is likely your best financial move for that transaction.⁴⁰
• If your insurance price is only slightly higher or if you have ongoing health costs, using your insurance is often the smarter long-term play. That small extra payment is an investment toward reaching your plan’s financial safety net sooner.²
• If you are on Medicare, be extremely cautious. Remember that discount card payments will not count toward your True Out-of-Pocket (TrOOP) spending, which is what gets you out of the coverage gap (“donut hole”).² Short-term savings could lead to much higher costs later in the year.

5. Inform Your Team: If you use different pharmacies to chase the best prices, it is vital to keep your primary doctor and a primary pharmacist aware of all the medications you are taking. This is a crucial safety step to prevent dangerous drug interactions and maintain a complete, accurate medical record.⁴⁴

The Future of the System: Integration and Transparency

The prescription drug marketplace is in constant flux.

A key emerging trend is the integration of discount card pricing directly into PBM and insurance company platforms.¹⁹

Programs like Express Scripts’ Price Assure and Optum’s Price Edge are designed to automatically compare the insurance price with available discount card rates and give the member the lower of the two at the pharmacy counter.

This is a clear admission by the industry giants that the discount card model provides real value.

They are attempting to co-opt this disruption to keep patients and their data within their own ecosystems.

While this may simplify the process for consumers, it also represents a further consolidation of power by the major PBMs.

For now, the most rational and effective way to navigate this irrational system is to remain an independent, savvy shopper, using this flight plan to find the best deal for every single trip to the pharmacy.

Works cited

1. WHY AND HOW DO PRESCRIPTION DISCOUNT CARDS WORK? – freshbenies, accessed August 12, 2025, https://freshbenies.com/blog-post/why-and-how-do-prescription-discount-cards-work
2. PRESCRIPTION DISCOUNT CARDS, accessed August 12, 2025, https://achi.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/250224A_Rx-Discount-Cards.pdf
3. A Pharmacist’s Primer on Prescription Discount Cards, accessed August 12, 2025, https://www.uspharmacist.com/article/a-pharmacists-primer-on-prescription-discount-cards
4. Cash or Bust: Why Discount Cards Could Be Key to Medication Adherence | CoverMyMeds, accessed August 12, 2025, https://insights.covermymeds.com/healthcare-technology/prescription-cash-price/cash-or-bust-why-discount-cards-could-be-key-to-medication-adherence
5. How Do Prescription Discount Cards Work? – BuzzRx, accessed August 12, 2025, https://www.buzzrx.com/blog/how-do-prescription-cards-work-ask-a-pharmacist
6. Five Surprising Facts About GoodRx and the … – Drug Channels, accessed August 12, 2025, https://www.drugchannels.net/2022/10/five-surprising-facts-about-goodrx-and.html
7. Insurance Topics | Pharmacy Benefit Managers – NAIC, accessed August 12, 2025, https://content.naic.org/insurance-topics/pharmacy-benefit-managers
8. 5 Things To Know About Pharmacy Benefit Managers – Center for American Progress, accessed August 12, 2025, https://www.americanprogress.org/article/5-things-to-know-about-pharmacy-benefit-managers/
9. Pharmacy benefit management – Wikipedia, accessed August 12, 2025, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pharmacy_benefit_management
10. The Evolution and Future of Pharmacy Benefits Managers, accessed August 12, 2025, https://pharmacy.wisc.edu/2024/03/13/the-evolution-and-future-of-pharmacy-benefits-managers/
11. The ABCs of PBMs – NCBI Bookshelf, accessed August 12, 2025, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK559746/
12. The History, Philosophy, and Principles of Pharmacy Benefits – JMCP.org, accessed August 12, 2025, https://www.jmcp.org/doi/pdf/10.18553/jmcp.1999.5.6.525
13. History, Current State, and Future of Discount Cards – Proper Consulting Group, accessed August 12, 2025, https://properconsultinggroup.com/prescription-discount-cards/
14. MEDICARE PRESCRIPTION DRUG DISCOUNT CARD AND TRANSITIONAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM | CMS, accessed August 12, 2025, https://www.cms.gov/newsroom/fact-sheets/medicare-prescription-drug-discount-card-and-transitional-assistance-program
15. How Prescription Discount Cards Work | ScriptSave WellRx, accessed August 12, 2025, https://www.wellrx.com/how-prescription-discount-cards-work/
16. 5 Popular Prescription Discount Cards – Healthgrades Health Library, accessed August 12, 2025, https://resources.healthgrades.com/pro/5-popular-prescription-discount-cards
17. Consumer Reports investigates prescription drug sticker shock – YouTube, accessed August 12, 2025, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sCihBNR0dqU
18. When my pharmacist tells me they’ve found a discount card that helps me pay for my medication, what are these discount cards and how does he/she find them? : r/pharmacy – Reddit, accessed August 12, 2025, https://www.reddit.com/r/pharmacy/comments/1g4im8w/when_my_pharmacist_tells_me_theyve_found_a/
19. The Rise of Integrated Discount Card Programs | Pharmaceutical Strategies Group (PSG), accessed August 12, 2025, https://www.psgconsults.com/blog/the-rise-of-integrated-drug-discount-card-programs/
20. How do Prescription Discount Cards Work? An Honest Look – Community Pharmacy, accessed August 12, 2025, https://communitypharmacy.com/2021/06/how-do-prescription-discount-cards-work/
21. Has anyone heard of SingleCare before? Is this completely a scam? Received this in the mail today. – Reddit, accessed August 12, 2025, https://www.reddit.com/r/Frugal/comments/9bfu0t/has_anyone_heard_of_singlecare_before_is_this/
22. The Truth Behind Pharmacy Discount Cards: Are They Really “Free”? | Drug Mart, accessed August 12, 2025, https://www.drugmartpharmacy.com/blog/truth-behind-pharmacy-discount-cards
23. Best Prescription Discount Cards of 2025 – SeniorLiving.org, accessed August 12, 2025, https://www.seniorliving.org/prescription-discount-cards/best/
24. The Best Prescription Discount Cards for Seniors in 2024, accessed August 12, 2025, https://www.payingforseniorcare.com/best-prescription-discount-cards
25. Best Prescription Discounts of 2025 – BuzzRx, accessed August 12, 2025, https://www.buzzrx.com/blog/best-prescription-discounts-of-2024
26. How Does GoodRx Work, and Is It Legit?, accessed August 12, 2025, https://www.goodrx.com/how-goodrx-works
27. Drug Discount Card Market Latest Research Report 2025-2034 – InsightAce Analytic, accessed August 12, 2025, https://www.insightaceanalytic.com/report/drug-discount-card-market/2277
28. SingleCare vs. GoodRx: Which Is Better? – SmartAsset.com, accessed August 12, 2025, https://smartasset.com/personal-finance/singlecare-vs-goodrx
29. Testimonials – GoodRx, accessed August 12, 2025, https://www.goodrx.com/about/testimonials
30. GoodRx | BBB Reviews | Better Business Bureau, accessed August 12, 2025, https://www.bbb.org/us/ca/santa-monica/profile/coupon-service/goodrx-inc-1216-351397/customer-reviews
31. I used GoodRX. Here is my review. : r/povertyfinance – Reddit, accessed August 12, 2025, https://www.reddit.com/r/povertyfinance/comments/1eqwreo/i_used_goodrx_here_is_my_review/
32. SingleCare : r/SavingMoney – Reddit, accessed August 12, 2025, https://www.reddit.com/r/SavingMoney/comments/1cf9gnd/singlecare/
33. SingleCare Prescription Discount Card Review 2025 – The Senior List, accessed August 12, 2025, https://www.theseniorlist.com/prescription-discount-card/singlecare/
34. SingleCare Pharmacy Prescription Discount Card – SeniorLiving.org, accessed August 12, 2025, https://www.seniorliving.org/prescription-discount-cards/singlecare/
35. The Best Prescription Discount Cards for Seniors in 2024 – Caring.com, accessed August 12, 2025, https://www.caring.com/senior-products/best-prescription-discount-cards/
36. The 3 Best Prescription Discount Cards for Seniors, accessed August 12, 2025, https://www.theseniorlist.com/prescription-discount-card/best/
37. How do pharmacy discount cards (GoodRx) work? : r/medicine – Reddit, accessed August 12, 2025, https://www.reddit.com/r/medicine/comments/90u1sr/how_do_pharmacy_discount_cards_goodrx_work/
38. Op-Ed: Lower Prescription Drug Costs, Pass PBM Reform Legislation – Pharmacy Times, accessed August 12, 2025, https://www.pharmacytimes.com/view/op-ed-lower-prescription-drug-costs-pass-pbm-reform-legislation
39. What’s the difference between prescription discount plans and prescription drug insurance?, accessed August 12, 2025, https://www.healthinsurance.org/faqs/whats-the-difference-between-prescription-discount-plans-and-prescription-drug-insurance/
40. INSURANCE OR DISCOUNT DRUG CARD?, accessed August 12, 2025, https://www.mcohio.org/DocumentCenter/View/2946/Prescription-Drug-Discount-Cards-PDF
41. What to know about prescription cards vs. insurance cards – Optum Perks, accessed August 12, 2025, https://perks.optum.com/blog/prescription-card-vs-insurance-card
42. Prescription Discount Cards and Medicare Members – Deft Research, accessed August 12, 2025, https://deftresearch.com/https-blog-deftresearch-com-resources-prescription-discount-cards-and-medicare-members/
43. The Truth About Pharmacy Discount Cards, accessed August 12, 2025, https://www.pharmacytimes.com/view/the-truth-about-pharmacy-discount-cards
44. How smart consumers use prescription discount cards with …, accessed August 12, 2025, https://www.wsoctv.com/news/how-smart-consumers-use-prescription-discount-cards-with-insurance-legally-game-system/5YISGODGH5NHZNAHHMSZGI2B4E/
45. Prescription Discount Cards & Savings Solutions | Evernorth, accessed August 12, 2025, https://www.evernorth.com/articles/flexible-solutions-for-patient-prescription-savings
46. How smart consumers use prescription discount cards with insurance to legally game the system – KESQ, accessed August 12, 2025, https://kesq.com/stacker-science/2025/06/06/how-smart-consumers-use-prescription-discount-cards-with-insurance-to-legally-game-the-system/