Amazon announced on January 24, 2023, a new Prime membership benefit from Amazon Pharmacy called RxPass. This service is only available to those who have an Amazon Prime membership.
Details
Members will be able to fill as many prescriptions from a list of around 50 generic medications as needed for a flat fee of $5 a month. Notably, this fee would be in addition to the Amazon Prime membership fee, which costs around $139 per year in the United States. With the subscription, Amazon advertises that members can receive discounts of up to 80% off generic drugs at over 60,000 pharmacies nationwide. Additionally, RxPass works with auto-refill, allowing prescriptions to automatically be refilled and delivered each month.
The subscription service offers medications that treat more than 80 common conditions, which include but are not limited to:
- High blood pressure
- High cholesterol
- Anxiety
- Acid reflux
- Diabetes
Ineligibility
It is important to note that individuals with government-funded Medicaid or Medicare coverage are not eligible for this service. Amazon customers cannot use their health insurance plans, health savings accounts, or flexible spending accounts when using or paying through RxPass.
Currently, this service is not able to send medications to California, Louisiana, Maryland, Minnesota, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Washington, despite Amazon Pharmacy being available in all the listed states.
Individuals are also ineligible for RxPass if they do not have a Prime membership.
Consumers should understand that RxPass is not insurance and is not a replacement for insurance. Amazon advertises its services as an alternative way to lower prescription costs, specifically for Prime members who pay more than $5 out-of-pocket for generic medications.