Clark Howard

Walmart, Anthem partner to make OTC drugs more affordable to seniors

Beginning in January, Walmart and health insurer Anthem will give seniors citizens who live on a fixed income another way to save money on medications and a variety of health products.

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Over-the-counter drugs will be more affordable for Anthem Medicare Advantage customers

We're just about four months away from when enrollees in Anthem's Medicare Advantage plans will be able to use their insurance to cover select medical purchases from any one of Walmart's 4,700 stores or Walmart.com.

According to a new press release, the items that will be discounted include first aid supplies, support braces and over-the-counter (OTC) medications like pain relievers.

No word yet on the exact amount of discount Anthem Medicare Advantage customers should expect when this initiative rolls out at the start of the new year.

In order to get the savings, you must have the OTC benefit from Anthem’s Medicare Advantage plan.

New deal follows Walmart’s existing partnership with Humana

Meanwhile, Walmart already has a similar arrangement in place with competing insurer Humana.

The Humana Walmart Rx Plan offers co-pays of as little as $1 for select medications and has monthly premiums as low as $20.40 per month ($18.40 in Indiana, Kentucky and Ohio).

Here’s a sense of the pricing that’s available to Humana members:

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