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How GoodRx and Cost Plus Drugs Can Work with Your Medicare Plan to Save You Money

Vedanth Bhartee

Writer · Reviewed by Richard Chan

Updated Jun 12, 2026

3 min read

Key Takeaways

Discount services like GoodRx and Cost Plus Drugs operate outside of Medicare, meaning you pay entirely out-of-pocket for these prescriptions.
Purchases made using GoodRx or Cost Plus Drugs do not count toward your Medicare Part D deductible or out-of-pocket maximums.
Having a Medicare Part D plan is still highly recommended to protect against catastrophic medication costs not covered by discount programs.

So, you’ve done your homework, enrolled in a Medicare Part D plan, and feel confident that you’re maximizing your savings on your necessary medications. That’s a huge accomplishment, and it demonstrates that you are a highly engaged healthcare consumer.

But the truth is, the landscape of prescription pricing is incredibly complex, and there might still be money left on the table. Fortunately, there are two prominent alternative avenues that could help you drive your out-of-pocket prescription costs even lower.

GoodRx

GoodRx has garnered a massive following by offering transparency and tangible discounts on prescriptions at over 70,000 pharmacies nationwide, including major chains like CVS and Walgreens. The process is straightforward and empowering:

Navigate to GoodRx.com.
Enter the exact name and dosage of your prescribed medication into the search bar.
Compare prices and generate free discount coupons specific to your local pharmacies.
Present the digital or printed coupon to your pharmacist when filling your prescription.
Instantly access the discounted rate.

Will GoodRx undercut your Medicare plan’s copay every single time? Not necessarily. The discounts fluctuate heavily depending on the drug. However, the search takes mere seconds, and the potential savings make it a strategy worth employing consistently.

Does GoodRx integrate directly with Medicare Advantage or Part D plans?

No. At this time, GoodRx operates entirely independently and is not bundled with any Medicare Advantage or standalone Part D Prescription Drug Plan.

The Mark Cuban Cost Plus Drug Company

Founded by entrepreneur Mark Cuban, this disruptive online pharmacy aims to bypass traditional pharmacy benefit managers to offer staggering discounts on generic medications by utilizing a transparent "cost-plus" pricing model.

The workflow is slightly different than GoodRx, as it operates as a direct-to-consumer pharmacy:

Visit CostPlusDrugs.com.
Search their growing formulary to see if your generic medication is stocked.
If available, request that your physician electronically prescribe or fax the prescription directly to their digital pharmacy.
Pay out-of-pocket and have your medications shipped directly to your home.

Like GoodRx, Cost Plus Drugs won't necessarily be cheaper for every single medication, particularly brand-name drugs, but it is an incredibly powerful tool to cross-reference.

Do Medicare Advantage or Part D plans incorporate Cost Plus Drugs?

No. Cost Plus Drugs does not accept insurance of any kind, including Medicare Advantage or standalone Part D plans. It operates strictly on a transparent cash-pay basis.

Do I Still Need a Medicare Plan if I Use GoodRx or Cost Plus Drugs?

Absolutely. You must still maintain a Medicare drug plan to shield yourself from permanent late enrollment penalties. Medicare strictly mandates that beneficiaries hold "creditable" prescription drug coverage to avoid these lifelong surcharges.

It is critical to understand that you cannot use Cost Plus Drugs or GoodRx in tandem with your Medicare insurance at the pharmacy counter. They cannot be combined to lower your copay. Instead, you must choose to use them in place of your Medicare coverage for a specific transaction.

If the cash price offered by Cost Plus Drugs or GoodRx is lower than your Medicare plan's copay, it is financially prudent to utilize the discount service. Just be aware that any cash payments made outside of your Medicare plan will not count toward your Part D deductible or out-of-pocket maximums.

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