Fact: Over their lifetime, women will spend significantly more on health care than men, according to the Peterson-KFF Health System Tracker.
In a perfect world, no one would have to worry about how they can pay for their prescriptions or care. But, the reality is that a staggering 52 percent of women in the United States between the ages of 18 and 49 report having problems paying at least one medical bill.
Sophie Vergnaud, MD, senior medical director at GoodRx, says there are a variety of reasons for this disparity in spending, including that women are typically prescribed more medication than men (even when you exclude contraception) and women are often charged more than men for the same care. And we’re not even adding the wage gap into this already disproportionate equation.
“Women have unique health-care needs—our bodies are complex, amazing, and ever-changing,” Dr. Vergnaud says. “Yet throughout history, women’s experiences of life, health, and disease have been minimized, misunderstood, misrepresented, or frankly, just ignored.”
To help people better manage their health, the team at GoodRx is tackling one driver of exorbitant health-care costs: prescription medications. From January 2022 to January 2023, the average drug price increased a whopping 15.2 percent. That’s why GoodRx is helping women find lower prices on medications that address health needs throughout all stages of their lives, from birth control and fertility to menopause.
“GoodRx is dedicated to advancing health equity, and prescription affordability is a big part of that,” Dr. Vergnaud says. “GoodRx helps make prescription medications affordable for all women, regardless of their health insurance.”
By giving people the flexibility to search for the lowest price of their medications at more than 70,000 pharmacies nationwide, GoodRx can help people save up to 80 percent on their prescriptions. According to The GoodRx Effect, GoodRx has helped people fill 184 million prescriptions that they otherwise would not have been able to afford. Here’s how GoodRx can help you find affordable women’s health prescriptions throughout your lifetime.
For those on birth control
It’s no secret: Picking out the form of birth control that will work best for you can be overwhelming at best with so many types available, including prescriptions, over-the-counter, and lifestyle options—and paying for birth control out of pocket can add up.
That’s where GoodRx comes in. Through exclusive partnerships with pharmaceutical manufacturers, GoodRx offers savings on medications like NuvaRing for as low as $48 per month and Nextstellis for as low as $65 per month. You’ll find savings on popular generic birth control pills, too—with GoodRx, you can save an average of $43.
Beyond reducing prescription costs, GoodRx can also provide clarity into what option is right for you. “GoodRx helps by providing clear, unbiased, and evidence-based health, wellness, and financial information that is written and reviewed by professionals to help all people make better, more informed decisions about how they spend their health-care dollars,” Dr. Vergnaud says. Check out GoodRx’s Women’s Health Hub to learn more about options and discounts available.
For those using fertility treatment
About 11 percent of women of reproductive age in the United States have experienced fertility problems. For those that decide to use fertility treatments, many have to bear the cost completely out of pocket, as these medications are expensive and rarely covered by insurance.
“One in 10 women in the U.S. have used some form of fertility treatments,” Dr. Vergnaud says. “But just because they’re commonly used, doesn’t mean they’re easily accessible… One cycle of IVF, for example, can cost women anywhere between $15,000 to $30,000, and sometimes women will need more than one treatment to conceive.”
GoodRx offers savings on prescriptions for every step of the fertility journey, making it possible for patients to save up to 43 percent on fertility treatments. For example, Clomid is available for $135 through an exclusive manufacturer discount. Plus, you can find comprehensive information on fertility through GoodRx’s fertility hub.
For those going through menopause
People going through perimenopause, menopause, or post-menopause know that the symptoms—such as hot flashes, sleep problems, and brain fog—can be debilitating. And yet, women seeking symptom relief may be written off by health-care professionals since menopause is seen as just a “phase of life.”
“Having access to medications for every stage of life is critical to a woman’s overall health,” Dr. Vergnaud says. That’s why she encourages people dealing with uncomfortable menopause symptoms to advocate for relief to their health-care providers—especially since most women will spend more time in menopause than any other part of life. By using GoodRx, women can get discounts on symptom-relief medications, such as estrogen shots, patches, or pills. Checking GoodRx can mean paying as little as $85 for Imvexxy or Bijuva, both of which usually retail for more than $200.
Despite the many barriers to making women’s health more accessible, GoodRx is helping to ease the burden through discounted prescriptions and clear, expert-backed information made for women of all ages. That’s a health-care story we can get behind.
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