Medication affordability is only half the equation—doctor visits also drive costs. HRSA reports that telehealth reduces unnecessary in-person visits and expands access.

What’s happening

Some discount programs now bundle:

• free or low-cost telehealth visits
• reduced prescription prices
• expanded pharmacy networks

This means savings on both sides of care. During a 2025 review of cost-saving programs, Sally explained:

“You get discounts and telehealth savings for free… worth checking if you manage multiple prescriptions.”
— Sally Figueroa

What you can do

• Check whether your discount card includes telehealth.
• Compare medication prices across 2–3 national chains.
• Ask if the program offers chronic-condition bundles.

What to avoid

• Thinking discount cards only help with medications.
• Signing up for paid tiers without checking free options.

How to move forward

Layered savings stabilize budgets, especially for recurring prescriptions.

Our Pay It Forward Approach

Every small act of sharing creates a ripple. If this piece resonated with you, consider sending it to someone who might need the same hope today—or leave us a comment in the section below with your own saving story so thousands can benefit from it. No one should have to navigate the cost of illness alone.

Verification Note

Checked and verified active December, 2025
All sources are government, nonprofit, or primary institutional publications directly supporting claims in this article.

Telehealth reducing costs and unnecessary in-person visits

Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) — Telehealth Network Grant Program: Impact and Outcomes
Documents how telehealth expands access, reduces avoidable in-person visits, and lowers care costs, particularly for chronic-condition management.
https://bphc.hrsa.gov/sites/default/files/bphc/about/telehealth/telehealth-program-impact.pdf

HRSA — Telehealth Programs Overview
Explains how HRSA-supported telehealth improves continuity of care and reduces geographic and financial barriers.
https://www.hrsa.gov/telehealth

Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) — Telehealth: Mapping the Evidence
Systematic review showing telehealth reduces utilization costs and improves access for patients with chronic conditions.
https://effectivehealthcare.ahrq.gov/products/telehealth/technical-brief

Telehealth and chronic-condition management

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) — Telehealth Services and Chronic Care Management
Details how telehealth is used for ongoing care, medication management, and follow-up for chronic illnesses.
https://www.cms.gov/medicare/medicare-general-information/telehealth

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine — Telehealth and Chronic Disease Care
Reviews evidence showing telehealth improves adherence and reduces downstream healthcare utilization.
https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/25961

Pharmacy discount programs and bundled services

Federal Trade Commission (FTC) — Pharmacy Benefit Managers and Consumer Pricing
Explains how discount programs operate outside traditional insurance pricing structures and can lower consumer costs.
https://www.ftc.gov/system/files/ftc_gov/pdf/pbm_report.pdf

National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA) — Prescription Discount Cards Explained
Describes how discount cards interact with pharmacy pricing and why prices vary across networks.
https://ncpa.org/prescription-discount-cards

Discount programs offering expanded services (telehealth + prescriptions)

GoodRx — Telehealth and Prescription Discount Programs
Explains how some prescription discount platforms now bundle telehealth visits with medication savings.
https://www.goodrx.com/telehealth

Health Affairs (Nonprofit Health Policy Journal) — Digital Health, Telepharmacy, and Cost Access
Reviews emerging models combining telehealth with medication access to reduce total patient spending.
https://www.healthaffairs.org/doi/10.1377/hlthaff.2020.00604

Price comparison and pharmacy network variation

U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) — Prescription Drug Price Variation
Confirms that medication prices vary widely by pharmacy and network, reinforcing the value of comparison.
https://www.gao.gov/products/gao-21-282

GoodRx Research — Why Prescription Prices Differ by Pharmacy
Consumer-facing explanation of geographic and pharmacy-level price differences.
https://www.goodrx.com/conditions/general-health/why-prescription-prices-vary

Practical takeaway support

Patient Advocate Foundation — Reducing Prescription and Care Costs
Advises patients to layer savings strategies, including telehealth, discounts, and pharmacy comparison.
https://www.patientadvocate.org/explore-our-resources/prescription-cost-assistance/