Walgreens is a leading pharmacy chain in the United States that offers various health and wellness services, like immunizations and flu shots, urgent care centers, vision exams, hearing tests, and more. They also provide pharmacy services for prescription drugs.
Some of the most popular Walgreens benefits include health insurance, vision insurance, and dental insurance. But what does Walgreens accept? And which plans are available to you or your family?
This article will provide some basic information on what insurance Walgreens accepts so that you are well-prepared to use these options during your next trip to the pharmacy.
What Insurance Does Walgreens Accept?
Walgreens accepts various insurance companies, including Medicare, Medicaid, Coventry, United HealthCare, Humana Choice, National Preferred Provider Network, and many more.
They also offer consultations with their onsite pharmacists if you have questions about your prescriptions or medical plan coverage options.
Walgreen Company
Walgreens is a pharmaceutical company that prides itself on offering everything from prescriptions to over-the-counter medications and its private line of beauty products.
Since 1901, Walgreens has been a household name in America, and today it is the second-largest drug store chain in the country, after CVS.
It was founded by Charles Rudolph Walgreen Sr., who opened his first drugstore on Chicago’s South Side, Deerfield, Illinois.
Walgreens runs 9,021 stores in all 50 states, Puerto Rico, the District of Columbia, and the Virgin Islands.
Walgreens offers personal and financial services in addition to selling merchandise. This includes health and wellness products, beauty, photo printing, insurance plans, and prescription drugs.
When the US entered World War I, Walgreens’ sales of bandages alone were significant enough to warrant a special permit from the Secretary of War. Walgreens was one of the first companies to offer group health insurance, beginning in 1929.
Walgreens is one of the largest pharmacy chains in the United States, and it’s also one of the most popular.
It’s easy to see why people like Walgreens so much, though. For one thing, it has a massive range of products available at incredibly fair prices.
You can save money by getting everything from health care products to cosmetics at this store, convenient for everyone who shops there.
What Types Of Insurance Does Walgreens Accept?
Walgreens offers many types of insurance coverage, including Medicare Part B and Prescription Drug Plans, that help keep your prescriptions affordable.
It is vital to have ample insurance in place to protect yourself. A list of insurance providers that Walgreens accepts:
- HFN
- Home State Health Plan ( HMO)Medicaid
- Meridian of Illinois (HMO)Medicaid
- Molina of Illinois ( HMO)Medicaid
- Multiplan (PPO)
- National Preferred Provider Network (PPO)
- Phelps County Employee Benefit Plan-Phelps County Memorial Hospital
- Private Health Care System ( PHCS) (PPO)
- Tri-Care
- United Healthcare (HMO, POS, Options PPO) Midwest Commercial
- United HealthCare Medicare Advantage (AARP Medicare Complete, Care Improvement Plus, Medicare Solutions)
- USA Managed Care Organization (PPO)
- Health Link, Inc. (HMO, PPO, Open Access, Workers’ Comp)
- Comp Results (PPO) (Work Comp only)
- CorVel Corporation (PPO) (Work Comp only)
- Coventry Care Link HPN (Market Place product)
- Coventry Health Plan of Missouri (HMO, POS, PPO, ASO)
- CCO, Inc. (PPO)
- Aetna, Inc. (PPO and employee compensation)
- Great-West (PPO, HMO, and OAP)
- Coventry National (PPO)
- Coventry Total Care (Medicare Advantage narrow network)
- Evolutions Healthcare System (PPO)
- SSM Health St. Louis Employee Benefits Program (Exclusive Choice)
- First Health (PPO)
- Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield
- Advanta (Coventry’s Medicare Advantage HMO and PPO)
- Galaxy Health Network (PPO)
- Humana Choice Care and Choice PPO (Medicare Advantage)
- Gold Advantage (Coventry Medicare Advantage HMO)
- Three Rivers Provider Network (PPO)
The following is not comprehensive coverage. As a result, if you wish to discover the specifics of your coverage, you should contact your insurance provider.
- Cigna Connect Network
- Coventry Focused Care HPN
- Essence (Medicare Advantage)
- Harmony of Illinois (Walgreens is out of network for Missouri locations only)
- Humana Gold Choice PFFS (Medicare Advantage)
- Humana Gold Plus HMO (Medicare Advantage)
- Meridian of Illinois (Walgreens is out of network for Missouri locations only)
- Missouri Care (Medicaid HMO)
- Molina of Illinois (Walgreens is out of network for Missouri locations only)
- United Healthcare – All Compass Products
How Can I Make Sure My Insurance Covers My Prescription?
One of the most challenging aspects of going through a medical emergency is finding out if your insurance covers the medication you need. While it may seem simple, it can be time-consuming, and many things to consider.
Prescription drugs have been increasing in cost by more than 10 percent every year for the past 15 years, and in 2016 spent 329 billion dollars on prescriptions.
The issue is, there are so many different types of insurance plans and so many other medications that fall under each category. You should know that every plan is slightly different if you have health insurance.
Everyone knows that insurance is vital, but how many people know what they buy when they buy an insurance policy?
It’s essential to do your research to ensure that your insurance plan covers your prescription medications.
Before you can cover your medication, you will want to ensure that your insurance covers it.
Most people don’t realize that prescription medication coverage is often a separate policy, and sometimes it’s not even included in the primary health insurance plan.
- You will want to contact your insurance company to understand what is covered and what isn’t.
- It’s also essential to understand how much you pay for your medicine and whether or not you have a co-pay.
- If you have a high-deductible plan, it may be worth paying out of pocket for a prescription like Viagra rather than paying the co-pay.
- You may also want to check with your doctor if there are any other alternatives to the prescription you need. Some medications may interact with others, so your doctor may have an alternative option that includes a prescription.
- If you are uninsured, you will need to figure out how to pay for your prescription. Hospitals have financial counselors who can help you with this.
- If you are on Medicare, then the cost of your hospital stay will be covered by Medicare. However, if you are in a Medicare Advantage plan, you will need to check with your plan to see if they cover the cost of a hospital stay.
- If you are on Medicaid, then the cost of your hospital stay will be covered by Medicaid.
What Makes Walgreens Different From Other Pharmacies?
Walgreens is a staple in many communities, especially those in the Midwest.
- Customers know they can get their prescriptions filled and a bag of chips while they’re there. And with its Balance Rewards loyalty program, Walgreens knows how to treat its customers right.
- Walgreens is known for its friendly customer service and clean stores, unlike many other drug stores.
- Walgreens is also known for its low-priced brand name drugs, low-cost generic drugs, and a helpful pharmacist service to help customers take the proper medications on time and at the correct dose.
With the advent of online pharmacies, consumers are more likely to compare prices and switch to a cheaper alternative.
- But Walgreens also has an online presence that makes it easy for customers to order their prescriptions, shop for brand name products and find coupons and discounts.
Walgreens has managed to avoid the fate of other brick-and-mortar pharmacies by ensuring that it offers value to its customers whether they are getting their prescription filled at the store or ordering it online.
- In the age of Amazon, Walgreens has competed with its e-commerce giant rival by offering free shipping on orders over $25 and free returns on all orders.
Covid-19 Testing And Vaccination
They provide free drive-thru COVID-19 testing for children aged three and up and home test kits sold in the physical stores and on the official Walgreens website.
The home test kits are the same as those used in the COVID-19 testing centers and are designed to be simple and easy to use.
The tests require a small amount of saliva from the child, then placed on a test strip. The strips will give the results within 15 minutes. When there is a significant presence of the virus in the body, the test is considered accurate.
- Rapid Diagnostic Test (ID NOW) Rapid Molecular Test
- Rapid Antigen Test (BinaxNOW) Rapid Antigen Test2
- Diagnostic Lab Test (PCR) RT-PCR Diagnostic Panel Test
They also have three types of free vaccination vaccines;
Johnson & Johnson, Moderna, and Pfizer-BioNTech (Comirnaty)
Conclusion
As you can see, there are many insurance providers that Walgreens accepts. The company can take almost all major insurance plans from Humana Choice and United Healthcare as a retailer.
The list of insurance providers is quite extensive for pharmacy services. This is why it’s essential to have a list like this handy when you need to check your medical coverage or find a new pharmacy.
