Amazon Pharmacy will expand its subscription service to enrollees in Medicare insurance plans, the company announced Tuesday.
The expansion will be available to more than 50 million Medicare beneficiaries, who will have access to RxPass, Amazon Pharmacy’s subscription prescription service, the company said.
For $5 a month, RxPass allows customers to fill as many prescriptions as they need from a list of about 50 generic medications, which are then delivered. The service, which also offers 24/7 access to a pharmacist, was initially rolled out in January 2023 for Amazon Prime members only.
The move marks Amazon’s latest effort to lure customers away from other big-name pharmacies such as Walgreens, CVS and Rite Aid.
A Medicare enrollee who takes at least one drug from the RxPass list can save about $70 a year, Amazon said. If all Medicare beneficiaries transferred their eligible medications to RxPass, Medicare spending could be reduced by about $2 billion, the company added.
“Programs like RxPass help reduce costs while increasing convenience for caregivers and clients of all ages, which is proven to improve medication adherence and support better health outcomes,” said John Love, vice- president of Amazon Pharmacy, in a statement.
An estimated 67.3 million Americans are registered in Medicare, federal health insurance for individuals aged 65 and over, or certain young people with certain disabilities.
Amazon launched its online pharmacy in November 2020.
Amazon Pharmacy customers without insurance can also purchase generic medications at a discount of up to 80%, while brand-name medications are discounted at up to 40%.
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