Amazon Pharmacy expands to Medicare enrollees

Amazon Pharmacy will expand its subscription service to enrollees of 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 per 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 to just Amazon Prime members.

The move marks Amazon’s latest effort to draw in customers from other big-name pharmacies such as Walgreens, CVS and Rite Aid.

A Medicare enrollee who takes at least one medication on the RxPass list could save about $70 per year, Amazon said. Should all Medicare beneficiaries transfer their eligible medications to RxPass, Medicare spending could be reduced to about $2 billion, the company added.

“Programs like RxPass help reduce cost, while increasing convenience for caregivers, and customers of all ages, which is shown to improve medication adherence and support better health outcomes,” John Love, the vice president of Amazon Pharmacy, said in a statement.

An estimated 67.3 million Americans are enrolled in Medicare, a federal health insurance for individuals 65 or older, or some younger people with certain disabilities.

Amazon launched its online pharmacy in November 2020.

Amazon Pharmacy customers without insurance are also able to purchase generic prescription drugs at a discounted price of up to 80 percent off, while brand-name drugs are discounted up to 40 percent.