Does medicare cover allergy tests, treatment, drugs?

You can expect to pay 20 percent of immunotherapy costs under Part B unless you have a Medigap or other supplemental policy. DOES MEDICARE COVER ALLERGY MEDICATIONS? While Part D covers

allergy treatments, such as nose sprays and antihistamine pills that require a prescription, it generally does not cover nonprescription over-the-counter drugs. But you can save money even

on OTC meds, says J. Allen Meadows, M.D., a Birmingham, Alabama, allergist and executive director of advocacy and governmental affairs for the American College of Allergy, Asthma and

Immunology. Meadows explains: “The pills are incredibly inexpensive through wholesale retailers and Amazon. One of the national wholesalers I priced [was] generic Zyrtec, [which is] 400

tablets for $14, a year’s supply. With antihistamine pills and nose sprays, in many cases they’re not covered by insurance but even if they are, if the copays are much more than $1, for most

people it’s much less expensive to buy them over the counter in wholesale clubs or on Amazon. “I found Flonase for $25,” he says. You can use the Medicare Plan Finder to see which Part D

plans in your area cover prescription allergy medications and what you can expect to pay for them with each plan. IS IT WORTH PAYING CASH VS. USING MEDICARE’S INSURANCE? It’s always a good

idea to compare the cost of paying directly with cash or using a discount card like Blink Health, GoodRx, Optum Perks, ScriptSave WellRx, SingleCare or other drug savings apps for a

prescription rather than using insurance. “In many cases, buying your prescriptions outside of your insurance with the GoodRx card is less expensive,” Meadows says, adding that you may need

to change pharmacies. “I’ve seen tenfold differences in pricing of medicines an allergist prescribes — from $30 to $300 based on the pharmacy chain.” The price for over-the-counter

medications, both brand name and generic, can vary a lot by pharmacy. Many such as Allegra, Claritin, Flonase and Zyrtec are available at wholesale clubs and online retailers and can be less

expensive than what you would pay at a local pharmacy. Even though you may find a coupon for over-the-counter drugs, you may need a prescription for the medicine to be eligible for the

discount. GoodRx coupons are valid only with a prescription, even for OTC medications, and can only be used at the point of sale at a pharmacy or a pharmacy counter of a grocery store.