Most private insurance health care plans cover prescriptions. However, there can be a big difference among companies when it comes to which medications are covered and how much individuals have to pay out of pocket.

Those without prescription drug coverage, including many Medicare recipients, usually pay the most for prescription medications. To help seniors and the disabled, Congress passed the Medicare Modernization Act, which enacted an outpatient prescription drug benefit that went into effect in January, 2006. Now, the elderly and disabled have access to the drug benefit program through government-approved private health insurance plans. In addition, all state Medicaid programs supply coverage for prescription drugs, but plans vary when it comes to the kind of medications that are covered, how many times these medications can be filled, and the amount of the co-payment.

It is a good idea to find out what kind of medications are covered under your health insurance plan before you have to get any prescriptions filled. Under some plans, individuals have to pay a higher co-payment for certain prescription medications. In other cases, certain drugs are not covered at all, requiring you to pay full price for the prescription. If your plan does offer prescription drug benefits, find out whether it has a formulary, or list of lower-cost drugs that the company prefers that you use. In most cases, your co-payment will be less expensive for medications included on this list. Be aware that plans often change formularies to include additional medications or to remove some from the list, so it is a good idea to periodically check your health care plan's formulary.

If your doctor has prescribed a medication not included on your plan's formulary, you might want to ask him or her if there is an equivalent available on the list. If not, you may be able to purchase a less expensive generic version.