Blink Health has become a popular option for patients looking for a cheap, streamlined alternative to purchasing prescription drugs.
An industry standard prescription discount card will provide up to 80% off your medication. Blink Health has similar but fresh features compared to its competition.
For example, they provide free delivery within 3 – 5 business days of placing your order, offering great convenience.
You also pay for the prescription through their website, which lets you know your price before ordering.
This has allowed for a transparent drug purchasing experience.
With their forward thinking and innovation, some drawbacks should be recognized.
The Blink Health review reveals all aspects of this company.
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What Is Blink Health?
Blink Health is not insurance but offers savings on over 15,000 prescriptions at 35,000+ pharmacies.
The company has a free streamlined prescription delivery service directly to your front door.
The Blink platform also offers online doctor visits for select medical conditions.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
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✅ Available at over 35,000 pharmacies
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❌ Not accepted at CVS and Walgreens
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✅ Free prescription delivery
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❌ Poor customer reviews |
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✅ Transparent pricing
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❌ Not available for pets
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Is Blink Health a Legitimate Company?
Blink Health is a legitimate website and business founded in 2015 and offers savings at over 35,000 pharmacies in the United States.
The company is safe with a meaningful and forward-thinking mission, but they also have a disproportionate amount of negative reviews.
Blink has a Trustpilot rating of 2.1 with 47 reviews and many complaints on the Better Business Bureau.
The grievances range from poor customer service, long prescription fills and delivery processing times, and overall confusion with their systems and processes.
The number of complaints and negative reviews for Blink Health is alarming and should be a factor before using their services.
How are they Diffirent?
The major difference between Blink Health and other prescription discount card companies like Optum Perks is that you pay for your prescription before going to the pharmacy.
This allows for transparent pricing and not getting caught off guard when you reach the pharmacy register.
Also, Blink Health only shows you two prices for your medication.
- Free home delivery price
- Pharmacy pickup price
If you use other discount card websites or apps, you will receive 5 – 10 different prices depending on where you live and the pharmacy used.
The company has simplified the purchasing process to one pharmacy pickup price.
This brings certainty into your prescription purchasing process.
However, there are times when other coupon cards can offer a greater discount.
Tip - Comparing prices from other prescription discount cards will offer significant savings because each card has different pricing.
Compare now and save!
How does Blink Health Work?
Typically drugs are negotiated with multiple parties involved within the prescription industry.
A Pharmacy Benefits Manager (PBM) negotiates prescription prices on behalf of insurance companies, prescription discount cards, and others.
The PBM negotiates with the pharmaceutical industry and agrees on a specific drug price.
Blink Health has said they cut out the PBMs, effectively removing the middleman and passing the savings onto you, the customer.
The following steps will help you receive the lowest possible price.
The screenshots below are from the Blink Health website.
Step 1
Search for your prescription on the website or app.
Step 2
First, select what dosage you need at the top of the page.
Then decide if you would like home delivery or pick up at a local pharmacy.
Alternatively, you can click “online doctor visit & home delivery” if you need to be prescribed a medication.
(Not all medications can be prescribed through Blink Health)
Step 3
Click “proceed to checkout.”
Tip - Blink Health offers a $5 discount off your first fill. It is automatically applied at checkout.
Step 4
Either sign into your account or click “create an account.”
To move forward with your checkout, you must complete this step.
Tip - Other prescription saving options like SingleCare and RxSaver do not require you to sign in to an account to receive a discount.
If you do not want to go through the process of creating an account, other discount cards may be better options.
Step 5
You will be asked if you have already been prescribed your medication.
If you have not, they will give you an option to receive your prescription through one of their US-licensed medical professionals.
The company can currently help with prescribing acid reflux, birth control, cold sores, hair loss, high cholesterol, and erectile dysfunction.
Step 6
Enter your zip code to find the price.
Step 7
You must enter your phone number, as Blink Health says they need this to contact you with important updates and order confirmation.
Step 8
Enter your payment details to place your order.
How Much Does Blink Health Cost?
Blink Health offers two pricing options: free home delivery and pharmacy pickup.
After searching common prescriptions, home delivery is typically cheaper, and USPS first-class shipping is provided for free with the order.
Unfortunately, not every drug we searched allowed for home delivery, so double-check this before moving forward.
Below are examples of delivery vs. in-store prices for common prescriptions.
| Delivery | In-store | |
|---|---|---|
|
Atorvastatin |
$6.99 |
$9.00 |
|
Lisinopril |
$3.50 |
$3.92 |
|
Accuneb |
$7.84 |
$8.32 |
|
Levothyroxine
|
$13.90 |
$16.52 |
|
Amlodipine |
$3.50 |
$4.00 |
Do you Need a Prescription for Blink Health?
To receive prescriptions from Blink Health, you must have a medication prescribed by a doctor.
You can transfer your medication to Blink Health by asking your medical provider to send your prescription to this address.
Blink Health also allows you to speak directly with a doctor who can prescribe medication for you before using their delivery and discount service.
However, they only have a select amount of prescriptions accessible through Blink’s online telehealth service.
- Acid Reflux
- Birth Control
- Cold Sores
- Hair Loss
- High Cholesterol
- Erectile Dysfunction
Cost to Talk to a Doctor through Blink
Blink Health’s monthly subscription allows you to speak to a doctor on demand and get a drug prescribed if you sign up for this plan.
The price is $9.95 a month.
Then when you speak to a doctor, there will be a medical fee of $10.00.
The Doctor will then prescribe you the medication.
Cost Breakdown Example
- $6.99 for atorvastatin
- $9.95 for a monthly subscription
- $10.00 for a one-time medical fee (for speaking with Doctor)
- Free USPS shipping
In this example, an online doctor visit and home delivery cost $26.94.
However, an unprompted promotional discount was applied to the checkout, so the total cost was $10.00.
Does it Matter Which Pharmacy I Use?
Blink Health is unique with the simplicity of its pricing as it does not matter which pharmacy partner of theirs you decide to have your prescription filled at.
When you pick up your prescription, give the pharmacist your Blink card, which can be found on your website profile.
All payments will be processed on the Blink Health website. This means you should never pay for your prescription at the pharmacy.
What Pharmacies Accept Blink Health?
Blink Health is accepted at over 35,000 pharmacies around the country.
This includes Walmart, Albertsons, Safeway, Kroger, and many more.
Along with drug stores, Blink Health also offers 16,000 independent pharmacies where you can pick up your prescription.
Unfortunately, CVS and Walgreens do not have a partnership with Blink Health.
|
Acme |
Albertsons |
Brookshires |
Costco |
|
Fred Meyer |
Fry’s |
Giant |
Giant Eagle
|
|
Hannaford |
Harris Teeter |
HEB |
HyVee |
|
Ingles |
King Soopers |
Kroger |
Meijer
|
|
Osco |
Price Chopper |
Publix |
Safeway |
|
Smith’s |
Stop & Shop
|
Thrifty White
|
Vons |
|
Walmart |
Wegmans
|
Weis |
Winn-Dixie
|
How Long Does it Take to Receive a Medication?
Blink Health says home deliveries typically take between 3-5 business days.
You can also ship the prescriptions to a PO Box; however, if the drug requires expedited shipping or refrigeration, a physical address will need to be provided.
Keep in mind reviews for Blink Health had many complaints about the delivery timeline from past customers on platforms like Trust Pilot and the Better Business Bureau.
What are the Biggiest Savings with Blink Health?
As stated in a blog post by Blink Health, the following drugs offer significant savings. Besides the nine drugs below, you can find savings on over 15,000 other prescriptions.
| Medication |
|---|
|
Atrovastatin |
|
Azithromycin |
|
Escitalopram |
|
Finasteride |
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Lisinopril |
|
Losartan |
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Omeprazole
|
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Sertraline |
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Sildenafil
|
BlinkRx vs Blink Health
BlinkRx is a slightly different service than Blink Health.
The most significant difference is that the company says they will accept your insurance.
Within the purchasing process, BlinkRx says they will be able to analyze your insurance, copay, and the deductible and find you the lowest price for the medication.
BlinkRx requires your doctor to send your prescription to BlinkRx U.S.
You will then receive a text, be asked to view your lowest price, and then checkout online.
The final step of BlinkRx will be free delivery from a local pharmacy, or pick-up options are also available.
Price Match Guarantee
Blink Health offers a guaranteed price match if you find a lower rate for your generic drug.
This program has many stipulations, so before attempting to submit a claim for a refund, read the full Blink Health price match rules and regulations.
Blink Health vs GoodRx
Blink Health and GoodRx are both well-recognized brands.
The biggest difference between these two cards is that Blink Health requires that you pay for your prescription through their website, while GoodRx offers a discount when you pay at the pharmacy.
Blink Health offers guaranteed pricing, while GoodRx’s price is an estimate that is typically very accurate.
Listed below are the common prescription prices from Blink Health vs GoodRx compared side by side.
| Medication | Blink Health Best Discount | GoodRx Best Discount |
|---|---|---|
|
Amlodipine 10mg 30 Tablets |
$3.50 |
$4.50 |
|
Amoxicillin 500mg 30 Capsules |
$8.93 |
$4.66 |
|
Hydrochlorothiazide 25 mg 30 Tablets |
$3.50 |
$4.00 |
|
Hydrocodone 7.5/325 Tablet 60 Tablets |
$20.29 |
$14.23 |
|
Levothyroxine 50mcg 30 Tablets |
$13.90 |
$4.00 |
|
Lisinopril 20mg 30 Tablets |
$3.50 |
$4.00 |
|
Metformin 1000mg 60 Tablets |
$3.96 |
$4.00 |
|
Omeprazole 40mg 30 Capsules |
$6.20 |
$10.16 |
|
Simvastatin 20mg 30 Tablets |
$3.50 |
$5.16 |
In Conclustion
Blink Health is a new take on a prescription discount card.
Their biggest differentiator is that you pay Blink Health rather than at the pharmacy register.
They also deliver the prescription to your front door for free.
Blink Health offers savings at over 35,000 drug stores, including 16,000 independent pharmacies.
The company provides access to doctors for specific medication fills like hair loss, high cholesterol, and cold sores.
Unfortunately, the company has a lousy track record with customer reviews.
Before using Blink Health, read reviews to understand what previous and current customers have had issues with.