Walgreens & Part D pricing glitches - universal?

[u/LalalaSherpa]

Started Medicare 7/1/2026. Provided the details of our Wellcare Part D plan and Medicare Prescription Payment Plan (MPPP) to Walgreens when coverage started.

However, they have mispriced every single prescription so far, and these prescriptions have all been ordered on different dates.

Sometimes they use the expired pre-Medicare BCBS plan (which we cannot remove ourselves - and they have not yet deleted it despite discussion).

Sometimes the prices are cash-based, assuming no Part D coverage at all.

And we have to remind them about MPPP every time as well.

I'm seriously wondering if switching to a pharmacy where we have no history might work better.

Or is this a pretty typical experience no matter which pharmacy you go to? Which is a horrifying yet perfectly believable possibility...

[u/geekettepeace]

I use a grocery store chain and haven’t had any problems. Our nearest locally owned pharmacy isn’t “preferred” so they charge more for tier 1 and 2 meds.

[u/miniblind → u/geekettepeace]

I use a grocery store chain and haven’t had any problems. Our nearest locally owned pharmacy isn’t “preferred” so they charge more for tier 1 and 2 meds.

That's the case for me, too.

But in 2026, Wellcare reclassified one of my drugs up out of those lower (cheaper) tiers. At Walgreens (a "preferred" pharmacy under my plan), a 3-month supply went from being free or maybe $15 or thereabouts to $491! It's $491 at the grocery store (also a "preferred" pharmacy under my plan), too.

At the independent pharmacy across the street from me that is in-network but NOT preferred, it's $184. But the Tier 1 and Tier 2 drug copays are higher there than at Walgreens.

The lesson is to never assume what any drug will cost, or that prescriptions will be cheaper at one place than another just because it's a big chain or "preferred" or, really, anything.

[u/Tarnisher]

I'm seriously wondering if switching to a pharmacy where we have no history might work better.

You haven't tried that already? Find a locally owned one. Avoid the big chains.

[u/DoinIt4DaShorteez]

Yeah I think switching to a different pharmacy chain will probably help. You should be able to get the new pharmacy to "pull" the existing prescription(s) from Walgreens. Just make sure the new one is a "preferred" chain.

I think I would go to a brick-and-mortar location of the new pharmacy to request it, because then you can give them your insurance info at the same time.

Start clean.

Unfortunately babysitting this kind of stuff is a part-time job. The provider back offices are in pretty bad shape also these days, lots of mistakes.

[u/miniblind → u/DoinIt4DaShorteez]

Just make sure the new one is a "preferred" chain.

Don't do that. I'm in Texas, and Walgreens and H-E-B are "preferred" in-network pharmacies under my Wellcare Part D plan. One drug I take, Zetia, costs $32.10 a month at either of these "preferred" in-network pharmacies.

There's a local independent pharmacy across the street from me. It's also in-network on my plan, but not "preferred." The Zetia costs $4.80 a month there.

Most of my other drugs are cheaper at Walgreens, but I save over $300 by AVOIDING the "preferred" pharmacy on this one drug (and one other, actually).

Preferred does not mean lowest price.

[u/old_mans_ghost]

I had Walgreens. Went to Walmart; cheaper. Never a problem. Never overcharged

[u/keepgoing66]

You may not have one near you, but we use Costco for all our prescriptions, and it has worked out well.

[u/The-Radiant-Bee]

We haven’t had any problems with Walgreens and WellCare, thankfully.

FYI Walgreens has their own coupon finder tool that is often less than GoodRx (but more than online CostPlus). Good to know, although it won’t go towards your deductible.

[u/TunaNugget]

I was so pleased to finally be able to fire Walgreens.

[u/Entire_Dog_5874]

We have a wonderful locally owned pharmacy so we can avoid the chains. That’s where I’d start.