And that's a decision no one should have to make. But now, there's help for anyone who takes prescription medications. It's called the LARx Prescription Savings Program.
"We were able to go to the pharmacy networks in L.A. County and say, 'Hey, we have this very large pool of people and can you give us some more aggressive rates and more aggressive discounts,' said Sean Morrison of Envision. "And that's what we did."
The program's been around for a year, but a lot of people still don't know about it.
"There are no enrollment fees. It doesn't cost a penny to enroll. There is no complex paperwork and no limit on the times you can use it," said Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa.
And there are no age or income requirements, either.
Cardholders can expect to save anywhere from 5 to 40 percent, depending on the prescription.
You can also save on diabetic supplies, like glucose monitors or syringes.
The LARx Prescription card can be used by you or anyone in your family. If you don't have insurance, the card could save you a lot of money. But even if you do have insurance the card can be used for prescriptions that aren't covered.
"There's a lot talk about $4 generic drugs now," said Morrison. "The drug would still be $4. The card may not help you in that situation. However, for 80 percent of the time that cards gonna help save you folks money, so take advantage of it."
Villaraigosa's office says it'll be making cards available at public locations, like senior centers.
