Refilling a prescription without insurance can be straightforward when the medication is stable and non-controlled. Bidwell Health uses a $45 online bridge-refill visit with no insurance billing and no required subscription. Medication cost is paid separately at the pharmacy, where final price depends on the medication, pharmacy, quantity, insurance, and discount-card pricing.
TL;DR — Real cash-pay pricing
$45 online visit — no insurance billing, no required subscription, 7-day clinician review
Medication separate — paid directly at the pharmacy; final price varies by pharmacy and medication
Eligible stable medications — bridge refills for stable, non-controlled chronic medications when clinically appropriate
FSA / HSA eligible — the cash-pay visit and the medication both qualify
7-day clinician review: prescriptions are sent to your chosen pharmacy when clinically appropriate
Limit: stable, non-controlled chronic medications only — not for controlled substances or new diagnoses
Why cash-pay can cost less than using insurance
Most Americans assume insurance is always cheaper. For routine refills of common chronic generics, that's frequently untrue — and it's getting more untrue as deductibles rise. A few reasons:
High-deductible plans: if you haven't hit your deductible, you're paying the full negotiated rate for every visit and prescription. A $180 PCP visit plus a $40 prescription copay is $220 — compared to cash-pay telehealth plus a $4 GoodRx fill.
Generic cash prices are brutally low: per GoodRx and Mark Cuban Cost Plus Drugs, most common generics are under $15 for 90 days at any major pharmacy.
Many insurance plans charge $15–$40 copay per fill — more than the cash price. Lisinopril is $4 cash; many plans charge a $15 copay. You'd literally lose money running it through insurance.
The telehealth visit is flat-priced. No negotiated rate, no deductible math, no copay surprise — $45 is the number.
This is especially true for the 15 or so most common chronic medications that make up the bulk of primary-care refills. It is not true for specialty medications, biologics, injectables, or anything still on-patent.
What the cash-pay Bidwell visit includes — and what it doesn't
Included in your visit fee:
Online intake reviewed by a licensed U.S. clinician (Bidwell Cranage or Ashley Cranage, APRN, FNP-C)
A 90-day prescription sent electronically to the pharmacy of your choice, if clinically appropriate
A detailed visit receipt suitable for FSA / HSA reimbursement
Secure follow-up messaging with the provider for clinical questions about your script
Not included:
The medication itself — you pay the pharmacy directly at pickup
Lab work (we don't order labs as part of a bridge refill visit)
Insurance billing — we're cash-pay only
Controlled substances — not refillable via cash-pay telehealth
New diagnoses or medication changes — you need a traditional primary-care visit for those
Your actual total cost: visit + pharmacy
Your out-of-pocket is the cash-pay visit plus whatever the medication costs cash at the pharmacy. For common chronic generics, the cash price with GoodRx or a pharmacy discount card is shockingly low.
Medication (90-day generic)
Typical cash price
With GoodRx
Lisinopril 10mg (blood pressure)
$12–$18
$4–$8
Amlodipine 5mg (blood pressure)
$15–$25
$6–$12
Losartan 50mg (blood pressure)
$18–$30
$10–$18
Metformin 500mg (diabetes)
$12–$20
$4–$10
Levothyroxine 50mcg (thyroid)
$15–$25
$8–$15
Sertraline 50mg (Zoloft, SSRI)
$20–$40
$10–$18
Escitalopram 10mg (Lexapro, SSRI)
$20–$40
$10–$20
Atorvastatin 20mg (statin)
$15–$25
$6–$12
Rosuvastatin 10mg (statin)
$18–$35
$10–$20
Albuterol HFA inhaler
Varies by pharmacy
Varies by pharmacy
Fluticasone (Flonase) nasal spray
$15–$25
OTC ~$12
Omeprazole 20mg (GERD)
$15–$25
OTC ~$10
Generic OCP birth control
$20–$40
$10–$25
Finasteride 1mg (hair loss)
$20–$40
$10–$20
Sildenafil 20mg (generic, off-label for ED)
$15–$40
$6–$20
Medication prices vary by pharmacy, ZIP code, quantity, insurance status, and discount-card pricing. Check your chosen pharmacy or discount-card tool for the current cash price before pickup.
How we compare to the alternatives
For a stable non-controlled medication, the decision usually comes down to speed, convenience, insurance billing, and whether you already have a primary-care appointment lined up.
Option
Visit cost
Medication payment
Best fit
Urgent care
Often higher self-pay visit cost
Separate pharmacy cost or insurance copay
New symptoms, exam needs, or urgent in-person issues
Primary care
Depends on insurance, deductible, and appointment availability
Separate pharmacy cost or insurance copay
Ongoing management, labs, dose changes, complex care
Emergency room
Usually the most expensive setting
Separate pharmacy cost or discharge medication process
True medical emergencies only
Subscription telehealth
Often bundled into recurring plans
Often bundled, shipped, or plan-based
Patients who want recurring shipped-medication programs
Bidwell Health cash-pay
$45 online visit
Paid separately at your chosen pharmacy
Eligible stable non-controlled bridge refills
For an eligible stable refill, Bidwell Health keeps the visit fee clear: $45 online visit, no insurance billing, no required subscription, and medication paid separately at your chosen pharmacy.
Start a cash-pay refill visit now
Eligible bridge refill · No insurance billing · FSA/HSA eligible
You're currently in one of our 11 licensed states (Florida, Virginia, Washington, Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Iowa, Maryland, Montana, New Mexico, Utah)
You're already taking the medication — this isn't a first prescription
Your dose has been stable for at least 3 months
You can send a photo of your current pill bottle with the label visible
The medication is on our covered list (the ~15 most common chronic non-controlled meds)
Birth control: most generic combined oral contraceptives
GERD: omeprazole, pantoprazole
ED: sildenafil, tadalafil (as a bridge or one-time Rx)
Hair loss: finasteride, topical minoxidil
Who doesn't qualify
Cash-pay telehealth bridge refills are not appropriate for:
Controlled substances — opioids, benzodiazepines (Xanax, Ativan, Klonopin), stimulants (Adderall, Vyvanse, Ritalin, Concerta), sleep meds (Ambien, Lunesta), gabapentin, pregabalin (Lyrica), tramadol, Fioricet with codeine. Federal DEA rules restrict these tightly.
New diagnoses — if you've never taken the medication before, you need a primary-care visit that can order labs, physical exam, and appropriate workup.
Recent dose changes — if your prescriber just changed your dose in the last 3 months, the follow-up belongs with them.
Complex or unstable conditions — uncontrolled diabetes with rising A1c, poorly controlled blood pressure, acute mental health concerns, etc.
Medications we don't cover — specialty drugs, biologics, injectables, chemo, controlled substance combinations, compounded formulations, etc.
One honest caveat: a bridge refill is a short-term solution so you don't run out while establishing or re-establishing ongoing primary care. It is not a substitute for a primary-care relationship. If you've been without a PCP for over a year, start one soon — bridge refills are a bridge, not a destination.
Step-by-step: how to get a cash-pay refill
Confirm you're in one of our 11 states. Florida, Virginia, Washington, Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Iowa, Maryland, Montana, New Mexico, or Utah.
Take a photo of your current pill bottle. Label visible — drug name, dose, prescriber, last fill date. This is the single most important artifact for a fast approval.
Go to the intake form. Answer the short clinical questions — takes about 3 minutes.
Pay the $45 visit fee. Flat, one-time, no required subscription.
Wait for clinician review. A licensed clinician reviews your intake 7 days a week, including weekends. You'll get an email when your prescription has been sent to your pharmacy.
Pick up at your pharmacy. Show your GoodRx coupon at the register for the lowest cash price, or use Costco / Walmart / Cost Plus Drugs for further savings.
Save your receipt if you're reimbursing through FSA / HSA.
Pro tips for the lowest possible cash price
Always check GoodRx before pickup. Same pharmacy, different price. Show the coupon or code at the register.
Longer fills can reduce pharmacy friction. When clinically appropriate, a longer bridge can mean fewer pharmacy trips while you arrange ongoing care.
Costco and Sam's Club pharmacies don't require a membership for prescriptions (federal law) and routinely beat chain pharmacies on generics.
Mark Cuban Cost Plus Drugs is a mail-order option for many chronic generics. Check current pricing and availability directly before relying on it.
Skip "auto-refill" tied to insurance if you're paying cash — sometimes it triggers a higher price than the manual cash fill.
Ask the pharmacist — many pharmacies have in-house discount cards that beat GoodRx for specific drugs.
Frequently asked questions
Can I really skip insurance and still save money?
Yes, often. For common chronic generics, the cash-pay visit + $4–$30 pharmacy cost frequently comes in below what you'd pay using insurance on a high-deductible plan. If you have an excellent low-copay plan and your deductible is met, insurance may still win. Run the math for your specific medication.
Can I use FSA or HSA funds at Bidwell?
Yes. The cash-pay visit is an FSA/HSA-qualified medical expense. The medication fill at the pharmacy is also FSA/HSA eligible. We'll email you a detailed receipt with provider name, license number, date of service, and CPT-style visit description so your benefits administrator has everything they need.
What if I need a refill for a medication that's not on your list?
Message us before paying — we'll tell you honestly whether we can help. For medications outside our scope (specialty, controlled, compounded, or unstable conditions), we'll redirect you to a primary-care option or an online service that handles those conditions rather than take your visit fee and refund it.
Does Bidwell accept any insurance?
No — we're cash-pay only. Your pharmacy insurance can still apply to the medication fill at pickup, if you have it. If you don't, a GoodRx coupon typically beats most insurance copays for generics anyway.
What if the medication I need is actually expensive?
For expensive brand-name or specialty medications, cash-pay is usually not the right path — a primary-care relationship with insurance billing matters. We focus on the common generics where cash-pay genuinely wins. If you tell us what you take, we'll be straight with you about whether we're the right fit.
How long does my Bidwell prescription last?
Bridge-refill quantity depends on clinical appropriateness. The goal is to avoid an interruption while you re-establish primary care, find a long-term prescriber, or arrange the follow-up your medication requires.
Is this like Hims or GoodRx Care?
Similar but different. Hims uses a subscription model for specific conditions (hair, ED, weight loss). GoodRx Care is an on-demand telehealth service for a handful of common conditions. Bidwell is specifically built for cash-pay bridge refills of stable chronic meds at a cash-pay rate. For a full head-to-head, see our Hims vs Bidwell comparison.
What if I'm uninsured long-term?
You're in good company — millions of Americans are in the same spot. For chronic meds, cash-pay telehealth plus pharmacy discount cards is a reasonable long-term workflow, especially paired with community health centers for labs and annual exams. The AAFP and CDC both publish guidance for managing chronic conditions with limited resources — worth reading.
Ready to refill? $45 online visit with no insurance billing.
Clinically reviewed by Bidwell Cranage, APRN, FNP-C, AANP board-certified Family Nurse Practitioner, licensed in 11 states. Last reviewed: April 20, 2026 · Pricing reflects publicly available GoodRx and pharmacy data as of April 2026. Actual medication costs vary by pharmacy, ZIP, and discount card.