Thousands Sign Up for New State-Sponsored Rx Drug Discount
By: Source: AARP.org Date Posted: 2007-04-24 11:12:19.172518-04:00
Yakima resident Gretchen Harder was worried about what her son Rob would do when he graduated from college this summer. But she wasn't worried about his career—she was concerned that he wouldn't be able to afford his prescription drugs.
Rob has ulcerative colitis and takes 15 pills a day at a cost of over $350 a month. After he graduates, Gretchen's insurance will no longer cover the costs of his life-sustaining medications.
But now help is available. Rob is planning on joining the thousands of other Washington consumers who have signed up for the free Washington Prescription Drug (WPDP) discount card. The new state-sponsored card is free to all Washington residents, regardless of age or income, and offers discounts on average of 20 percent on brand-name drugs and 60 percent on generics.
AARP joined Governor Chris Gregoire, the Washington Community Action Network, and the Health Care Authority to introduce the new card in early March. By mid April, more than 35,000 Washington consumers had already signed up. The card was made possible through an interstate purchasing agreement between Washington and Oregon, pooling the two states' purchasing power on behalf of citizens who are struggling with skyrocketing prescription drug costs.
The agreement marked the first multi-state effort in the nation aimed at garnering discounts for uninsured or underinsured citizens rather than for government purchasing.
"Other states have worked together to cut prescription drug costs for public programs," said Gregoire. "We decided to start by cutting costs for people whose prescription drug costs are spiraling out of reach."
More than a dozen other states offer prescription drug discount card programs, but according to AARP, none offers discounts as steep as the Washington and Oregon programs.
Although it's not an insurance program, WPDP members can receive discount prices that are very similar to those obtained by large health insurance companies. Normally the uninsured pay more for prescription drugs than any other population because they are unable to leverage their purchasing power.
If you are uninsured, if your insurance doesn't cover prescription drugs, or if any of the medicines you take are not covered by your insurance, the free WPDP discount card can make a real difference in your costs.
Anyone can enroll in the WPDP discount card on the program's web site, which operates 24 hours a day.
You can also enroll by phone by calling 1-800-913-4146. The call is toll-free, and joining is very simple—all that is required is your name, address, phone number, birth date and gender. Because everyone is eligible, you don't have to prove your age or share any other personal information.
The WPDP discount program pharmacy network includes more than 400 pharmacies throughout the state, and the network is growing all the time. Large chains that are currently participating include Albertson's, Bi-Mart, Fred Meyer, Haggens, some Hi-School Pharmacies, QFC, Safeway, ShopKo, Top Foods and Wal-Mart.
Those who don't have easy access to a participating pharmacy—or any enrollee who is interested in additional discounts—can use the program's mail order service, where discounts are even steeper than those available at retail stores. And for those who need special handling of their medications (such as injectable drugs), specialty pharmacy services are available as well.
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