Are you 50 to 64 years old? Save on Rx!

For some New Yorkers struggling to pay for prescription drugs, help is now on the way.

Since April 1, the New York Prescription Saver card is being accepted at participating pharmacies. Intended to make medicine more affordable, the card is available free to state residents ages 50 to 64 and the disabled of all ages with incomes of less than $35,000 for an individual and $50,000 for a couple. The Prescription Saver card offers discounts of up to 30 percent for brand-name drugs and up to 60 percent for generics. Discounts will vary depending on the medicine and the pharmacy. The New York Department of Health provides a comparison of prescription prices by pharmacy.

Not yet eligible for Medicare and at risk of layoffs, the 50-to-64 population is more likely than other age groups to be uninsured, at precisely the age when they are “at increased risk for the onset of chronic health problems,” said Bill Ferris, legislative representative for AARP New York.  AARP campaigned for the card as part of a four-year effort to make prescription drugs accessible and affordable to more New Yorkers.

AARP hopes to eventually expand the card’s services to residents of all ages.

“It is a fundamental mission of AARP to bring affordable prescription drugs to all New Yorkers in need,” Ferris said.
For more information or to apply for the new card, go to www.nyprescriptionsaver.fhse.com or call (800) 788-6917.