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Monday, November 02, 2009
Drug Card Offers Discount on Medicine
By Rivkela Brodsky
Albuquerque Journal
Journal Staff Writer
It's free, available to every New Mexican and just might save you money on your prescription drugs.
The Greater Albuquerque Chamber of Commerce is rolling out a discount prescription card today that will be accepted at 250 pharmacies throughout the state.
The card works like a coupon, and provides the most benefit for the uninsured and underinsured. But it is also available to anyone living in New Mexico, including those with private insurance, at no cost.
"While it's a small step, granted, I just thought it was a great opportunity for a business organization to begin to take the reins of this health care problem in a small way, and if there's something we can do to drive costs down, then hallelujah," Terri Cole, president and CEO of the chamber, told the Journal editorial board Friday.
Card users can save up to 75 percent of the price of the drug. The average savings from the card is about 30 percent, said Stephanie Cinocco, vice president of development, leadership and small business for the chamber.
The card cannot be used in combination with insurance coverage, allowing the individual to comparison shop, Cinocco said. In some cases, medications may be cheaper with the use of insurance, and in some cases the card's discount may bring a better deal. It depends on the medication, chamber officials said.
To get a card, simply go to the drug card's web site, www.newmexicodrugcard.com, provide your name and ZIP code and print out the card.
The site will also give a list of participating pharmacies, the drugs covered and the savings on each.
The chamber is joining with United Networks of America, a Baton Rouge, La.-based company that runs similar discount programs throughout the nation. For each card that is issued to an individual, United Networks of America gives the chamber up to $1 to cover marketing and distribution costs associated with the card.
The program is funded through the participation of some pharmacies and drug companies, the chamber said.
No application fee, claims form or personal information is required of the individual signing up for it, Cole said. There is also no age or income requirement.
Don Chalmers, president of Don Chalmers Ford and former chamber chairman, and Norm Becker, president and CEO of New Mexico Mutual and vice chair of the chamber's Healthcare Planning Council, joined Cole in explaining the plan at the Journal meeting.
Chalmers said a person can walk into a participating pharmacy, present the New Mexico Drug Card, and get a savings. For those who have insurance, they would present their insurance card and the N.M. drug card, then use the one that will give the bigger savings.
He said that although other pharmacies offer discount cards, many charge for them.
"It's an option that costs (residents) nothing," he said. "We just want to get the word out and have people try it."
The governor-endorsed program will be announced today in Gov. Richardson's Cabinet Room.
How can you get a New Mexico Drug Card?
You can obtain a card, search drug pricing and locate participating pharmacies by visiting www.newmexicodrugcard.com. To sign up for a card, only a name and a ZIP code are needed. The card may be printed off the Internet and is then ready to use.
Those without Internet access, can get the card at any Smith's or Albertsons location.
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