No-strings prescription savings card coming to Peninsula
Clallam County Commissioner Steve Tharinger displays a drug savings card that consumers will be able to use at 16 pharmacies across the North Olympic Peninsula. -- Photo by Tom Thompson/Peninsula Daily News
By Jim Casey, Peninsula Daily News
Print This |
Email This
Recent Headlines
FOUR DAYS OF arts and music comes to Port Angeles — buy your tickets now! (And . . . FREE pre-festival show Thursday) -- 5/19/13 -04:43 PM
IT'S OUT TODAY: North Olympic Peninsula's biggest and best visitor guide -- 5/19/13 -12:47 PM
10 to receive Jefferson County Heart of Service award Tuesday -- 5/18/13 -11:34 PM
State Patrol report blames motorcyclist killed during chase -- 5/19/13 -06:30 PM
Poets celebrate life, birth of author Raymond Carver tonight -- 5/19/13 -06:32 PM
Clallam County residents can take big deductions off the price of prescription drugs starting Saturday - just for living in Clallam County.
On Oct. 1, Jefferson County citizens can do the same.
A no-strings-attached program from the National Association of Counties, it saves cardholders between 13 and 34 percent on prescriptions that aren't covered by insurance.
It can be used in conjunction with Veterans Affairs Health Care, Medicare, even with a private policy that doesn't cover a particular prescription.
The Clallam County Rx card and its Jefferson County twin will need no paperwork, no co-pay, no eligibility requirements - including age or illness - no sign-up fee and no limits.
And the counties are doing everything short of putting it into people's pockets to get the card into circulation.
Just tear off and use it
Small kiosks bearing posters about benefits and copies of the cards will go up "wherever people gather," said County Administrator Jim Jones, who has 22,000 cards
Jefferson County Administrator John Fischbach has ordered 10,000 cards.
To use the card, take one and tear off the top portion. Present it when you pay for your prescription.
Once the payment is processed, the cardbearer is registered for all participating pharmacies - 57,000 of them - across the nation.
The cardbearer's family is covered, too.
As Jones put it Tuesday, when Clallam County commissioners officially announced the plan, it's almost too good to be true.
Veterinarians' prescriptions are eligible if filled at a participating pharmacy, he said.
Even jail inmates can use it.
Moreover, it will save taxpayers money.
Taxpayer savings too
Because Clallam County covers the whole cost of retired sheriff's deputies' and firefighters' health care, the retirees will be required to use the card, Jones said.
That could save about $10,000 a year, said Commissioner Mike Chapman, R-Port Angeles.
The association of counties will furnish Clallam and Jefferson officials with monthly reports of how many people used the card and how much they saved.
To learn more, visit https://naco.advancerx.com to find a participating pharmacy, get a price estimate of your prescription, check drug interactions, or read articles from health journals.
Interested persons also can call 877-321-2652.
The National Association of Counties, which contracted for card services with CVS Caremark of Nashville, Tenn., represents 3,066 counties across the country.
Where to find cards
Initially, residents can find Clallam County Rx cards at these locations:
The cards will be available Oct. 1 in Jefferson County at these locations.
Branch libraries, community centers and other locations in Jefferson County also will offer the cards.
Where you can use them
________
Reporter Jim Casey can be reached at 360-417-3538 or at jim.casey@peninsuladailynews.com.
Reporter Evan Cael contributed to this report. He can be reached at 360-385-2335 or evan.cael@peninsuladailynews.com.
Last modified: August 29. 2007 9:00PM
To report a comment, email moderator@peninsuladailynews.com and refer to the article and offending comment, or click here: REPORT ABUSE.