DRUG DISCOUNT CARDS
On this presidential inaugural day, one of the major concerns for Americans for the next four years is affordable medical coverage.
This is especially true regarding prescriptions.
Now, several drug makers have gotten together to offer price breaks for low income families, so that they have access to affordable prescription drugs. These are major companies, including Astrazeneca, Glaxo Smith Kline and Pfizer. They are saying they will provide savings on medicines for millions of working-age Americans.
Gurinderpal Doad remembers the rough times. “I often found myself waiting until I had more money before I took medicines, when I should have been taking them when I needed to.”
So does Lori Moody. “Sometimes you just have to forget the pain or the symptoms for a week, and once you have the money you can finally go.”
It’s a sad reality for many of the 45 million Americans who lack health insurance and must pay out of their pockets for prescription drugs. Even people who have health insurance are paying more and more for their medications.
Now, ten drug makers are launching a discount drug program that will offer lower prices on 275 of their medicines.
The new discount cards target a younger age bracket, those under age 65. They’ll be available for those making as much as 30,000 dollars a year, or 60,000 dollars for a family of four.
Keith Hartman is with the National Community Pharmacist’s Association, who believes, “Many times we see that patients come in and they can’t afford a prescription. They usually go untreated, which results in a greater cost to the healthcare system. Prescription drugs can sometimes be a preventive in a big way to the healthcare system to save a lot of money.”
For example, when patients go to the emergency room because of a chronic condition like diabetes, that which is uncontrolled because of no money to pay for medicine.
“It pretty much provides affordable medical coverage to a lot of people who were falling through the gaps previously. Most of the people who are above those incomes ranges are already insured by an employer,” states Hartman.
And for big pharmaceutical companies, not only could the card actually create more drug sales, they will be seen in a more favorable light at the pharmacy counter once they offer more affordable prescription drugs.
“Offering affordable prescription drugs is a good PR move for them. They really needed to do something like that. We’re the richest country in the world and we don’t take care of our uninsured. Offering affordable medical care was something that the drug companies can afford to do,” Hartman believes.