ALEXANDRIA, Va., May 3 /PRNewswire/ -- The Pharmacy Care Alliance today launched its Medicare-approved drug discount card for Medicare beneficiaries and began education, outreach and enrollment activities nationwide.
“This is an exciting day for America’s Medicare beneficiaries,” said Mary Ann Wagner, president and consumer health adviser for the Pharmacy Care Alliance. “Beginning today, Medicare beneficiaries can choose a card that will help them save money on their prescription drugs. The Pharmacy Care Alliance is proud to be part of this program and is pleased to offer Medicare beneficiaries substantial savings that are backed by the support and care of their neighborhood pharmacy.”
During her remarks at a National Press Club event launching the card in Washington, D.C., Ms. Wagner explained the benefits of the Pharmacy Care Alliance card.
“The formula is simply A-B-C. A is for the access our card provides to more than 41,000 neighborhood pharmacies all across the country. B is the benefit of talking to your community pharmacist and having your questions answered by someone you know and trust. And C is for the consumer savings our card will provide, savings we estimate range from 20 percent on brand-name drugs to 40 percent on generics,” Wagner said.
During the event, the Pharmacy Care Alliance and Wirthlin Worldwide also detailed recent survey findings from a poll of 501 Medicare beneficiaries, which showed that 76 percent of seniors surveyed without prescription drug benefits think the Medicare-approved drug discount card is a good idea and will help them save money.
In the survey, nearly three-quarters (72 percent) of Medicare beneficiaries stated that they will try to get more information about the discount cards and a majority (58 percent) already plan to get a card.
Most seniors (56 percent) surveyed felt they knew little or nothing about the Medicare drug discount cards. Additionally, only 20 percent of those surveyed were aware of the Medicare credit of $600 available for low-income Medicare beneficiaries to help them pay for prescription drugs. When they learn about the Medicare credit, more than four out of five (84 percent) believe it will be helpful to low-income Medicare beneficiaries, including two-thirds who think it will be very helpful.
The Pharmacy Care Alliance received Medicare approval of its discount drug card in March. Medicare beneficiaries can begin applying for the discount card today, and enrollees can begin receiving discounts on June 1. The Pharmacy Care Alliance estimates that the Medicare beneficiaries will be able to save as much as 20 percent on brand name and 40 percent on generic drugs through the use of its Medicare-approved drug discount card.
Medicare-approved drug discount cards are designed to help beneficiaries with prescription drug costs until the complete federal prescription drug coverage -- Medicare Part D -- takes effect in January 2006.
The Pharmacy Care Alliance
The Pharmacy Care Alliance is a not-for-profit 501 (c) (6) organization. It is an alliance between the National Association of Chain Drug Stores, Inc. (NACDS), which represents 216 chain pharmacies operating more than 35,000 retail community pharmacies, and Express Scripts, Inc. , one of the largest pharmacy benefit managers in North America. The Pharmacy Care Alliance discount card will be supported by neighborhood pharmacists in its network of more than 41,000 participating pharmacies, who will provide support and counsel to program members and advise on ways to lower overall prescription drug costs. For more information, visit http://www.pcacard.com/.
Pharmacy Care Alliance
CONTACT: Michelle McKenna of Pharmacy Care Alliance, +1-703-837-4234,mmckenna@pcacard.com
