NACo Prescription Discount Card Program Has Saved Americans More
than $500 Million on Prescription Drugs
WASHINGTON and WOONSOCKET, R.I., Nov.
14, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Residents in counties across the
country that participate in the National Association of Counties
(NACo) Prescription Discount Card
Program have saved more than $500
million on their prescription medications since the launch
of the program in 2004, according to data released today by
NACo and CVS Caremark. Today
more than 1,400 counties across the
United States participate in the program. While the
average savings per transaction is approximately 24 percent, those
savings can add up over time for many American families.
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"This program puts cash back into consumers' pockets thanks to
their county government and the National Association of Counties,"
said NACo President Chris Rodgers,
Commissioner, Douglas County, Neb. "Saving American consumers
more than $500 million on their
prescription costs is an enormous milestone for our program, and
NACo is extremely proud of this
result."
"At CVS Caremark, we recognize that medication adherence can
positively affect an individual's overall health, while also
helping to reduce overall health care costs," said Jon Roberts, President of the pharmacy benefit
management business of CVS Caremark. "The NACo Prescription
Discount Card Program helps reduce the cost of medications – one of
the most frequently cited barriers to taking medications as
prescribed – and is one example of the many programs we administer
to help support medication adherence and help people on their path
to better health."
The savings as a result of the program are significant in many
of the participating counties. For example,
$24.3 million saved in
Montgomery County, Md.;
$15.9 million saved in
Indianapolis/Marion County, Ind.; $10 million saved in Snohomish County, Wash.; $7.2 million saved in Wake County, N.C.; $6.5 million saved in Maricopa County, Ariz.; $6.2 million saved in Palm Beach County, Fla.; $2.8 million saved in Fulton County, Ga., and $1.9 million in Cook
County, Ill.
Rural counties with populations under 50,000 are also
experiencing savings: $546,000
saved in Culpeper County,
Va.; $341,000 saved in
Buffalo County, Neb.,
$184,000 saved in Baxter County, Ark.; $179,000 saved in Brookings County, S.D., and $119,000 saved in Humboldt County, Iowa. Savings are not
exclusive to the continental 48 states: More than $609,000 has been saved in Kenai Peninsula Borough, Alaska, while residents in Honolulu City/County, Hawaii have saved more than $3.6 million.
The free discount card has many benefits: It is easy to
get, there are no forms to fill out and it is available at no cost
to the consumer. The card can be used by people who do not have
insurance or by those who have certain prescriptions that are not
covered by their insurance.
The card may be used by any resident of a participating county,
regardless of age, income or existing health conditions. Everyone
is eligible and one card can be used by the entire family.
All commonly prescribed prescription medications, including
many pet medications, are eligible for a discount.
The card is accepted within a national network of 65,000
pharmacies including all the major chains such as Wal-Mart,
CVS/Pharmacy, Walgreens, Giant, Safeway, and Rite Aid.
Participating pharmacies also include the majority of
community-based, independent pharmacies.
Residents can find out if their county participates in the
program by visiting www.nacorx.org. A discount card can be
printed directly from the same website. Information is also posted
on the website to help county residents locate the nearest
participating pharmacy. Assistance with the discount card
program is also available by calling toll-free 1-877-321-2652.
The NACo Prescription Drug Discount Card Program was created in
late 2004 as a 17-county pilot program in partnership with CVS
Caremark to provide a valuable membership benefit to counties. The
NACo Board of Directors made the
program available to members nationwide in May 2005.
About NACo
The
National Association of Counties (NACo) is the only national organization that
represents county governments in the United States. Founded
in 1935, NACo provides essential
services to the nation's 3,068 counties. NACo advances issues with a unified voice
before the federal government, improves the public's understanding
of county government, assists counties in finding and sharing
innovative solutions through education and research, and provides
value-added services to save counties and taxpayers money.
For more information about NACo,
visit www.naco.org.
About CVS Caremark
CVS Caremark is dedicated to
helping people on their path to better health as the largest
integrated pharmacy company in the United
States. Through the company's more than 7,400 CVS/pharmacy
stores; its leading pharmacy benefit manager serving more than 60
million plan members; and its retail health clinic system, the
largest in the nation with more than 600 MinuteClinic locations, it
is a market leader in mail order, retail and specialty pharmacy,
retail clinics, and Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Plans.
As a pharmacy innovation company with an unmatched breadth of
capabilities, CVS Caremark continually strives to improve health
and lower costs by developing new approaches such as its unique
Pharmacy Advisor program that helps people with chronic diseases
such as diabetes obtain and stay on their medications. Find
more information about how CVS Caremark is reinventing pharmacy for
better health at info.cvscaremark.com.
MEDIA CONTACTS:
Christine
Cramer
|
Jim
Philipps
|
CVS
Caremark
|
NACo
|
(401) 770
3317
|
(202)
942-4220
|
SOURCE CVS