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Discount Drug Plan Benefits Everyone

By Commissioner Jeff Koons

Once in a while a legitimate “no-brainer” comes along, and I think we have one with a special prescription drug program sponsored by the National Association of Counties (NACo). Our County staff has been directed to look into getting us signed up as quickly as possible because, well, there just doesn’t seem to be any reason not to.

The NACo Prescription Drug Discount Card program was designed for uninsured and underinsured residents to help them save on prescriptions. Through a partnership with Caremark, which is owned by CVS, this card can save an average of 20 percent off the retail cost of prescription medications. Caremark negotiates with thousands of pharmacies and drug manufacturers nationwide for bulk discounts on all types of medications and passes those savings on to consumers.

And here’s the best part: It doesn’t cost County government, tax payers, or consumers anything to participate. Caremark is paid by the retailers through a transaction fee for each prescription filled using the card. Neither NACo nor participating counties receive any revenue from the program.

Here are some other reasons why this is such a great program:
• Every resident of Palm Beach County would be eligible.
• There are no enrollment fees, no forms to fill out, no age or income requirements, and no medical condition restrictions.
• The entire family is covered with just one card.
• The card is honored at more than 59,000 retail pharmacies nationwide.
• Virtually all commonly prescribed medicines are covered.

Occasionally, drug stores will price a particular medication lower than the discount rate available with the NACo card. If that occurs, the customer will receive the lower price. If you have medical insurance and need a prescription that isn’t covered, you can use the NACo card. The only thing you can’t do is use your insurance discount and the NACo discount at the same time. Again, it’s whichever rate is lower.

Once the paperwork is in place, the discount cards, which NACo describes as a “permanent coupon,” will be available free at various County buildings. Right now, more than 700 counties nationally are using the NACo discount drug card, including 18 in Florida. We hope to have Palm Beach County on that list very soon. Stay tuned.

As always, we welcome your comments, so please feel free to contact me or my staff at 355-2202.