“Washington D.C.’s FREE Discount Prescription Drug Card Program”

DC Chamber of Commerce Newsletter

Healthcare seems to be a hot topic around Washington D.C. following last week's Policy Forum. Even President Obama has been keeping healthcare top of mind as seen in his State of Union address discussing how health care is effecting small businesses, employees, and the unemployed who don't have insurance...

Save up to 75% on Rx's with the DC Rx CARD

With millions losing their healthcare coverage, the DC Chamber of Commerce has teamed up with the DC Rx Card program to help provide a FREE discount prescription assistance program. You can now provide your families, employees, patients, members, students, affiliates and more with a FREE prescription assistance drug card. This program offers discounts on brand and generic medications. The program was launched to help uninsured residents afford their medications. However, the program can also be used to get discounts on non-formulary medications, or non-covered drugs. Common non-formulary medications are for weight loss, birth control, smoking cessation, fertility, growth hormones, among others. The majority of other plans will require that you pay full price for these prescriptions. The savings on non-formularies also extends to people enrolled in Medicare Part D.

Help your employees save money on their prescriptions!

Medication         Qty         Retail     Member Price   Member Savings
Ambien              30           $175       $144                       18%
Flomax               60           $241       $180                       25%
Lipitor                 30           $102       $88                         13%
Singulair             30           $137       $109                       20%
Zoloft                  30           $142       $104                       27%

DC Rx Card Highlights:

• DC Rx Car is available to all residents of the Greater Washington Region and is accepted across the United States
• DC Rx Card provides savings of up to 75% on brand and generic medications.
• Can be used to provide savings on formulary and non-formulary medications.
• All prescriptions processed through the program are completely confidential
• In addition to printing cards from the website, we can also send your hard cards to give to your employees
• The card can be used at over 50,000 pharmacies nationwide
• The DC Rx Card can also be used for discounts on eyeglasses, hearing aids, nutritional supplements, Pet Medication, Diabetic Supplies and More!

GET YOUR DC Rx Card NOW!

Simply go the DC Chamber Website to print FREE customized card(s). All cards are pre-activated and can be used immediately. We can also mail you hard cards if you prefer.

For more information please contact Meredith Brewer, Member Services Manager at 202.638.7338.

WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Residents of The Washington Metropolitan Area will not have to wait on the health care reform bill to pass in order to save money on their prescriptions. A free prescription assistance drug card program called DC Rx Card launched earlier today. The program is open to all residents and will provide instant savings on prescription drugs at most retail pharmacy locations. The Washington Metropolitan Area has more than five (5) million residents that are eligible for this prescription assistance program.

The DC Chamber of Commerce is one of the many supporters of the program. "In the midst of trying economic times, DC Rx Card helps residents throughout The Washington Metropolitan Area looking for new solutions to cut the ever-rising costs of prescription medications," said Barbara Lang, President and CEO of the DC Chamber of Commerce. "The DC Chamber is proud to support a program that is open to everyone and will provide valuable savings."

The Medical Society of the District of Columbia is also working to create awareness for the program. "Far too often the high cost of pharmaceuticals stands in the way of patient compliance for obtaining needed medications," said K. Edward Shanbacker, Executive Vice President of Medical Society of the District of Colombia. "This program will assist patients, especially those without other resources, in achieving optimal health outcomes, and the physician community is pleased to have this resource for their patients."

The DC Rx Card was launched to help uninsured residents afford their prescription medications. However, the program can also be used by people that have health insurance coverage with no prescription benefits, which is common in many health savings accounts (HSA) and high deductible health plans. Additionally, people who have prescription coverage can use this program for non-formulary or non-covered drugs.

Anyone interested in obtaining a free discount prescription drug card can visit www.DCRxCard.com. CVS/Pharmacy was selected to serve as the exclusive preferred pharmacy for the program due to their size and the support they have delivered to similar programs in other parts of the country. CVS/Pharmacy has the ability to process your prescription through DC Rx Card even if you don't have a card.

Roughly 70,000 uninsured District residents now have access to a prescription drug discount card that has no income or age requirement, D.C. officials announced Wednesday.

With the DC Rx card, cardholders can save an average 20 percent on the retail cost of a prescribed medication, proponents say, though the ultimate break will vary. The free card requires no enrollment form and is accepted at 98 percent of all local pharmacies, including CVS and Giant stores.

"This card will be very useful to people with moderate income who earn too much to qualify for Medicaid, but still can't afford insurance," Mayor Anthony Williams said.

The program is operated through the National Association of Counties and administered by Caremark Rx Inc. It is financed through bulk drug purchases and smaller transactions fees — not taxpayers.

The District joins dozens of U.S. counties, including Montgomery and Prince George's, who already are members of the discount program.

Some 14,000 city residents earn too much to qualify for Medicaid but remain without health coverage. The card also can be used by insured residents to save on non-covered medications, or by anyone for prescribed pet drugs.

D.C. Council Member David Catania, chairman of the health committee, said the discount is "really the difference between life and death."

"It's a small step, but it is one ... that will have terrific benefits for everyone," Catania said.

To obtain a card, call the D.C. Pharmaceutical Resource Center hot line at 202-481-1430. For more information, visit doh.dc.gov.