Kaua‘i County yesterday launched a prescription drug discount card program to help relieve the financial strain on residents due to soaring medical costs, officials said. The free program, sponsored by the National Association of Counties, offers an average savings of
Kaua‘i County yesterday launched a prescription drug discount card program to help relieve the financial strain on residents due to soaring medical costs, officials said.
The free program, sponsored by the National Association of Counties, offers an average savings of 20 percent off the retail price of commonly prescribed drugs.
“This is the best program ever offered for free to our residents,” said Kaua‘i County Councilwoman Shaylene Iseri-Carvalho, who has served on the NACo Board of Directors since 2006.
All residents may use the card, which is accepted by 15 pharmacies on island and more than 57,000 nationwide.
Nearly all residents have medical insurance because the state mandates employers offer it to employees who work at least 20 hours per week with some conditions.
Lifeway Pharmacy, which has offices in Lihu‘e and Waimea, is among those participating in the new discount plan, pharmacist Lianne Malapit said.
She said the independent pharmacy will incorporate the card into the picture, but likely can already provide greater discounts.
“Although it may offer some savings to some people, independent pharmacies have been and will continue to offer savings to patients and will often be able to bring the prices down much lower than a discount plan will,” Malapit said. “We really care about these people. They are our neighbors. They are our friends. We do all we can.”
Local government may be unable to combat high prices at the pump, but this program should provide some monetary aid for residents, Councilman Mel Rapozo said at the Historic County Building.
It costs county taxpayers nothing to make the cards available at neighborhood centers, the Parks and Recreation Department, the Office of Elderly Affairs, the Mayor’s Office and the Historic County Building, officials said.
“Why wouldn’t we do this?” said Rapozo, who thanked Mayor Bryan Baptiste’s administration for its help in making the program possible on Kaua‘i.
In three months on O‘ahu, more than 900 residents have used the program and averaged a 25 percent savings, Iseri-Carvalho said.
She spearheaded the initiative on the Garden Isle after learning about the program at NACo’s annual legislative conference in March 2006 in Washington, D.C. Kaua‘i joins more than 983 counties participating nationwide.
“I personally took the initiative to start this program on Kaua‘i after seeing the tremendous benefits to other counties and after having the contract reviewed by our county attorney,” she said. “Since the program began, participating counties have made the program available to millions of Americans of any age, income level or health condition, and has saved consumers more than $83 million through 7.5 million prescriptions in savings averaging 22 percent.”
The Big Island will be signing up within a week and Maui is soon to follow, Council Chair Bill “Kaipo” Asing said.
“It’s caught on,” he said.
Rapozo said the conferences keep the counties in the know.
“It’s so vital … the networking capabilities … that put Michigan in the same room as Hawai‘i,” he said. “We share so many of the same problems.”
NACo President Eric Coleman, who calls the program the association’s most innovative to date, attended the council’s meeting.
“The NACo prescription discount card offers significant savings for the uninsured and underinsured residents of our county and even those fortunate to have prescription coverage can use the card to save money on drugs that are not covered by their health plan,” Iseri-Carvalho says in a news release. “Residents do not have to be Medicare beneficiaries to be eligible.”
Pharmaceutical giant Caremark Rx administers the program. The card cannot be used in conjunction with other insurance, according to the company’s Web site.
The program works by simply presenting the card to a participating pharmacy and the consumer will receive the lowest price available from the pharmacy for a prescription, Iseri-Carvalho said.
“This program is also unique that even pet medication is covered,” she said. “If your pet has been prescribed a medication, you may receive a discount on the medication by taking the prescription to a participating retail pharmacy.”
The county Agency on Elderly Affairs executive Kealoha Takahashi said the card will “definitely be a great help.”
“At this time, I don’t know the impact it will have but I’m sure it’ll make a difference,” she said.
Founded in 1935, NACo is the only national organization that represents county governments in the United States, she said.
For more information, call 877-321-2652 or visit www.caremark.com/naco
• Nathan Eagle, staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 224) or neagle@kauaipubco.com
