ATHENS, Tenn. — Athens has launched a program to help provide residents with relief from the high cost of prescription drugs.
The city is making free prescription drug discount cards available to residents through a program sponsored by the National League of Cities, according to City Manager Mitchell Moore.
The discount cards offer city residents an average savings of 20 percent off the retail price of commonly prescribed drugs.
“In the current economic climate, where many people are watching what they spend, the city of Athens is happy to partner with the National League of Cities to make this prescription discount card available for our residents,” Mr. Moore said. “Whether or not an individual has prescription coverage, this program can make it easier for our residents to afford the drugs they need to deal with a short-term illness or stay healthy by managing a chronic condition.”
Athens Personnel Director Rita Brown said the prescription discount cards are available to any NLC member city, but she doesn’t know of any other Southeast Tennessee municipality that has taken advantage of the cards.
“Not only does the NLC prescription discount card help residents save money on their medications, it is easy to use,” Mr. Moore said.
The discount card program is administered by CVS Caremark.
Mr. Moore said users just show their cards at any participating pharmacy when buying any medicine not covered by insurance. They can get cards without filling out enrollment forms or paying fees, and the while family is covered.
Also as part of the program, users will be eligible for higher discounts on select medications.
And what Ms. Brown sees as a one-of-a-kind discount is that the care also applies to pet prescriptioins. She said this will be a huge help to pet owners, especially those who have to give monthly prescriptions to their pets.
The discount cards may be used by all residents of Athens and has no restrictions on age, income level or existing health coverage, Mr. Moore said.
The NLC card can be used when purchasing prescription drugs at about 10 local pharmacies around the city and at more than 59,000 participating retail pharmacies across the country.
Cards are available at various area pharmacies at no cost to city residents.
This program may sound like a good deal, but when you use the card you may be handing over your personal information for marketing purposes. The NLC card available to Athens residents is similar to a prescription discount card deal CVS Caremark has with the National Association of Counties. The contract counties enter with CVS Caremark, which consumers don't see, allows the company to send marketing materials to participants, accept rebates and payments for promotion services from drug manufacturers and other third parties without disclosing those payments to the county, and to use the patient information it collects through the agreements however it wants. Some counties have opted for discount card services that do not gather personal information: http://www.individual.com/story.php?story=92401124. Ask the City of Athens whether they know how your prescription data is being used by CVS Caremark. Visit www.AlarmedAboutCVSCaremark.org for more information.
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