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Monday, April 19, 2010

Contra Costa residents who need help paying for their prescription medications are getting a helping hand thanks to a new discount prescription card.

The Coast2Coast Rx Cards are now available for free in Contra Costa and provide medication at lower cost through many pharmacies countywide. A presentation on the cards will be being given Tuesday to the Board of Supervisors, which approved the distribution of the cards at a previous meeting.

"This is a great benefit for people who have no health insurance, or have high deductibles in their health plans or whose plan doesn't cover certain medications," said Patricia Tanquary, Chief Executive Officer for Contra Costa Health Plan (CCHP), which is part of Contra Costa Health Services.

The cards can be downloaded online and printed in English and Spanish at: www.coast2coastrx.com/contracostaca, or picked up at many pharmacies, the County Supervisors' offices, most county libraries, government buildings, hospital emergency rooms or by calling 1-800-931-8872.

Tanquary said the new cards make it possible for every resident who is struggling to afford important prescriptions to get the medications they need. The average savings is about 40% and discounts apply to about 60,000 name-brand and generic medications.

"We know that many residents have chronic diseases that can be controlled by taking medication. We also know that many people have lost their jobs and their health coverage and can't pay for their basic needs like food and shelter. We hope this discount card will make it possible for everyone who needs medication to stay healthy," Tanquary said.

Contra Costa joins counties across California and the country in using the card, which was developed by Florida-based supplemental benefits corporation Financial Marketing Concepts.

The card is free and simple to use, Tanquary said. It comes ready to use, there is no paperwork to complete and no limits on the amount of medication that can be purchased once the card holder has a prescription. There are no health condition restrictions and no screening for eligibility. The card can be used in any participating county in the United States. The card is not health insurance.

"It's a win-win situation that hopefully will improve the health of all Contra Costa residents. We are really pleased that the Board of Supervisors approved the cards," Tanquary said.

To print the card, check prescription prices or locate the nearest participating pharmacy, visit: www.coast2coastrx.com/contracostaca or visit www.cchealth.org for more information.

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