‘Check-Up’ For Rx Savings
Q: How can I find out what prescription drug programs I might be eligible for?A: There is a new program that is based on the Internet that provides a free, confidential listing of all drug programs for which you may qualify. “BenefitsCheckUpRx” is sponsored by the National Council on Aging (NCOA). You, a family member, or a caregiver, can quickly determine what prescription savings program might work for you. There are more than 240 drug savings programs covering nearly 800 medications. Many of these drug programs are offered by the drug-makers themselves. The whole process only takes a few minutes to complete. Here’s how a sample case works:
We entered data for a 68-year-old senior male living in Massachusetts. Our made-up case was a single person, not a veteran, with a disabling condition. Our senior had estimated drug expenses of $150 a month, and received benefits only from Social Security and Medicare. His income was less than $4,500 per month, and he had assets in the bank of less than $100,000. We had to list this person’s type of monthly income and amount of assets. We estimated that this senior had $50,000 in the bank, a car worth $4,000, a home worth $125,000, and retirement accounts of $25,000. You will be asked all these questions, so before you use BenefitsCheckUpRx, gather this basic information about your income and assets—such as the cash or face value of your life insurance, burial account, or other assets.
To complete the survey, we listed our senior’s drugs as being Lipitor, a common cholesterol medication, and Zestril, a blood pressure medication. The whole questionnaire process took less than 10 minutes, and based on this “sample” case, the senior was eligible for four drug programs: The first was the Prescription Advantage program, which is operated by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The second and third were “patient assistance programs” offered directly by Pfizer, which makes the drug Lipitor. The fourth program was offered by Astra Zeneca, which makes Zestril. The Pfizer “Living Share Card” program caps the consumer’s cost for 30 days of Lipitor at $15. We priced the cost of a one-month’s supply of Lipitor at a retail pharmacy at $125, so our senior would have saved $110 a month with a Share Card. The Astra Zeneca program provides a free three-month supply of Zestril. The cost of Zestril was $47 a month. Assuming our senior could get on these two programs, he would have saved $157 a month, or $1,884 a year—well worth the few minutes it took to complete the website questionnaire.
This website does not qualify you for these programs, but suggests that you explore them further to see if you are eligible. For more information about the new BenefitsCheckUpRx, go to http://www.benefitscheckup.org.
NCOA believes that the only real solution for seniors is a new drug benefit as part of Medicare, “but in the meantime, there are millions of older persons who can save money by using the BenefitsCheckUpRx service.”