Prescription Drug Assistance Programs for Seniors

Dear Friends,

I am very sensitive to the current situation facing many senior citizens. While the legislature and governor work to restore the most serious cuts, here is some information that may help seniors afford their prescription drugs.
Please do not hesitate to contact my office if you have any questions.

Sincerely,
Dennis Richardson
State Representative

GlaxoSmithKline Orange Card The GlaxoSmithKline Orange Card which is available free of charge. According to the company, the card is designed to save seniors 30-40% off the prices they pay for GSK medicines. Those eligible include seniors 65 and older, as well as the disabled who are enrolled in Medicare, who have annual incomes at or below $30,000 per person or $40,000 for a couple, and lack public or private insurance programs or other pharmaceutical benefit programs, such as Medicaid. All GlaxoSmithKline outpatient products are included in the program, including Advair and Serevent for asthma, Avandia for diabetes, Coreg and Lanoxin for heart problems, Flonase nasal spray for allergies, Imitrex for migraines, Paxil and Wellbutrin for depression, and Miacalcin nasal spray for osteporosis. Applications are available calling toll-free 1-888-ORANGE6 (1-888-672-6436). For more information log on to their web site at http://www.pharma.us.novartis.com/. LillyAnswers Card The LillyAnswers Card enables senior citizens to purchase a 30-day supply of any Eli Lilly and Company medication for a flat fee of $12 per drug per month. To qualify for the program, individual Medicare recipients, as well as those with disabilities who are Medicare-enrolled, must have an annual gross income below $18,000 ($24,000 for couples who file joint tax returns), and have no other prescription coverage. All Lilly out-patient products are included. Some of the drugs most commonly used include Evista for osteoporosis, Humulin and Humalog for diabetes, Prozac for depression and Zyprexa for schizophrenia. Applications for the program are available by calling toll-free 1-877-RX-LILLY (1-877-795-4559) and additional information is available on-line at http://www.lillyanswers.com. Novartis CareCard The Novartis CareCard is available free of charge. According to the company, it provides a discount of 25% off the wholesale list price of drugs made by Novartis, saving senior citizens 30-40% off retail prices. To qualify for the program, individuals must be 65 or older, with an annual income of less than approximately $26,000 for an individual ($35 000 for a couple) and have no other alternative prescription drug coverage. The Novartis list of key drugs for diseases affecting the senior population include Diovan, Lotensin and Lotrel for high blood pressure, Exelon for Alzheimer’s disease, Lamisil Oral for fungal infections, Lescol for high cholesterol, and Miacalcin Nasal Spray for osteoporosis. To apply call toll-free 1-866-974-CARE (1-866-974-2273), or go to their website at http://www.novartis.com. Pfizer Share Card The Pfizer Share Card enables senior citizens to buy a 30-day supply of any Pfizer prescription medicine for a flat fee of $15 per drug per month. To qualify for the program, individual Medicare recipients - including people with disabilities who are Medicare-enrolled - must have an annual gross income below $18,000 ($24,000 for couples who file joint tax returns), and have no other prescription coverage. Pfizer medicines most often used by Medicare recipients include Lipitor for lowering cholesterol, Norvasc for high blood pressure and angina, and Zoloft for depression. The program also includes two medicines that Pfizer co-promotes with other companies, including Zyrtec for allergies and Aricept for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease. Applications for the program are available by calling 1-800-717-6005 and additional information is available on-line at http://www.pfizerforliving.com. RxHope.com is a free, relatively new service supported by PhRMA that allows physicians, physician assistants, and doctor’s office managers access to prescription drug assistance programs via the Internet. The service is located at http://www.RxHope.com. Contact them at 908-850-8004. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services can help senior citizens find help with their prescription medications by calling 1-800-MEDICARE,or by logging on at http://www.medicare.gov/Prescription/Home.asp. The National Association of Chain Drug Stores recently announced a new PharmacyCareOneCard plan which seeks to combine various prescription drug discount programs for seniors on one card. Contact them at 703-549-3001 or check out their website at http://www.nacds.org. The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) publishes a free guide to programs that provide drugs to physicians whose patients could not otherwise afford them. For a copy of the directory call toll-free 1-800-762-4636 or you can print it off their website, located at http://www.phrma.org.