County drug card for people of any income

It has been said that you should watch out for things that seem too good to be true. There are exceptions to this sage advice, however, as evidenced by the Penobscot County Drug Card.

“The Penobscot County Commissioners teamed up with the National Association of Counties to take advantage of educational and financial benefits that would be helpful to our residents,” said Barbara Veilleux, Penobscot County employee and member of the Health Advisory Council which reviews all types of health-related issues for the county.

“During the first year since the introduction of the Penobscot County free prescription drug discount program,” she said, “county residents filled a total of 3,546 prescriptions with the cards, saving an astounding $37,711.”

Best of all, this prescription drug discount card can be used by anyone, while geared to the uninsured or underinsured. Even people with good insurance have saved money, and there is no cost to county taxpayers, added Veilleux.

So just how does this card work and how do you get one of your own?

“Getting a card is very easy,” said Veilleux. “Just go to your town or city hall and pick one up along with the list of participating pharmacies. Elderly and disabled homebound individuals can call me at 942-8566 and I will mail one to them. The only requirement to get and use the card is that you live and-or work in Penobscot County.”

Let’s break it down because this is the chance of a lifetime.

. The card is free for the asking.

. There is no fee, and no premium as it is not an insurance card.

. Savings average about 20 percent on covered prescriptions. Some may be more, some may be less.

. There are no limits on the number of times the card can be used, and only one card is needed per family.

. To start using the card, just present it to your pharmacy when purchasing medications.

. The card covers medications for pets provided the prescriptions can be filled in a pharmacy not at the vet’s office.

“There is no reason people in Penobscot County should not get this card,” said Veilleux. “And even people with insurance can use it. It does not provide a discount on co-pays for people with a prescription plan, but if a drug is not covered on a person’s plan, this card might work. And even more money can be saved for those who use maintenance drugs and shop mail order or online at naco.advancerx.com.”

The cards may be used by all county residents, regardless of age, income or existing health coverage, and are accepted at most of the county’s pharmacies. A national network of more than 57,000 participating retail pharmacies also honors the Penobscot County Prescription Drug Discount Cards.

For seniors, this card may help while they are in the Medicare part D “doughnut hole” or may cover drugs that their plan does not. For specifics on how this card effects a Medicare part D plan, call Eastern Agency on Aging at 941-2865. We will help you figure out whether the Penobscot card covers your individual prescriptions.

There is no downside to the Penobscot County Prescription Drug Card, so hop on the phone or head to your town office and start saving money today.

To obtain information or to receive a card of your own, call Veilleux at 942-8566 or call NACO at 877-321-2652.

Carol Higgins is director of communications at Eastern Agency on Aging. E-mail Carol Higgins at chiggins@eaaa.org. For information on EAA, call 941-2865, toll-free 800-432-7812, e-mail info@eaaa.org or visit EAAA.org. TTY 992-0150.