Angela Brandt
Havre Daily News
abrandt@havredailynews.com
Hill County residents can now save an average of 20 percent on their prescriptions thanks to a new discount card. The discounts may vary by drug.
The cards can be used by county residents anytime their prescription is not covered by insurance. No fees to the cardholders are involved.
The Hill County commissioners' office received the cards on Nov. 25 and started handing them out that day, said Hill County Commissioner Doug Kaercher. The cards are valid immediately.
The program has no limit on the number of prescriptions filled and no age requirements. A card holder does not need to be a Medicare beneficiary.
The cards are provided by a joint effort of Hill County and the National Assocation of Counties. No Hill County revenues are used in the program, Kaercher said.
All pharmacies in Hill County are members of Caremark, a pharmaceutical services company, and will accept the card. If a cardholder is out of the county, she or he can use the card at any Caremark member. Eight out of 10 pharmacies nationwide accept the card, according to a program brochure.
Cascade County was first in the state to enact the plan, Kaercher said. Three other Montana counties are now participating - Carbon, Teton and Hill. All counties in the state are NACo members and eligible for the discount card, Kaercher said.
Cardholders will also qualify for higher discounts on select medications, discounts on high-tech and injectable drugs and have access to Caremark's mail service program, which offers an average savings of 50 percent on a three-month supply of select medications, according to Caremark's Web site.
“Some people just have catastrophic insurance, which doesn't help with prescriptions, and this will help out,” Kaercher said.
Prescription discount cards are available at all Hill County departments, school offices and at Job Service of Montana.
