“Oregon’s FREE Discount Prescription Drug Card Program”

Chambers to Help Oregon Rx Card Provide Prescription Assistance to All Residents

The Oregon State Chamber of Commerce (OSCC) announced a new partnership with the Oregon Rx Card today. The goal of the joint venture is to provide all Oregon residents with prescription assistance. OSCC will encourage local chambers of commerce, across the State, to distribute free discount prescription drug cards to residents. All Oregon residents are eligible for this program.

Oregon Rx Card was launched to help the uninsured and underinsured residents of Oregon afford their prescription medications.

The program, which is free to all residents, will provide savings of up to 75% on prescription drugs (savings should average roughly 30%). Oregonians can download a FREE card by visiting www.oregonrxcard.com or www.oregonstatechamber.org. Anyone not able to access the website, or otherwise obtain a member card, can simply visit any Safeway Pharmacy location and ask the pharmacy process their prescription through the Oregon Rx Card program.

The program has no restrictions to membership, no income requirements, no age limitations and there are no applications to fill out. "The Oregon Rx Card has already had a tremendous impact on the residents of Oregon and, through our coalition of chambers, we should be able to help many more Oregonians afford their medications", said Leslie Carnes, Chairman of OSCC Board of Directors.

"We are very fortunate to have the Oregon State Chamber of Commerce (OSCC) and their chamber members join us in this statewide prescription assistance initiative," states Oregon Rx Card Program Director, Andrew Stocks. "This partnership should help us bring this program to many more people who need help across Oregon."

Oregon Rx Card can also be used by people who have health insurance coverage with no prescription benefits, which is common in many health savings accounts (HSA) and high deductible health plans. Additionally, people who have prescription coverage can use this program for non-formulary or non-covered drugs. Oregon Rx Card is accepted at over 50,000 pharmacy locations across the country. Oregon residents can download a free card, search drug pricing, and locate participating pharmacies at www.oregonrxcard.com or www.oregonstatechamber.org.

November 4, 2011

Average discounts for cardholders is 30 percent off manufacturers' suggested retail price, with savings in some cases up to 75 percent for some generics, he said. The website's home page has a portal to information about costs under "Medication Pricing Comparison."

"Oregon Rx Card is supported by the manufacturers," Stocks said. "No taxpayer dollars are used with this program."

The card can be used in any pharmacy, with Safeway being the "preferred pharmacy" for the program, he said. Like the state card, Oregon Rx can be used by anyone of any age, including those who are uninsured or underinsured, and residents who have health insurance coverage with no prescription benefits or for drugs that are not covered under certain health plans.

According to Stocks, the Oregon Rx Card program is administered by United Networks of America, which describes itself as "one of the largest providers of value-added managed care products and services in the United States."

Stock said the program is "powered" by Restat, a company that describes itself as "the nation's largest privately held benefits manager."

Residents can download a free drug card by visiting www.oregonrxcard.com. Cards also are distributed at many doctors' offices, clinics and hospitals across the state. Physicians who wish to distribute free cards can contact the website. Anyone not able to download or otherwise obtain a card can visit any Safeway pharmacy location in Oregon and simply ask the pharmacist to process the prescription through the Oregon Rx Card, Stocks said.

The Oregon Agent is the Official Publication of the Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers of Oregon. An Oregon Rx Card advertisement was featured on page 30.

Oregon Agent (Summer 2011)

Chambers to Help Oregon Rx Card Provide Prescription Assistance to All Residents

June 2, 2011 — Sherry Henney's husband was insured through the carpenter's union until the union's insurance rates jumped from $300 to $800 a month, and the couple had to cancel.

Talking on the phone between sales transactions at the grower's market in Jacksonville, where Sherry sells pasta, she said that she and her husband are actually paying less now for prescription drugs than when they had insurance.

"There's not a lot of union (carpentry) work in southern Oregon," she said.

Then they found out about the Oregon Rx card program, which allows any Oregonian - insured or not - to enroll for discounts on prescription drugs.

The discounts vary depending on the drug, said Andy Stocks, who directs the program, but average about 30 percent, with discounts of up to 75 percent on some drugs.

The enrollment process is relatively straightforward. People can either apply at http://oregonrxcard.com or they can sign up in person at any Safeway store, Stocks said.

The card works at all pharmacies, and there's no cost for enrollment. "We try to make it as pharmacy-friendly as possible," Stocks said.

The program started in April 2009, and since then more than 50,000 Oregonians have enrolled.

There are also no age restrictions on who can apply for the program.

Henney found out about the program after searching for information about prescription drug assistance on the Internet.

"I'm surprised more people don't know about it," she said. "I've been telling everyone I know."

"It pretty much just discounts everything," Stocks said.

The program is paid for by pharmacies and pharmaceutical companies, and it receives no government funding.

Oregon Rx Card

This benefit is something you should be aware of to pass on to your patients and community. Please see frequently asked questions below.

What is the Oregon Rx Card?
Oregon Rx Card is a FREE statewide discount prescription assistance program. The program was launched to help uninsured and underinsured residents afford their prescriptions.

Who is eligible to participate in the Oregon Rx Card program?
Every resident of Oregon is eligible to receive a FREE prescription drug card.

How do Oregonians get an Oregon Rx Card?
Residents can print a card by visiting the program website at www.oregonrxcard.com. There will also be distribution sites set up across the state where residents can obtain a free card. Anyone not able to print, or otherwise obtain a card, can simply visit any Safeway pharmacy location in Oregon and ask the pharmacy to have their prescription processed through the Oregon Rx Card program.

Can this program be used by people who have insurance with prescription benefits?
This program was launched to help the uninsured residents of Oregon Rx Card afford their prescriptions. However, residents with insurance can also use Oregon Rx Card to get a discount on non-covered medications.

How can Oregon Rx Card provide free cards to residents?
This statewide prescription assistance program is made possible through the support of pharmacies and pharmaceutical companies.

What makes Oregon Rx Card different from other prescription assistance plans?

• No enrollment forms
• No restrictions to participation
• No eligibility or income requirements/limitations
• No waiting periods
• No age restrictions
• No exclusions
• Includes pre-existing conditions
• No claim forms to file
• No annual or lifetime limits
• Includes discounts on brand and generic medications
• Open formulary so that all medications are eligible for discounts
• Confidentiality: no personal information will be sold, shared, or distributed.

What type of discounts can you expect when you use Oregon Rx Card?
Average savings are roughly 30% with savings on some medications as high as 75%.

For more information, please contact: Jennifer Gonzales at 503.490.9959 or at jgonzales@oregonrxcard.com.

June 2, 2011 — Sherry Henney's husband was insured through the carpenter's union until the union's insurance rates jumped from $300 to $800 a month, and the couple had to cancel. Talking on the phone between sales transactions at the grower's market in Jacksonville, where Sherry sells pasta, she said that she and her husband are actually paying less now for prescription drugs than when they had insurance. “There's not a lot of union (carpentry) work in southern Oregon,” she said. Then they found out about the Oregon Rx card program, which allows any Oregonian – insured or not – to enroll for discounts on prescription drugs. The discounts vary depending on the drug, said Andy Stocks, who directs the program, but average about 30 percent, with discounts of up to 75 percent on some drugs.  The enrollment process is relatively straightforward. People can either apply at www.oregonrxcard.com or they can sign up in person at any Safeway store, Stocks said. The card works at all pharmacies, and there’s no cost for enrollment. “We try to make it as pharmacy-friendly as possible,” Stocks said. The program started in April 2009, and since then more than 50,000 Oregonians have enrolled. There are also no age restrictions on who can apply for the program. Henney found out about the program after searching for information about prescription drug assistance on the Internet. “I'm surprised more people don't know about it,” she said. “I've been telling everyone I know.” “It pretty much just discounts everything,” Stocks said. The program is paid for by pharmacies and pharmaceutical companies, and it receives no government funding.

Receive significant savings on prescription drugs with the Oregon Rx Card

OMA has teamed up with a prescription assistance program called the Oregon Rx Card. The Oregon Rx Card is free to all Oregon residents, and can be used for savings of up to 75 percent on prescription drugs at most retail pharmacies. The Oregon Rx Card helps the uninsured and underinsured obtain prescription medications, but residents with insurance can also use the program to get discounts on "non-covered" drugs (e.g., Chantix, Viagra, Lipitor, Nexium). The program has no membership restrictions, no income requirements, no age limitations, and there are no applications to complete.

OMA members, their family members and patients may print free Oregon Rx Cards, compliments of the OMA, at www.OMA.org/RxDiscount . Your patients may also secure the discount by simply walking into any participating pharmacy in the state and ask that their prescription be processed through the Oregon Rx Card, even if they don't have a physical card. OMA believes this is an easy and innovative way to help your patients get the prescription drugs they need.

For a more durable version of the cards that you can provide to patients at no cost, contact Jennifer Gonzales, the Oregon Rx Card representative, at (503) 490-9959 or jgonzales@oregonrxcard.com.