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Highlands Today

County Discount Prescription Card Launched

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By JIM KONKOLY

Highlands Today

Published: March 12, 2009

SEBRING - Distribution of the free Coast2Coast prescription discount card, issued in the name of Highlands County, began this week.

Free to all county residents and their family members living out of the county, the card provides discounts on prescriptions that are not covered by insurance.

The discounts vary widely, said Edward Rahn, president of Financial Marketing Concepts Inc., which issues the card.

But, Rahn said, discounts off the retail price for prescriptions through use of the card have averaged 38 percent over the past two years at more than 58,000 pharmacies nationwide.

The county commissioners approved a contract with the company allowing it to issue the discount card under the name of Highlands County. In return, the company will pay the county 50 cents for every prescription filled with the cards.

Barbara Stewart, chairman of the county commission, said commissioners approved the deal to help residents fill their prescription needs.

"The Highlands County prescription discount card offers significant savings for the uninsured and the under insured residents of our county, and even residents with prescription coverage can use the card to save money on drugs that are not covered by their health plan," she said.

Stewart said there is no cost to the county for this discount card, and no cost, or enrollment forms, for residents to obtain it.

The Coast2Coast card is used mainly by people with no health insurance and those who are "under insured," with policies that provide little or no coverage of prescription medicines, Rahn said.

But, he said, it can also be used by people with prescription coverage for medications not covered by their policy.

All of the major pharmacies and virtually all of the independent pharmacies in Highlands County have agreed to accept the Coast2Coast card, Rahn said. He said it can be used "at all major pharmacies in any of the 50 states."

A list of county offices and pharmacies where the card can be picked up is available on the company's Web site, www.coast2coastrx.com/highlandsfl. The card also can be printed off the Web site.

"This is an effort to help take the bite out of the increasing cost of medicine," Stewart said.

Revenues from the 50-cents-per-perscription payment will probably be used for health education programs or to bolster funding for the county's medical assistance to indigent people, she said.

The Coast2Coast prescription discount card has been issued through various organizations for more than four years and is used nationwide, Rahn said. About eight months ago, he said, his company began issuing it through counties.

Distributing the card through a county raises the credibility of the card, which provides a proven, legitimate prescription discount program, Rahn said.

"That helps us get it out to the people in need," he said.

Based on the company's experiences elsewhere, Rahn said, he expects about 6,000 people in Highlands County will use the Coast2Coast card.

Highlands Today reporter Jim Konkoly can be reached at 863-386-5855 or e-mail jkonkoly@highlandstoday.com

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