Discount Drug Card Launched - Together Rx Access Card

[jeffrey]

Ten major drug manufacturers (Abbott Laboratories - AstraZeneca - Bristol-Myers Squibb - GlaxoSmithKline - Janssen Pharmaceutica and Ortho-McNeil Pharmaceutical - Novartis AG - Pfizer - Sanofi Aventis Group - Takeda Pharmaceuticals North America and TAP Pharmaceutical Products) launched a new discount prescription drug card program aiming to help millions of uninsured Americans save money on prescription drugs.

For those who qualify, the Together Rx Access Card Program can save members 25% to 40% on more than 275 brand-name prescription drugs as well as many generic drugs. In order to qualify, you must meet the following age and income requirements:

**Under age 65 and not otherwise eligible for Medicare
**No prescription drug coverage (public or private)
**Legal US resident
**Household income equal to or less than
o $30,000 for a single person
o $40,000 for a family of two
o $50,000 for a family of three
o $60,000 for a family of four
o $70,000 for a family of five





The program is free to all that qualify and furthers establishes a trend by prescription drug makers to offer their own discount card programs for the growing number of people without health care coverage. The companies hope that this new discount prescription drug program can benefit up to 80% of the 45 million Americans who are uninsured and who are having a more difficult time paying the ever increasing prescription drug prices.

Those who qualify for the program can enroll at TogetherRxAccess.com or by calling 1-800-444-4106. Enrollment forms will also start to appear at participating pharmacies and doctors' offices in the near future. The new discount drug card is expected to be available for use beginning sometime in mid to late February.

For lower income seniors over age 65, seven of the 10 companies offer the Together Rx Card launched in 2003 which has some 1.5 million card holding members and helped save more than $700 million on prescription drugs for the members.