New York Rx Card Media Center

(New York City) – RxResource.org announced today that New York Rx Card earned the No. 1 position as Best Prescription Program in New York State for 2011. Programs were rated by industry professionals across the following categories: Program Access, Program Benefits, Customer Support, Prescription Formulary List, Rx Discounts, and Network Coverage. New York Rx Card was launched in June 2011 and has saved New Yorkers more than $11 million on their prescription drugs.

(Yonkers, NY) – The Westchester Municipal Officials Association (WMOA) will announce a new free prescription assistance drug card program for Westchester County residents at 11:30 a.m. on Wednesday, May 4 at Health Rx Pharmacy, 984 N. Broadway, Yonkers.

Not only can the WMOA Rx card offer uninsured and underinsured residents up to 75% off their prescription drugs (including those for pets), it can also give discounts of up to 50% on prescription eyeglasses, teeth whitening, diabetic supplies, Lasik surgery, and hearing aids. The card can also be used by people who have health insurance coverage with no prescription benefits, a common occurrence in many health savings accounts (HSA) and high-deductible health plans. The discount does not apply to their co-pays but can be used for non-covered drugs.

What's more, the WMOA Rx Card has no restrictions to membership, no income or age limitations, and there's no application or paperwork. It is offered through United Networks of America (UNA), one of the largest providers of value-added managed care products and services in the United States with more than 240,000 participating providers serving more than 72.4 million members with 56,000 national and regional pharmacies in place. "This discount program can help residents save money during these tough economic times," says Lesnick, who is also President of the Yonkers City Council. "That is a good thing for some constituents who might otherwise have to choose between taking care of their health or buying food." Tarrytown Mayor and WMOA First Vice-President Drew Fixell says, "This program is a win-win-win for everyone. It will help residents afford their vitally important medications, stimulates business for pharmacies and supports WMOA."

Anyone interested in obtaining a card and/or searching drug pricing and participating pharmacies can visit the Westchester Municipal Officials Association website at: www.wmoaonline.com.

"The WMOA Rx Card is a solution to the confusing maze of discount prescription programs that have appeared in recent years," says Lesnick. "Many only cover certain drugs, charge fees, and have membership restrictions such as age and income limitations."

Such savings are being realized in Duarte, California, population 21,000 where Mayor Tzeitel Paras-Carucci says residents there have saved close to $17,000 since a similar program began two years ago. With a population of about 200,000 people in Yonkers, that means residents should be able to save at least $150,000 per year.

"During this economic climate, people are finding themselves unemployed and under paid," says Yonkers City Council Majority Leader Patricia McDow. "Many are unable to pay their medical bills or purchase must-needed medication. I welcome the program and hope that many will take advantage of it."

Yonkers City Councilman Wilson Terrero remarked, "Any program that encourages people to take care of their health will be welcomed in my community."

"This is a great program for the residents of Yonkers," explained Eli Rakhamimov, owner and supervising pharmacist at Health RX Specialty Pharmacy. "It will help us save our clients a lot of money. In the current economy, medicine comes at a high cost. This card will relieve the burden for residents who lack prescription benefit insurance. At Health RX we will make sure that the program is implemented and executed successfully."

A recent poll conducted by industry professionals at RxResource.org focused on the best ways to cut costs on prescription drugs.

The poll results focused on the top three prescription assistance programs in New York.New York Rx Card out-ranked all other programs and came in number one. Below are the results and details from the poll:

1. New York Rx Card - New York Rx Card is a free statewide prescription assistance program that was launched on June 1st, 2011. The program is open to all residents of New York regardless of age or income.

2. New York Prescription Saver - NYPS is a pharmacy discount card that can lower the cost of your prescriptions by as much as 60 percent on generics and 30 percent on brand name drugs. You must be 50 up to 65, or a person with a disability who has been determined disabled by the Social Security Administration; AND have annual household income less than $35,000 (single) or $50,000 (married).

3. Big Apple Rx - BigAppleRx is a money-saving prescription discount card program designed for New Yorkers and visitors to NYC.

4. TogetherRx - TogetherRx is a first class program. The only knock on this program is that participation is restricted. Individuals must meet certain criteria to qualify for their programs.

5. EPIC - EPIC is a New York State program that helps seniors pay for their prescription drugs. More than a quarter million EPIC enrollees are saving an average of 90 percent of the cost of their medicines. Most enrollees have Medicare Part D or other drug coverage, and use EPIC to lower their drug costs even more by helping them pay the deductibles and co-payments required by their other drug plan. EPIC also helps members pay for Medicare Part D premiums.