Mobile Co. residents save on medication

MOBILE, Alabama (WALA) - The Mobile County Commission’s Prescription Drug Discount Program has saved local residents more than half a million dollars in its first eight months of operation through discounts on prescription drugs and some medical procedures. The card is offered by the county to all area residents, regardless of income, age or health status.

The Coast2Coast Rx Card, covering 60,000 prescriptions, saved local users 53 percent from May to December, for a total savings of $540,485. Every month in those first eight months of the program showed an increase from the previous month, indicating growing use of the card.

“We are delighted that the program has been beneficial to our community,” said Mobile County Commission president Merceria Ludgood. “We invested our time in developing this opportunity simply to provide some relief to consumers.”

The county also realized a return on its investment. It gets a small usage fee that returned $9,388 to the county for the first eight months, at a rate of 50 cents for each of the 18,777 claims paid through the program.

“It’s a win for everyone,” said Commissioner Connie Hudson. “It is especially helpful for the uninsured person or those facing high insurance deductibles.”

Participating pharmacies will register new members of the Coast2Coast Rx Card at no cost, and no deductibles are applied. A list of participating pharmacies and other information is available at their Web site . Click on the Pharmacy Locator button at the top of the page.

Everyone is qualified for the discount card membership and parents or guardians may obtain the discounts on prescriptions for their dependents under the age of 18 years. The cards cover a wide range of medications, including pet prescriptions, and some imaging and lab tests.

“It’s a great program for our people because there is no enrollment form, no membership fee and no limits on use,” said Mobile County Commissioner Mike Dean. “Cardholders and their family members can use the card any time their prescriptions are not covered by insurance.”

The program is a partnership with Financial Marketing Concepts Inc., (FMC) out of Ponte Vedra Beach, FL, and is offered at no cost to the county.