More affordable prescription drugs in Middle Tennessee are on the way. WGNS' Robert Rickman has the story...
VERBATIM: United Way of Rutherford and Cannon Counties and the FamilyWize Community Service Partnership have teamed up to make prescriptions more affordable for those without insurance or even those who have insurance that does not cover their medicine. FamilyWize cards have provided needed relief with great success, saving 10,138 people in the local community more than $740,741 on the cost of their medicine. However, there are still many more people whose health is endangered because their prescriptions are too expensive and they are not getting the medicines they need.
Surveys in the last two years by the Commonwealth Fund, a private foundation that supports independent research on health care issues, note particular difficulties for people who lost insurance when they became uninsured:
- 57% who had health benefits through their jobs and then lost their jobs became uninsured
- 52% of uninsured adults with a chronic condition skipped doses or did not fill a prescription for their condition because of the cost
Even people with insurance through their employer may find that cost keeps them from taking medicine as prescribed, particularly those with High Deductible Plans. According to an Employee Benefits Research Institute study:
- 31% of people who had a deductible of at least $1,000 skipped a dose or didn’t fill a prescription because of cost.
“In 2013, United Way would like to see every person in the community who is unemployed, uninsured, has to buy medicine not covered by their health plan or government program, or is unable to get the medicine they need for any reason, get a FamilyWize card from United Way,” said Jennifer Matikke, Coordinator of Community Impact of the United Way of Rutherford and Cannon Counties.
“Our partnership with United Way Worldwide and almost 1,000 local United Ways nationwide gives FamilyWize a national platform to help people in every community across the country,” said Dan Barnes, FamilyWize CEO and Co-founder.United Way of Rutherford and Cannon Counties is one of 1,000 local United Ways that have joined the FamilyWize Community Service Partnership over the last seven years. FamilyWize was recently named a Preferred Partner by United Way Worldwide to provide opportunities for increased awareness and collaborations nationwide.
Barnes added that FamilyWize has the capacity to help many more people and will be working hard to do so, but the impact nationwide is already impressive:
• 5.2 million people helped
• 5,000 additional people helped each day
• $470 million saved on the cost of medications
“Locally or nationwide, what is most important is that most of the time FamilyWize saves people about $20 per prescription when they use the card,” added Matikke.
Average savings are almost 40% and can be as high as 75%. FamilyWize cards can be used at most pharmacies including all chain pharmacies and groceries nationwide.
Visit www.uwrutherford.org to download a card or text “family” to 700700 to get a text version of the card.
Source Information:
About United Way
United Way advances the common good by creating opportunities for a better life for all. United Way focuses on education, income, health, and rebuilding lives – the building blocks for a good quality of life. United Way recruits people and organizations who bring the passion, expertise, and resources needed to get things done through giving, advocating, and volunteering.
About FamilyWize
The FamilyWize Community Service Partnership was established in 2005 to help people get the medicine they need. Today, more than 50,000 community agencies, coordinated by nearly 1,000 participating United Ways and America’s Promise Alliance Partners in all 50 states coordinate local distribution of the free FamilyWize prescription drug discount cards, which lower the cost of medicine by up to 75%. As of December 2012, the free FamilyWize cards have helped more than five million people save over $450 million. For more information, visit FamilyWize.org/about-us.
United Way of Rutherford and Cannon Counties' Mission Statement
The United Way of Rutherford and Cannon Counties improves lives by advancing opportunities for education, health and financial stability for all.
Contact
The United Way of Rutherford and Cannon Counties is located at 615 Memorial Boulevard in Murfreesboro. For more information, please call (615) 893-7303 or visit www.uwrutherford.org.
