Together Rx Access™ Card Allows Uninsured Americans to Afford Medications

By Adam Modzelesky
EpilepsyUSA staff
Posted: January 13, 2005

At least 50 third-party organizations, including the Epilepsy Foundation, have voiced their support of the recently implemented Together Rx Access™ Card program, which promises to provide approximately 36 million uninsured Americans under age 65 with significant discounts on a wide array of brand-name and generic prescription products.

The program offers savings of between 25 to 40 percent, and sometimes more, on prescriptions. Savings may vary depending on the pharmacy's customary pricing for each specific product and the savings program offered by the participating company that makes the drug. Each participating company sets its own level of savings and decides what medications will be included in the program.

The Together Rx Access™ Card program offers savings on 275 brand-name medications, and was launched in a joint effort by 10 companies: Abbott, AstraZeneca, Bristol-Myers Squibb, GlaxoSmithKline, members of the Johnson & Johnson Family of Companies, Novartis, Pfizer, sanofi-aventis Group, Takeda and TAP Pharmaceutical Products Inc.

Among the 275 brand-name medications offered, there are 10 that are commonly used for epilepsy: Depakote, Depakote ER, Depakote Sprinkle Capsules, Dilantin, Lamictal, Neurontin, Tegretol XR, Topamax, Trileptal and Zarontin.

"Lack of affordable health insurance – and particularly insurance that covers prescription medicines – is the biggest barrier to quality healthcare in this country today," said Eric Hargis, president and CEO of the Epilepsy Foundation. "For people who must rely upon medication to control their health condition – like people with epilepsy – there are no reasonable and affordable alternatives to good health insurance coverage that includes prescription drugs. While we continue to urge Congress to broadly address the problem of the uninsured, we applaud the voluntary action private companies are taking to help Americans most in need by offering the Together Rx Access™ Card for the non-Medicare population."

Last year, 45 million Americans were uninsured, and 8.4 million of those were children. Epilepsy, which affects 2.5 million Americans, is most common in two groups: children under age 2 and people over age 65. The latter group, because it qualifies for Medicare, is not eligible for this program. Families of uninsured children, however, should seriously consider enrolling their children because they are three times less likely than insured children to get a prescription they need.

Adults, particularly minorities, are equally susceptible to prescription hardships. Incidences of epilepsy are most common in African Americans, and minorities account for more than half (52 percent) of the uninsured population. Hispanics, however, are the most likely to be uninsured. Approximately 35.4 percent of working Hispanic adults are uninsured, compared with 18.4 percent of working African American and 11.3 percent of working Caucasian adults.

In addition to the aforementioned statistics, the top five most uninsured states between 2002-03 were Texas (31 percent), New Mexico (30 percent), Louisiana (26 percent), Alaska (25 percent) and Oklahoma (25 percent).

To qualify for the Together Rx Access™ Card, applicants must be legal U.S. residents under age 65 and otherwise not eligible for Medicare, without public or private prescription drug coverage and with incomes of up to $30,000 for a single person or $60,000 for a family of four. Income eligibility is adjusted for family size.

To enroll, patients may either call (800) 444-4106, or visit the Together Rx Access™ website. The Together Rx Access™ Card will be effective mid-February 2005. Enrollment forms and information will also be available through participating pharmacies and in physicians' offices.