CITIZEN'S HEALTH OFFERS DRUG ASSISTANCE

Citizen's Energy Corporation (familiar as program started by Joe Kennedy, II and for their work with affordable home heating oil programs) has announced that its nonprofit subsidiary, Citizen's Health has launched a private drug-discount program. The discount-club style plan is open to all in Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island, but is targeted for "gap" population with incomes too high for MassHealth, but not high enough to afford health insurance with a prescription benefit. There are no age, income OR IMMIGRATION STATUS restrictions. According to a report in the Boston Globe, Kennedy said that the average medication will cost the consumer 42% less through this program, but that individual savings may vary greatly. Savings are to be realized by bulk purchasing - which should allow increased leverage in negotiating drug prices with big pharmaceutical companies. Most New England drugstores will participate, though Walgreens and CVS are two notable exceptions. The cost to enroll is $12 per YEAR for an individual and $28 per YEAR for a family (that is not a typo).

According to the Boston Globe, the Swift administration plans to meet to discuss whether they might, in the future, be able to offer access to this plan's savings to those enrolled in the State's Prescription Advantage program. Currently one cannot access both programs at the same time.

To apply over the phone call 800 J0E-K4RX or, for the alphanumeric challenged (like me), 800 563-5479.

There is an outreach coordinator that staff can call with questions as well - Deb Nathan can be reached at (617) 470-5098.

-The Boston Globe, 9/25/01, by Rick Klein with additional information from Citizen's Health.

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