Tompkins County residents should be watching their mailboxes for their new Tompkins County Prescription Drug Discount Card, a card that provides significant savings on brand-name and generic prescription drugs. The discount cards are being mailed next week to more than 42,000 addresses in Tompkins County.

Tompkins County government is partnering with ProAct, Inc. to provide uninsured and underinsured residents with the free pharmacy benefits discount card, at no cost to the County. Most prescription drugs are covered, with discounts ranging from 10-20% on brand-name drugs and 20-70% for generics.

"In these tough economic times, it's exciting and gratifying to offer county residents an easy way to save money on their prescription medications," says Frank Proto, Chair of the County Legislature's Health and Human Services Committee. "The new ProAct drug card will be hitting mailboxes the week of August 19th. Keep alert! Please use the card both locally and nationwide."

Most Tompkins County pharmacies participate, as well as more than 50,000 pharmacies across the nation in the ProAct network. To take advantage of the program, present the discount card when you fill a new prescription or obtain a refill. No registration or application is required. The card is pre-activated and may be used immediately. The discount cards also are available at local pharmacies, doctor's offices, and many other locations around the county.

Betty Falcão, Director of the Health Planning Council of Tompkins County, says the new discount program clearly fills a need. "We talk with many people who don't have insurance and can't afford their prescriptions," Falcão notes. "The ProAct discount card is projected to save more than other discount cards, and will be a real help to these individuals and their families."

"This is a great way for Tompkins County to provide a meaningful benefit to people who need it most, and without any cost to taxpayers," adds County Administrator Joe Mareane. "A few years ago Tompkins County was among the first counties in New York State to sponsor drug discount cards for its residents. Now, the new ProAct card will magnify the savings to uninsured and underinsured citizens. This would not have happened without the hard work of the County Legislature and a task force made up of the County's Jackie Kippola, Frank Kruppa, David Stoyell, and Kevin Sutherland, along with Beverly Chin and Betty Falcão of the Health Planning Council."

"ProAct is excited to be partnering with Tompkins County to bring immediate financial relief at the pharmacy counter for the uninsured and underinsured," says Erison Rodriguez, Program Manager for ProAct. "We encourage residents to anticipate the arrival of cards in their mailboxes over the next few days. The most effective way to determine if you or someone you know is eligible to use this discount card is by asking, ‘Am I paying the full retail price of a particular prescription medication?' If the answer is ‘yes,' then you are eligible to use this card."

For more information about Tompkins County's new prescription drug discount program, call 2-1-1 (the Human Services Coalition of Tompkins County help line) or ProAct a1-877-776-2285, or visit the ProAct website at .NYRXDiscountCard.com.

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