Monday, September 24, 2007
Tuesday, May 08, 2007
Broward County Launches Prescription Drug Discount Card Program
Broward County has launched a discount card program to help consumers cope with the high price of prescription drugs. The County is making free prescription drug discount cards available under a program sponsored by the National Association of Counties (NACo).
The cards may be used by all County residents, regardless of age, income, or existing health coverage, and at any participating retail pharmacy. A national network of more than 57,000 participating retail pharmacies also will honor the NACo prescription discount card, including most chain pharmacies and many independents. Cards can be picked up free of charge at many Broward County government facilities, including parks, libraries, transit facilities, the downtown Governmental Center and the County’s four Family Success Centers.
There is no enrollment form, no membership fee and no restrictions or limits on frequency of use. Cardholders and their family members may use the card any time their prescriptions are not covered by insurance. Unlike many other card programs, there is no enrollment cost or membership fee. The cardholder pays the negotiated discount price or the pharmacy’s retail price, whichever is lower. The average discount is 20 percent. Cardholders are eligible for higher discounts on a three-month supply of some medications through mail service. Cardholders also can save on pet prescriptions at participating retail pharmacies.
The program has a safety feature that alerts pharmacists when one drug may conflict with another medication the cardholder is taking, if the prescriptions were obtained with the NACo discount card.
The NACo discount card program remains a useful option now that Medicare Part D has been implemented. For example, the card can be used when a Medicare Part D plan doesn’t cover a drug. The program is administered by Caremark Rx, Inc., a leading pharmaceutical services company with broad experience in managing drug discount card programs for sponsoring clients. The program is available at no cost to Broward County taxpayers.
The cards may be used by all County residents, regardless of age, income, or existing health coverage, and at any participating retail pharmacy. A national network of more than 57,000 participating retail pharmacies also will honor the NACo prescription discount card, including most chain pharmacies and many independents. Cards can be picked up free of charge at many Broward County government facilities, including parks, libraries, transit facilities, the downtown Governmental Center and the County’s four Family Success Centers.
There is no enrollment form, no membership fee and no restrictions or limits on frequency of use. Cardholders and their family members may use the card any time their prescriptions are not covered by insurance. Unlike many other card programs, there is no enrollment cost or membership fee. The cardholder pays the negotiated discount price or the pharmacy’s retail price, whichever is lower. The average discount is 20 percent. Cardholders are eligible for higher discounts on a three-month supply of some medications through mail service. Cardholders also can save on pet prescriptions at participating retail pharmacies.
The program has a safety feature that alerts pharmacists when one drug may conflict with another medication the cardholder is taking, if the prescriptions were obtained with the NACo discount card.
The NACo discount card program remains a useful option now that Medicare Part D has been implemented. For example, the card can be used when a Medicare Part D plan doesn’t cover a drug. The program is administered by Caremark Rx, Inc., a leading pharmaceutical services company with broad experience in managing drug discount card programs for sponsoring clients. The program is available at no cost to Broward County taxpayers.
Saturday, April 28, 2007
Why Devote a Month to Disability Insurance Awareness?
Many people have bought life insurance after giving serious thought to how their death might impact their families' living standards. Few, though, give the same level of consideration to disability insurance. Ironically, the typical worker faces a much higher risk of extended disability than of premature death. But for a variety of reasons, disability insurance remains one of the most overlooked and misunderstood forms of insurance.
Though disability is behind nearly half of all mortgage foreclosures and a significant number of personal bankruptcies, insuring against it has not been a high priority for most workers because many assume they're already covered through Social Security, state-mandated workers compensation or employer-provided group plans. However, there are numerous holes in this safety net of coverage.
Only about 39% of the 2.1 million workers who applied for Social Security Disability Insurance benefits in 2005 were approved. And those who were approved get an average benefit last year of just $938 monthly – hardly enough to replace the average worker's income. Workers comp covers only work-related disabilities, while 90% of disabling accidents and illnesses aren't work related. And what about coverage through work? It’s a great employee benefit, but it’s not available to many workers. Only 36% of all full-time employees have access to long-term disability insurance through their employers.
So what’s a worker to do? Explore his or her or options. If your employer offers disability coverage, take the time to find out if the coverage would be sufficient to meet your income replacement needs in the event of a disabling illness or accident. If it’s insufficient, your employer may offer you the option to increase your disability benefit, often through a voluntary payroll deduction. Another option is to purchase coverage on your own. One of the big benefits of individual coverage is that it’s 100% portable, meaning that it will follow you no matter how many times you changes jobs.
You may not realize it, but your home, your car and your jewelry are NOT your most valuable assets. Your ability to earn an income is your most valuable asset. Without it, you wouldn’t be able to make your monthly mortgage or car loan payments.
May is Disability Insurance Awareness Month (DIAM), the perfect time for a disability insurance “reality check.” Take this opportunity to make sure you’d be ok financially in the event of a disability that keeps you out of work for an extended period of time.
Though disability is behind nearly half of all mortgage foreclosures and a significant number of personal bankruptcies, insuring against it has not been a high priority for most workers because many assume they're already covered through Social Security, state-mandated workers compensation or employer-provided group plans. However, there are numerous holes in this safety net of coverage.
Only about 39% of the 2.1 million workers who applied for Social Security Disability Insurance benefits in 2005 were approved. And those who were approved get an average benefit last year of just $938 monthly – hardly enough to replace the average worker's income. Workers comp covers only work-related disabilities, while 90% of disabling accidents and illnesses aren't work related. And what about coverage through work? It’s a great employee benefit, but it’s not available to many workers. Only 36% of all full-time employees have access to long-term disability insurance through their employers.
So what’s a worker to do? Explore his or her or options. If your employer offers disability coverage, take the time to find out if the coverage would be sufficient to meet your income replacement needs in the event of a disabling illness or accident. If it’s insufficient, your employer may offer you the option to increase your disability benefit, often through a voluntary payroll deduction. Another option is to purchase coverage on your own. One of the big benefits of individual coverage is that it’s 100% portable, meaning that it will follow you no matter how many times you changes jobs.
You may not realize it, but your home, your car and your jewelry are NOT your most valuable assets. Your ability to earn an income is your most valuable asset. Without it, you wouldn’t be able to make your monthly mortgage or car loan payments.
May is Disability Insurance Awareness Month (DIAM), the perfect time for a disability insurance “reality check.” Take this opportunity to make sure you’d be ok financially in the event of a disability that keeps you out of work for an extended period of time.
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