Florida Governor Launches Discount Drug Card

Governor Charlie Crist announced the launch of the Florida Discount Drug Card, which will provide eligible Floridians savings on drugs at over 3,000 participating pharmacies. An easy-to-use Web site, www.FloridaDiscountDrugCard.com Opens in new window , is available to help consumers learn which drugs are discounted and find participating pharmacies. Participants can also choose a mail order option by calling the Florida Discount Drug Card help line.

"Access to affordable prescription drugs enhances every person’s quality of life as well as the vitality of our state, and many working families and seniors struggle to afford their medications," Governor Crist said. "The Florida Discount Drug Card is easy to use and will help lower the cost of prescription drugs for many who need them."

Governor Crist was joined by Lt. Governor Jeff Kottkamp for the announcement in Tallahassee. Governor Crist, along with Secretary Bob Butterworth of the Department of Children and Families and Secretary Andrew Agwunobi of the Agency for Health Care Administration, will also highlight the program in St. Petersburg, West Palm Beach and Miami. Secretary Doug Beach of the Department of Elder Affairs and State Surgeon General Ana Viamonte Ros joined Lt. Governor Kottkamp for events in Jacksonville, Orlando and Fort Myers.

Pharmacy Participation

Governor Crist invited all pharmacies in Florida to participate in the Florida Discount Drug Card program. Currently, more than 3,000 retail pharmacies have agreed to accept the Florida Discount Drug Card. However, additional pharmacies can continue to enroll in the program. If a consumer learns their pharmacy is not enrolled in the program, the pharmacy can enroll by calling the 24-hour pharmacy help line at 1-800-361-4542 or TTY 1-866-763-9630. The pharmacy will be enrolled on a temporary basis so the consumer’s prescription can be filled immediately. Once the pharmacy signs a contract, it can permanently join the program.

The pharmacy benefits manager Envision Pharmaceutical Services negotiates prices with the pharmaceutical companies and secures volume discounts on prescription drugs. Participating pharmacies agree to the negotiated price for each drug. The savings are then passed on to the customer.

Enrollment and Eligibility

Individuals qualify for the card if they are age 60 and older and do not have prescription drug coverage or if they are in the Medicare Prescription Drug Coverage gap. Individuals, families and seniors under age 60 may be eligible if they have an annual income of less than 300 percent of the Federal Poverty Level and do not have prescription drug coverage. Qualifying annual incomes for individuals under age 60 are up to $30,636 for an individual, $41,076 for a family of two and $61,956 for a family of four. Income limits for other family sizes are also available on the Web site.

To enroll in the program, applicants who do not have prescription drug coverage must provide their name and contact information as well as information about family members. Individuals under age 60 also must provide qualifying income information. The applicant affirms that the information provided on the application is true, complete, and accurate; no additional documentation of income, age, or residency is required.

There is no application fee for the Florida Discount Drug Card; however, there is a one time $1.50 activation fee added onto the posted cost of the first prescription filled only. If the pharmacy’s usual and customary price is lower than the Florida Discount Drug price, the customer will pay the lower price. Additionally, if the customer qualifies for any other prescription discounts, they will always pay the lowest price.

Empowering Consumers

Governor Crist also launched a Web site designed to assist Floridians in search of accurate, trusted, and unbiased health care information. The Web site, developed by the Agency for Health Care Administration, integrates two other health-related Web sites, FloridaCompareCare.gov and FloridaHealthStat.com, into one – www.FloridaHealthFinder.gov Opens in new window . Consumers can find information on more than 1,600 diseases and conditions, lists of health care facilities, information about insurance, medications, a variety of consumer publications and much more.

As Attorney General, Charlie Crist launched the pharmacy pricing website, MyFloridaRx.com, where Floridians compare drugs prices between pharmacies. He also fought for cheaper medicine by taking action against drug companies that kept low cost generics off the market, and brought suit against companies for falsely reporting their wholesale prices.