ALEXANDRIA, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The American Diabetes Association®, the nation’s leading voluntary health organization in the fight to Stop Diabetes®, and Together Rx Access, which offers a free prescription savings card, have joined together to help inform eligible uninsured Americans affected by diabetes how they may be able to save money on their prescription medicines.
Diabetes, a chronic condition that requires ongoing treatment to manage and prevent complications, has reached epidemic proportions, with nearly 26 million Americans living with the disease.* One of the nation’s most debilitating and deadly diseases, an additional 79 million have prediabetes and are at increased risk for developing the disease. Recent estimates project that as many as one in three adults will have diabetes by 2050 unless we take steps to Stop Diabetes.
In addition, the impact of diabetes is increasing as the uninsured population in the U.S. continues to grow, rising to more than 50 million Americans – nearly one in six people.† Without prescription coverage, people with diabetes often struggle to afford necessary and life-saving medications and products.
With the Together Rx Access® Card, millions of eligible uninsured Americans can receive immediate and meaningful savings on a variety of prescription products right at their neighborhood pharmacies. Medicines in the Program include products used by people with diabetes, including blood glucose meters and test strips, as well medicines used to treat common conditions that are sometimes related to diabetes such as high blood pressure and high cholesterol. Most cardholders save 25 to 40 percent‡ on brand-name prescription products. Savings are also available on a wide range of generics.
By informing people about the free-to-get and free-to-use Together Rx Access Card, more eligible uninsured people living with diabetes can benefit from the prescription savings offered. Nearly 90 percent of uninsured individuals and their families are eligible for the Program.
“We are pleased to work with the American Diabetes Association to help in its mission to improve the lives of all people affected by diabetes,” said Roba Whiteley, executive director of Together Rx Access. “The Together Rx Access Card provides a much-needed resource for these people so they can better afford the medicines they need to manage their disease and live healthier lives.”
The American Diabetes Association’s local offices and its national Center for Information & Community Support (Call Center) have identified prescription assistance as a need for people who call the Association asking for help with the financial burden of diabetes.
“It is critical that people living with diabetes have access to the appropriate medications and products needed to properly maintain their health,” said Larry Hausner, chief executive officer, American Diabetes Association. “Together Rx Access is one of the programs created to provide immediate and affordable prescription access for eligible uninsured Americans. This free program allows individuals to visit their neighborhood pharmacist and receive life-saving medications and products, at lower costs, to help maintain their health and ease the financial burden that comes along with living with diabetes.”
The American Diabetes Association is increasing awareness of the prescription savings program by disseminating enrollment materials including brochures and free quick start savings cards. Potential enrollees simply call the toll-free number listed on these materials to determine eligibility, enroll in the Program, and instantly activate their savings Card. Together Rx Access and The American Diabetes Association will also provide education and training to staff members and healthcare professionals through interactive web-based initiatives such as webinars and podcasts.
Cardholders simply bring their Together Rx Access Card to their neighborhood pharmacist along with their prescription and the savings are calculated right at the pharmacy counter. The income levels for which individuals are eligible for a Together Rx Access Card range from $45,000 for a single person to $90,000 for a family of four. In addition, individuals must have no public or private prescription coverage and must not qualify for Medicare.
Together Rx Access also directs individuals to the Partnership for Prescription Assistance (PPA), a clearinghouse for more than 475 public and private assistance programs, including nearly 200 offered by pharmaceutical companies. Those who are eligible for the Together Rx Access Card may qualify for additional savings on prescription medicines, or even free medicines, through other patient assistance programs in the PPA. The PPA also connects people to free health clinics in their community.
About The American Diabetes Association
The American Diabetes Association is leading the fight to STOP DIABETES® and its deadly consequences and fighting for those affected by diabetes. The Association funds research to prevent, cure and manage diabetes; delivers services to hundreds of communities; provides objective and credible information; and gives voice to those denied their rights because of diabetes. Founded in 1940, its mission is to prevent and cure diabetes and to improve the lives of all people affected by diabetes. For more information, please call 1-800-DIABETES (1-800-342-2383) or visit www.diabetes.org. Information is available in English and Spanish.
About Together Rx Access
The Together Rx Access Card was created by many of the nation’s leading pharmaceutical companies to help hardworking Americans and their families gain access to immediate and meaningful savings on prescription products right at their neighborhood pharmacies.
The companies participating in the Together Rx Access Program include Abbott Laboratories; Bristol-Myers Squibb Company; GlaxoSmithKline; Janssen, a Division of Ortho-McNeil-Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc.; King Pharmaceuticals, Inc.; LifeScan, Inc.; McNeil Pediatrics, a Division of Ortho-McNeil-Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc.; Ortho Dermatologics, a Division of Ortho-McNeil-Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc.; Ortho-McNeil Division of Ortho-McNeil-Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc.; Ortho-McNeil Neurologics, a Division of Ortho-McNeil-Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc.; Ortho Women’s Health & Urology, a Division of Ortho-McNeil-Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc.; Pfizer Inc; PriCara, a Division of Ortho-McNeil-Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc.; Stiefel, a GlaxoSmithKline company; Takeda Pharmaceuticals North America, Inc.; Tibotec Therapeutics, a Division of Centocor Ortho Biotech Products, L.P.; ViiV Healthcare; and Vistakon Pharmaceuticals, LLC.
For more information about the Together Rx Access Card, contact Together Rx Access at 1-800-250-2839, or visit TogetherRxAccess.com. Information is also available on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/TogetherRxAccess and on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/TRxA.
*Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. National diabetes fact sheet: national estimates and general information on diabetes and prediabetes in the United States, 2011. Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2011.
†DeNavas-Walt, C., Proctor, B., & Smith, J. (2010). The Census Bureau. Income, Poverty, and Health Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2009. Retrieved from http://www.census.gov/prod/2010pubs/p60-238.pdf
‡Each Cardholder's savings depend on such factors as the particular drug purchased, amount purchased, and the pharmacy where purchased. Participating companies independently set the level of savings offered and the products included in the program. Those decisions are subject to change.
Together Rx Access and the Together Rx Access logo are trademarks of Together Rx Access, LLC. All other marks are the property of their respective owners.
© 2011 Together Rx Access, LLC.