For The Public Prescription Programs Help Seniors Manage Costs (NAPSA)—While some 16-mil- lion senior citizens enrolled in Medicare wait for Congress to pass a prescription drug benefit, learning about various public and pri- vate prescription assistance pro- grams mayhelp tide them over. Manyof these programs provide valuable help for low-income seniors trying to manage their health without prescription drug coverage. For example, the Pfizer Share Card, launched in January 2002, enables qualified Medicare beneficiaries to purchase up to a 30-day supply of any Pfizer prescription medication for a flat fee of $15 per prescription. The medicines offered under the program include some of the most prescribed and effective treatments for a variety of illnesses associated with aging, such as arthritis, Alzheimer’s, glau- coma, high cholesterol, high blood pressure and depression. In addition to a consistent $15 flat fee for Pfizer prescriptions, the card offers enrollees access to a 24-hour call center where consumers can learn about other health services and benefits within their state that they may | am Share Card™ RxBIN: RxPCN: ID: 000-00-0000 Member Name @ Prescription assistance pro- grams offer common medica- tionsfora flat fee. be eligible to take advantageof. Applicants can also request free, easy-to-read health educa- tion information on 16 common medical conditions. To date over 340,000 Medicare beneficiaries have enrolled in the program and more than 1.7 mil- lion prescriptions have been filled at 51,000 pharmacies nationwide that accept the Share Card. Seniors who want to learn more about various industry-sponsored prescription assistance pro- gramscan call the National Council on Aging at 1-202-479-1200 or can visit their Web site at www.benefitscheckup.org. For more information about the Pfizer Share Card call 1-800-717- 6005.
