Prescription drug discount program to expand

Eligibility for the Ohio's Best Rx prescription drug discount program expands today.

"Up to 105,000 additional Ohioans will be eligible for the prescription drug discounts offered through the program," said Helen Jones-Kelley, director, Ohio Department of Job and Family Services.

An executive order signed yesterday by Governor Ted Strickland will implement Ohio Administrative Code rules that will expand eligibility for the program to families earning up to 300 percent of the federal poverty guideline which is $61,956 for a family of four. Previously, eligibility was capped at 250 percent of poverty for Ohioans under 60 years of age. Ohioans 60 and older remain eligible regardless of income.

As of the end of March, 89,690 Ohioans have enrolled in the program. A total of 547,328 prescriptions have been filled with the card with participants saving a total of slightly more than $8 million. The average savings per prescription is 34 percent.

Other changes to the program that are a result of House Bill 468, which was signed into law in January, include the acceptance of phone and online applications and the waiving of the four-month waiting period for laid-off employees. In July the program will be merged with the Golden Buckeye Rx program. The combined program will be administered by the Ohio Department of Aging.

With a framework initially conceived by a coalition of groups representing drug manufacturers (the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America), the Ohio AFL-CIO, the American Association of Retired Persons, and others, Ohio's Best Rx is designed to pass on to program participants most of the savings associated with negotiated drug prices and manufacturer rebates.

More information about the program is available online at http://www.ohiobestrx.org or by calling toll-free 1-866-923-7879.