KALAMAZOO (WKZO-AM) – Kalamazoo County has endorsed the use of a prescription discount card that will help low-income residents obtain prescription drugs at a reduced price, commissioners say.
“Twenty other Michigan counties have signed onto this already,” Commissioner Julie Rogers said Tuesday night. “There’s no cost, and we’ll also receive quarterly reports saying how much money we’re saving our residents, as well as a demographic breakdown by zip code of who is utilizing this card.”
Gillian Stoltman, the county’s health director, said some of the programs under the Affordable Care Act will help the poor cover their doctor bills, but not the prescriptions.
“Anything that we do to help them purchase those prescriptions, obviously, is going to be of great benefit,” Stoltman said.
Both, however, noted a downside to the program — they say the CaremarkPCS cards steer business toward bigger retail pharmacy chains and big box stores and away from mom-and-pop shops.
– John McNeill
