Eli Lilly and Company have announced a program which will offer immediate benefit to Medicare beneficiaries eligible for the program.  The program is called "LillyAnswers"

The LillyAnswers card will allow seniors and people with disabilities under Medicare to pay a flat $12 fee for a 30-day supply of any retail distributed Lilly drug. Excluded from the program are controlled substances or any products not distributed by retail pharmacies.  

Who is eligible for the LillyAnswers card?

• U.S. citizens
• Medicare-enrolled seniors and people with disabilities
• No other prescription drug coverage
• Individual annual income below $18,000; household income below $24,000

To apply for the card, eligible seniors and disabled persons can call 1-877-RX-LILLY.  The applicant will receive a short application form to fill out and return along with copies of their most recent tax return and Medicare card.  Once the application is processed and eligibility confirmed, it will take 2-4 weeks for the eligible applicant to receive their LillyAnswers card.  Once the patient is enrolled in the LillyAnswers program, the card is good for 12 months.  After 12 months, the patient will have to requalify through the application process.

Among the drugs covered by the program are: Evista for osteoporosis, Humulin and Humalog for diabetes, Prozac for depression, and Zyprexa for schizophrenia.  Unfortunately, since controlled substances are not included in the program, popular arthritis pain medication, Darvocet N-100, is not covered with the LillyAnswers card. 

The Medicine Program -This organization assists people who may qualify to enroll in one or more patient assistance program by preparing and processing all the needed paperwork. This seems to be a very useful service for folks who can't or don't wish to handle this themselves. There is a charge of $5 per drug. 1-573-996-7300 Click here for Program Information   

If you do not have insurance or a government program that pays for your outpatient prescription medicines . . .

If the high cost of your Medicine causes you a financial hardship . . .

You may qualify to enroll in a privately sponsored program which provides. . .MEDICINE at NO COST!

May we suggest that you print an Application Form and make it available to someone who would benefit from this program? 

Two of the new pharmacy drug programs have the same qualifiers. Both Glaxo Smith Klines Orange Card and Novarits Care Card are free and your savings are instant when you pay for your prescriptions.

To be eligible you must:

• Be a Medicare beneficiary (age 65 or older or on Medicare due to disability).
• Receive an annual income of less than $26,000/individual or
  $35,000/couple (300% of federal poverty level).
• Have no other prescription drug coverage. This includes private
  insurance (such as Medigap or employer sponsored retiree coverage) and public assistance through federal or state programs (such as Medicaid, Medicaid spend-down,
  Medicare HMO, VA, and state pharmaceutical assistance programs such as Hoosier Rx).

GlaxoSmithKlines Orange Card

is free and offers qualified Medicare recipients an average savings of 30% off the usual price paid on all GlaxoSmithKline outpatient medicines. Applications are available through healthcare providers or by calling toll free 1-888-ORANGE6(672-6436).

is also free and qualified Medicare recipients should receive savings of at least 25% on selected Novartis outpatient prescription products.  Applications are available at pharmacies, doctors offices, and by calling toll free  1-866-974-CARE (2273). You can also print an application off their web site www.novartis.com/carecard/

Pfizers The Share Card Program works differently.  The program offers:

• A $15 fee for each 30-day Pfizer prescription
• All Pfizer prescription drugs, as well as two co-promoted drugs
• Simple, easy-to-enroll process
• No membership or enrollment fee
• Acceptance by most retail pharmacies in the U.S.
• No limits on number of prescriptions or medicines
• Health information and guidance on applying for existing benefits programs provided at patient's request

• Be a Medicare beneficiary.
• Have a gross income below $18,000/individual or $24,000/couple.
• Have no other prescription coverage.

Pfizers The Share Card Program offers a 30-day supply of a Pfizer
prescription for $15 (per prescription). All Pfizer prescription drugs are covered with no limit on the number of prescriptions or medicines.

Patients can call 1-800-717-6005 to receive an application or visit their website www.pfizerforliving.com for more information.

Patients will use the card at participating pharmacies and pay a $15 fee per Pfizer prescription for each 30-day supply of medicine.

It is suggested that you talk with your doctor or pharmacist to determine if you would benefit from these programs. They should also be aware of any new discount cards that may come out.

To receive a free copy of the booklet, Finding Help with Prescription Costs, call SHIIP at 1-800-452-4800.

NOTE: This information was gathered from the companies web sites and should not be taken as a guarantee of eligibility. Address your questions to: Ask SHIIP, 311 W. Washington Street, Ste. 300, Indianapolis, IN 46204. Or e-mail higgins@qtm.net

Drug List This page has a list of all the drugs currently in the NeedyMeds system. From there you can go directly to the page that has the information about the drug you are interested in

An asterisk (*) after a drug name means that the manufacturer has set up a web site specifically for that drug. To find that web site, click on the drug name in the drug list. Once you get to the manufacturer's page, you'll see the list of drugs at the top of the page. Any drug with its own web site will be in blue and underlined.

Patient Assistance Program Applications - Many patient assistance programs will accept copies of their applications. Here you'll find a list of all the applications we have received. Some of the copies are very clear - and others are not. If you have a better copy that we can scan in please send it to us. NEW Pharmaceutical Discount Card Comparison