Mayor Emanuel and City Clerk Anna Valencia recently announced that Coast2Coast Rx has been selected as the vendor to provide discounts on name brand and generic prescription drugs at no direct cost to the City or participating Chicago residents.
Residents will be able to take advantage of the free benefit by using a discount card available at www.ChicagoRxCard.com, public library branches or many aldermanic offices. Additionally, CityKey cards that are issued going forward will include a discount number so that the CityKey can also be used as a resident’s prescription benefit card.
The Chicago Rx Card allows residents to locate participating pharmacies and search for the price of prescription drugs, medical equipment, and even medication for their pets.
Residents will also be able to read more about the program and download a discount card if they don’t have the discount number printed on their CityKey.
The Chicago Rx Card will be accepted at all major chain pharmacies in addition to many independent ones. Over 60,000 drugs are included as part of the program with savings of up to 80% on both name brand and generic prescriptions. One card can be used for dependents for an entire family and is good for pet prescriptions as well when they are filled at a pharmacy. There are no limits to the number of times the card can be used.
Pharmaceutical benefit managers often place contractual limitations on pharmacists that prevent them from disclosing if and when a customer’s prescription would cost less if purchased outside their insurer or pharmacy plan, as well as what the true price of a prescription would be without these benefits.
These provisions, often referred to as “gag clauses,” also limit pharmacists from providing consumers with information about the cheapest way to pay for their prescriptions. This deceptive practice often causes consumers to pay more than is necessary for prescriptions, which is why Mayor Emanuel announced the City of Chicago would end this practice in May. As a result, Chicago’s discount prescription drug program is the first municipal prescription benefit program to be free of a gag clause.
To learn more, click here to read the full press release or visit www.ChicagoRxCard.com for more information.
Alderman Reilly Reports: 7/27/18
