First started in 2002, Hawaii’s drug assistance program, called Rx Plus, is designed to help low- to middle-income Hawaii residents get help with their prescription medication costs. Rather that using the Patient Assistance Programs, the state actually negotiates lower drug acquisition costs and passes those savings on to consumers.

The program is called Hawaii Rx Plus. It is a free discount program for residents who earn too much money to qualify for Medicaid and either do not have insurance or have prescription drug needs not fully covered by their insurance.

The problem with the program is that the government is not actively pursuing the deals as set forth in the legislation.  The wording actually stated that they “may” negotiate, which left it open to avoiding the talks all together. The result has been that rates haven’t been as low as they could be.

State House and Senate Democrats, over Gov. Linda Lingle’s veto, amended the law this year to require the administration to negotiate by simply changing the word “may” to “shall.” The new law also requires the state to tell doctors about the differences in drug costs between manufacturers that offer rebates to the state and those that do not.

They are in a place now where they are ready to go to bat for their patients, but with an enrollment of just 112,000 people (all of whom make less than 3.5 times the poverty level), they need to start enrolling new patients rapidly to have the buying power that they need to get even better deals.

“The success of the program depends on the number of people we can enroll quickly,” Lillian Koller, director of the state Department of Human Services, said at the time. “As enrollment grows, we will be able to leverage our purchasing power with drug manufacturers and achieve greater discounts for our participants.”

Unfortunately, Hawaiians have not gotten the level of benefit that was expected from this program when it was created. They have faced opposition from lawmakers and manufacturers, and advocates have been left feeling frustrated on many levels. Hawaii should be proud of their efforts to provide prescription assistance to those in need, and we can only hope that they are able to soon provide the support that they had planned for.

We have often found that the problem is not a lack of free prescription assistance programs, but rather a lack of education about the programs that are available to provide prescription assistance. This is surely the case in Louisiana.

The state of Louisiana has a program called SenioRXx that was created to help seniors get relief from the burden of prescription medication costs.

The program is SenioRx, begun about four years ago through the Governor’s Office on Elderly Affairs. Its mission: Help eligible seniors obtain the prescription medications they need at no or very low cost to them.

The SenioRx program is now touring the state to try and raise awareness for the help that’s available to them. The situations that seniors often find themselves in is often grave:

“A lot of seniors cut their pills in half or take one a week when they should take it more often.”

In order to get help, patients need to be at least 60 years old, have an annual income “of $29,400 annually ($2,450 monthly) for a one-person household or $39,600 annually ($3,300 monthly) for a two-person household.” Those eligible must have no prescription drug coverage.” The program assists in completing all of the paperwork - the patient just needs to pick up the medication from their doctor.

As the article points out, the importance of this assistance goes beyond immediate relief of prescription costs. The reality is that seniors can expect more and more medication costs as they age, so it’s critical that they raise awareness right now so they are taken care of in the future.

To be sure, seniors understand illness will come and the need for increased medications may grow. Access to prescription drug assistance helps them to better manage their health and ease financial strain.

Kudos to the state of Louisiana for creating programs for prescription assistance and finding ways to spread the word about the help that’s available. We hope that all states follow your great example.

A full one quarter of Americans had difficulty paying for healthcare costs in 2006. If you are struggling to pay for your monthly medications, you are NOT alone! Here are some GREAT tips from lowering your prescription medication costs.

• Buy generic: Generic drugs are as safe as brand-name medications and typically cost 30 to 80 percent less. Ask your doctor if the medication you’re taking is available in generic form or check online at www.rxaminer.com. Discount retailers like Wal-Mart and Target are currently offering great deals, charging only $4 for a 30-day supply, while Kmart offers a 90-day supply for $15. Costco also offers low cost generics to its members.

• Ask about cheaper alternatives: Even if your drug doesn’t have a generic equivalent, there may be an older, less expensive brand-name drug your doctor can prescribe. Brand-name drugs on the market for seven or more years are up to 40 percent cheaper than newer ones, and studies show that older drugs are just as effective.

• Ask about free samples: Many doctors have extra supplies of medications in their offices and are willing to help out patients in need.

• Buy in bulk: Many pharmacies give discounts if you buy a three month supply of drugs at once versus a 30-day supply.

• Split your pills: Ask your doctor about cutting your pills in half. Pill splitting allows you to get two months’ worth of medicine for the price of one, but not all pills can be split. Splitting devices are available in most pharmacies, or for those hard to split pills see www.precisionpillsplitters.com.

• Shop online: Using online or mail-order pharmacies is another way to cut costs - often 25 percent or more. A top resource for finding U.S.-based pharmacies offering the lowest prices is www.destinationrx.com - click on “Price Compare.” (Tip: Make sure the online pharmacy you’re buying from has the “VIPPS” seal of approval - see www.vipps.info). Seniors enrolled in a Medicare prescription drug plan also need to make sure the online pharmacy they’re buying from is included in their network. Otherwise, the purchase may not count toward their deductible.

• Buy from Canada: This option offers huge savings - between 30 and 80 percent - on brand-name drugs and you’ll be happy to know that the U.S. Customs office has eased import restrictions, so you don’t need to worry that your pills will get seized at the border. If you’re interested, see www.pharmacychecker.com, an independent resource that finds the lowest prices from licensed and reputable Canadian pharmacies. (Note: This is not a good option for Medicare Part D enrollees because it will not count toward their deductible.)

• Seek extra help: If your income is limited, you can probably get help with your drug cost through pharmaceutical patient assistance programs (see www.rxhelp360.org, www.rxassist.org and www.pparx.org), state pharmacy assistance programs, Medicare’s extra help, national and local charitable programs and more. To find out if you’re eligible for these programs visit www.benefitscheckuprx.org. Other good resources to see are www.needymeds.com and www.medicarerights.org - click on “Discount Rx Resources.”

• Get a discount card: Many pharmacies offer drug discount cards to people with and without coverage, regardless of income. The cards may be free or carry a small upfront fee. (If the fee is large, don’t buy it.) These are essentially store “loyalty” cards that can cut your costs by 10 to 25 percent, but not all drugs are eligible for discount. Other resources offering discount cards that are worth a look are www.familywize.com, www.togetherrxaccess.com and www.aarppharmacy.com.

• Check out Bid for Rx: This is a new Web resource (www.bidforrx.com) where licensed pharmacies compete to fill your prescriptions.

You can see the full text of the article here. The bottom line is that you have to do what works for you and your family, and not every solution will work for every person. Take the time to get educated about your options and reach out for the help that you need.