By Mark Scott
Buffalo, NY – Two of the area's three HMOs will be offering their senior subscribers the Medicare Drug Discount card while the third will continue with its own discount program.
Independent Health's Encompass 65 and Blue Cross Blue Shield's Senior Blue will begin offering a prescription drug discount card to their respective subscribers starting June 1st. Independent Health Executive Vice President William McHugh said discounts will be available on about 500 drugs.
"We think they're going to save between 10 and 25 percent on their prescriptions at participating pharmacies," McHugh said. "It will be a significant savings."
McHugh said Independent Health is waiving the up to $30 fee it could have charged for the card. All eligible Encompass 65 subscribers will be automatically enrolled. But a Senior Blue, director of Medicare plus Choice Gary Bona said subscribers who want the card need to ask for it.
"Members will be able to sign up during the month of May for an effective date of June 1st," Bona said.
Bona said Senior Blue is also waiving the $30 fee.
But Univera Healthcare is not participating in the Medicare program. Chief Medical Officer Jay Pomerantz says it has had a drug discount program for senior subscribers for the past two years.
"Univera Healthcare decided not to be a vendor for the national Medicare discount card program," Pomerantz said. "We have a different program that we think offers more to seniors. Our discount averages 15 to 30 percent. It saves our members as much or even more than the new cards."
As part of the Medicare discount card program, both Independent Health and Blue Cross Blue Shield say some of their senior subscribers may also qualify for a credit of up to $600 per year for their drug costs if they meet certain income eligibility requirements.