BCUR Offers Beaucoup Dose of Drug Savings Professor David J. Demko, PhD AgeVenture News Service (01-31-03) Benefits-Check-Up-Rx (BCUR) is offering seniors a huge dose of prescription savings. brbrMore than any one else, seniors have learned a hard lesson about the high cost of living. No, I'm not talking about those luxuries of life like vacations, jewelery, or a night out on the town. I'm talking about LIVING ... as in being about to afford medicines you need to stay ALIVE. Thankfully, the National Council on the Aging (NCOA), a not-for-profit organization serving the nation's seniors now offers a service called "BenefitsCheckUpRx" (BCUR) for seniors and those who care for them are able to determine quickly and easily what prescription savings programs they are eligible for and how to access them by providing local contact information. The new comprehensive, Internet-Web-Based service connects older adults with 240 public and private prescription savings programs covering nearly 800 prescription drugs. Here's the best part. BenefitsCheckUpRx (BCUR) is a free. Gerontologists like me have seen a lot of programs come and go. And after 30 years of practice, I can say with confidence that BCUR is a "keeper", an essential effort. Face it. When it comes to prescription drugs, saving a buck often results in saving a senior's life. It's not so hard to understand why NCOA has made prescription services a priority. NCOA says that seniors have difficulty affording the essential prescriptions. But don't just take NCOA's word for it. Take a look at these statistics. 80% of retirees use a prescription drug every day. (Wall Street Journal poll, 1998). 30% of seniors have no outpatient prescription drug coverage. (NCPSS, 2002). Out-of-pocket drug costs for Medicare beneficiaries averaged $480 in 2000. (AARP, 2002). 65-plus seniors (12% of our population) accounts for 40% of all drug spending (AARP, 2002). 38% of Medicare beneficiaries had no drug coverage in Fall 1999 (Kaiser Family Foundation, 2002). BenefitsCheckUpRx is a free, confidential screening tool that is a major expansion to NCOA's BenefitsCheckUp® Web site. To date, BenefitsCheckUp has provided seniors with more than 820,000 eligibility reports for federal and state benefits programs. "We know that millions of seniors can't afford all the medications they need and far too many have to make difficult budget choices," said James Firman, president and CEO of NCOA. "BenefitsCheckUpRx is the first and only Web-based program allowing seniors to find out which of the 240 programs can help them save money on their prescriptions." BenefitsCheckUpRx provides comprehensive information on approximately 30 state-funded pharmacy programs, each state's Medicaid program, and 116 company-sponsored patient assistance programs, among others. The development of BenefitsCheckUpRx has been supported by the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, Lucent Technologies/Avaya/Agere Family Care Development Fund, and FJC-A Foundation of Donor-Advised Funds. BenefitsCheckUp is supported by several other organizations and foundations including AARP, AOL, Atlantic Philanthropies, The US Department of Commerce, The Commonwealth Fund, Pfizer Inc, Merck Company Foundation, and the Archstone Foundation. By visiting www.BenefitsCheckUp.org, older Americans, their families and caregivers can now quickly determine what prescription savings programs a senior qualifies for and how to claim them. Once users complete a brief questionnaire, the service displays a personalized report specifying all the programs they are eligible for and detailed instructions on how to enroll. Founded in 1950, The National Council on the Aging is the nation's first charitable organization dedicated to promoting the dignity, independence, well-being, and contributions of older Americans. NCOA serves as a national voice and powerful advocate on behalf of older Americans. NCOA is an innovator, developing programs such as BenefitsCheckUp, Foster Grandparents, and Family Friends. NCOA is an activator, working with its thousands of community organization members nationwide to provide needed services to older people. For more information on NCOA, visit www.ncoa.org photo credit: National Council on the Aging, Washington, DC. See related articles in the AgeVenture archives. Drug Costs Drive Up Medigap Premiums Expensive Drugs Bad Medicine for Seniors Drug Interactions: Be Smart, Safe, Informed AgeVenture News Service, www.demko.com BACK TO TOP Read More Headlines