Heartland offers prescription savings program

Oct. 19--Heartland Health/Mosaic Life Care is offering patients the opportunity to save money on qualifying brand-name prescriptions through the 340B Prescription Drug Shared Savings Program, a national program that provides discounts on outpatient prescription drugs.

The program allows people to save $20 per month on 12 refills of a brand-name prescription, a value of $240 per prescription per year. There is no limit to the number of qualifying prescriptions per person.

Patients of Heartland providers who currently receive prescriptions from non-participating pharmacies received a letter earlier this week outlining the program.

To qualify, patients must have commercial insurance with prescription drug insurance as well as a valid brand-name drug prescription from a qualifying Heartland provider. In addition, patients must currently receive the prescription from a pharmacy not participating in the program and agree to transfer or present a new prescription at a participating pharmacy.

A paper coupon, distributed by the hospital, also is required for each prescription.

Participating pharmacies in St. Joseph include Bender's Pharmacy, Kmart, Rogers Pharmacy, Stevenson Family Pharmacy, The Apothecary Pharmacy and Hy-Vee. Other locations include Hy-Vee in Bethany, Princeton and Maryville, Mo.; The Drug Store in Cameron, Mo.; Countryside Pharmacy in Savannah, Mo.; and Miller Professional Pharmacy in Platte City, Mo.

Heartland approached all pharmacies in the service area, said Linda Bahrke, administrator with Heartland, but not all chose to participate. Heartland/Mosaic is currently working on integrating more pharmacies into the program, including additional national chains.

"We are in conversations with them, but it just takes more negotiation or more discussion when you are doing it at a corporate level," Ms. Bahrke said.

Existing qualifying prescriptions at the participating pharmacies already receive the discount, Ms. Bahrke said.

For more information or additional coupons, call the Community Health Line at (816) 271-4098.

Jena Sauber can be reached

at [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter: @SJNPSauber.

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