Help is here to lower the cost of medicine, thanks to a free drug discount card provided by the United Way.

“No one should be forced to choose between paying for food, rent or medicine because of the high cost of prescriptions. That’s why we’ve partnered with FamilyWize to distribute free prescription discount cards to everyone in Freeborn County,” said Ann Austin of the United Way of Freeborn County.

FamilyWize cards immediately lower the cost of medicine by an average of 30 percent or more for people without insurance or who take medications not covered by their plan.

Just by presenting the FamilyWize card at their local pharmacy, customers save on the cost of their prescription medicine 80 percent of the time.

“So many people are struggling with the high cost of medicine and need help right now, said Dan Barnes, co-chairman of The FamilyWize Community Service Partnership. “We knew we couldn’t wait years for healthcare reform to be implemented. The FamilyWize card provides immediate savings on prescription medicines, with no paperwork or forms to fill out.”

These cards can be used by everyone in the community, not just people without insurance. They can even be used by people with health benefits, including Medicaid or Medicare. However, the cards will not offer additional savings for medications that have already been discounted from insurance or other discount programs.

The FamilyWize card is easy to use:

 it’s free

for immediate and unlimited use

accepted at 95 percent of pharmacies nationwide

 no age/income restrictions

 no enrollment or personal information needed

United Way of Freeborn County joins over 900 United Ways in all 50 states who have already saved more than $100 million on prescriptions in their communities and distributed more than 15 million cards nationwide.

FamilyWize cards can be found locally at local nonprofit agencies and other locations around town, including the United Way office. People with Internet access can go to www.unitedwayfc.org or to www.FamilyWize.org to print a card and get more information. Local pharmacies participating include the Albert Lea Medical Center, Curt’s Pharmacy, Hy-Vee Pharmacy, Shopko, Sterling Drug and Wal-Mart.

About the FamilyWize Partnership

The FamilyWize Community Service Partnership was established in 2005, inviting local and national companies to join together to provide this free assistance through United Ways to people in need across the county. More than 950 participating United Ways and America’s Promise Alliance Partners in all 50 states coordinate the local distribution of the free FamilyWize prescription drug discount cards. In March of 2010, the total savings from the use of FamilyWize prescription drug discount cards passed $100 million and a new goal was established to reach $1 billion in savings by the year 2020. For more, visit www.FamilyWize.org.