Many area residents in the past couple weeks have received an official-looking packet in the mail from U.S. Prescription Discounts. Upon opening the envelope, they found what were labeled prescription cards.
The cards were sent to postal customers, not to specific individuals. This is possibly a confusing item given the turmoil surrounding the recently rolled-out Affordable Care Act.
An investigation into these cards yielded mixed results. The cards are legitimate, but the company providing them has drawn the attention of the Better Business Bureau.
First, a little about the company.
The cards are offered by Script Relief LLC., a Washington, D.C., based firm that has been in business for two years. It offers the cards in all 50 states and, according to the BBB, also goes by the alternative names Help Rx, National Prescription Savings Network, RxRelief, The Healthcare Alliance and U.S. Prescription Discounts.
A company telephone customer service representative said the cards are free, that there will never be a charge and that it won’t make money off of the customers. Instead, Script Relief receives a small cut from the pharmaceutical companies with which it has agreements.
There are no registration or membership forms required, and no paperwork to be filled out at the pharmacy, the representative said. All a customer has to do is show the card and see what discounts are available.
It will only work on drugs approved by the Food and Drug Administration and only at pharmacies signed on with Script Relief (this includes Walmart and Walgreens). There are about 50,000 medications on the approved list.
The cards act as a reusable coupon, the company rep said.
These cards are not insurance. They are not regulated through the Kansas Insurance Commission.
Script Relief also notes that it will not sell, rent or share personal information with anyone. In fact, the representative said, they only know the “member identification number” being used but not who is using it.
But, its privacy policy also reads: “If you provide us your email address or mailing address we may contact you from time to time about our website, or other affiliated Script Relief services we believe may be of interest to you.” And it states: “This Online Privacy Statement does not cover the collection methods or use of the information collected by these vendors. These vendors have their own privacy policies and may be members of the Network Advertising Initiative (“NAI”).”
The company advertised up to 75 percent savings on medications. This is the claim that was reported to the BBB.
The Better Business Bureau gives Script Relief a C grade on a scale of A through F. The BBB has received 24 complaints in the past three years, all of which have been resolved.
On April 15 of this year, the BBB raised concerns about this firm’s advertising on/in a direct marketing letter to consumers and requested that this firm substantiate their claims regarding the following: 1. Saves up to 75 percent on prescriptions; 2. One can save up to 75 percent off all prescription purchases; 3. More than 2,500,000 cardholders have saved over $175,000,000 to date; 4. One can save on every FDA-approved prescription medication; 5. No one living in the U.S. can be denied this discount service.
However, as of May 10, the business has responded and the case has been closed as substantiated.
In addition, a search of the Kansas Secretary of State’s Office data based found no listing for Script Relief. With only a few exceptions, businesses must register with the KSSO before doing business in the state.
The BBB does advise that if one is considering using a discount prescription or pharmacy card, be aware that the card is not insurance. Consumers should compare prices of medications before using the discount cards.
Script Relief notes the same thing. The company advises customers who have other prescription plans to compare and see which will yield the biggest savings.
Although the savings may be real with the discount card, they may be based on prices other than the ones offered by local pharmacies, the BBB said. Comparing prices allows the consumer to get the best price for the medication.
And if one is really struggling to pay for their medications, the BBB suggests talking to the pharmacist about patient assistance programs that could provide even greater discounts.
To contact Script Relief: Call 646-442-5807; write 712 Fifth Avenue, 14th floor, New York, NY 10019; or visit www.ScriptRelief.com.