Maryland Rx Card Media Center

“MedChi gets clarity on high deductible plans”

BALTIMORE, March 9, 2017 – MedChi, The Maryland State Medical Society, continues to work with Maryland Rx Card to create awareness and help Maryland residents obtain discount drug cards. Together, Maryland Rx Card and MedChi are working to educate all physicians, clinics, hospitals, county health departments and urgent care clinics throughout the State to distribute hard cards to anyone in need. This free prescription card is available online for everyone in Maryland by visiting http://www.medchi.org/MDRXcard and printing a card. Residents with no internet access can visit any Giant pharmacy and ask the pharmacist to process their prescription through the Maryland Rx Card.

Carmen Konert, Program Development Director, Maryland Rx Card, states “since its inception in 2010, the Maryland Rx Card has saved $97,258,644 in drug costs for uninsured and under insured Marylanders.” All Maryland residents are eligible to participate in the Maryland Rx Card program and there are no restrictions to membership or applications to fill out. The card is accepted at over 56,000 regional and national pharmacies. Under the Maryland Rx Card Program more than 200,000 Marylanders have received a free prescription drug card since the program launched in June 2009. A quick visit to the program’s website, http://www.medchi.org/MDRXcard, will provide you with ample information as well as access to free assistance.

The plan is helpful for those with no insurance, but it is just as important for people with a high deductible plan. The Maryland Rx Card can be used by individuals who have high deductible plans, do not qualify for public funded programs such as Medicaid and Medicare and by people who receive their medications through charity care providers (under 340B, a federally funded program which grants discounts to providers) and require a drug that is not available to them. MedChi recently worked with State Delegate Clarence Lam to ensure patients with high deductible plans could use the cards.

MedChi CEO, Gene Ransom, explained “MedChi is very concerned about drug prices and that’s why we work with the Maryland Rx Card. Patients need to have access to their medicines; price should not be a barrier to their access to drugs.” MedChi is working on other pharmaceutical cost related issues to help patients have access to their medicine.

About MedChi
MedChi, The Maryland State Medical Society, is a non-profit membership association of Maryland physicians. It is the largest physician organization in Maryland. The mission of MedChi is to serve as Maryland's foremost advocate and resource for physicians, their patients and the public health of Maryland.