If you don't have health insurance, or you must buy medicine not covered by your insurance plan, a discount card being distributed by United Way of the Mark Twain Area could lower the cost of your medicine by an average 35%. United Way of the Mark Twain Area provides these cards to our community free-of-charge to everyone who needs one. There are no age restriction, no income restrictions, no limit on how many times you can use it and no waiting to get a card. In fact, you can cut this one out and use it today.

"We wanted to make it as easy as possible for people in our community to save on prescription drugs. Too many people have insufficient or no prescription coverage or need medications not covered by their insurance, Medicare, Medicaid or VA benefits, "said Louise Lemen, Executive Director of the United Way of the Mark Twain Area".

Healthcare costs are one of the top concerns for people in our community and the FamilyWize prescription drug discount cards will help individuals and families who otherwise could not afford to buy the medicine they need. One out of every five people in the United States has no prescription coverage.

United Way of the Mark Twain Area has joined with 550 United Ways in all 50 states in lowering the cost of prescription medication for people who need help with their prescription costs. This partnership is saving over $1 million every month with a goal of saving $100 million over the next 5 years. More than 4 million cards have been distributed and over $7 million have been saved to date. There is more information on the program's website at WWW.FAMILYWIZE.ORG , such as a tool to look up drug prices, participating pharmacies and print additional cards for family, friends and co-workers.

Most pharmacies here and throughout the United States accept the FamilyWize prescription drug discount cards

"It's truly amazing what we can accomplish when we all work together. So many people and organizations have joined together to make this possible, "said Louise Lemen, Executive Director of the United Way of the Mark Twain Area.

The participating pharmacies in the community have agreed voluntarily to accept the FamilyWize cards and provide these savings to people in need. Two Pennsylvania printers, Independent Graphics of Pittston, PA and Brown Printing of Bethlehem, PA, have donated the printing for the cards, Fed Ex Express donates the shipping of the cards and the pharmacy benefit manager provides a portion of the processing to cover the administrative costs. United Way of the Mark Twain Area is coordinating the distribution of the cards locally.

"We hope everyone in the community will thank their pharmacist, United Way of the Mark Twain Area, and everyone else involved for the difference they are making in the lives of so many people in the community," said Dan Barnes, Co-Chair, The FamilyWize Community Service Partnership.

Additional information about this program is available at United Way of the Mark Twain Area (573) 221-2761, www.unitedwayNEMO.org and online at www.FamilyWize.org.

United Way of the Mark Twain Area is a fund raising organization for human service agencies in Missouri counties - Marion, Ralls, Monroe, Lewis, and Shelby. Our mission is "To increase the capacity for people to care for one another." This is accomplished through a myriad of community programs and activities and hundreds of enthusiastic volunteers that lend their time and talents to the United Way each year.

ABOUT THE FAMILYIZE PARTNERSHIP

The FamilyWize community service partnership was established in 2005 and coordinated by Membership Services Corporation of Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania to reduce the cost of medicine for people who live and work in the Lehigh Valley. We believe that stronger, healthier and happier people make healthier, better communities and a stronger, gentler nation. Now, more than ten thousand community and faith-based organizations, county agencies, doctors, pharmacies, companies, and individuals across the country are joined together in this partnership to distribute free FamilyWize prescription drug discount cards in their communities, reducing the cost of medicine for people in one out every four counties in the United States. More than 535 participating United Way agencies, America's Promise Alliance Partners, and individual counties in all 50 states and Puerto Rico have volunteered to coordinate these distribution efforts. The savings on the cost of the medicine is provided by the more than 53,000 participating local pharmacies that have agreed voluntarily to accept prices for medications that are close to the prices they make available to large insurance companies and employers. All other program costs, including materials, printing, shipping, programming, distribution, reporting, administration, network pharmacy services and customer service are provided by in-kind donations from the program sponsors and by part of the processing fee included in the cost of the medicine. For more information visit www.FamilyWize.org.