Local residents participating in the County’s free prescription discount card saved about $6.5 million last year, bringing the total to $11.5 million since the program began in June 2011.
Since its launch, 37,759 participants have used the Coast2Coast Rx card to fill 223,212 prescriptions with an average savings to date of about 60 percent in San Diego County.
“The program is having tremendous success and saving San Diego County residents millions of dollars,” said Chairman Greg Cox, County Board of Supervisors. “Although more people are taking advantage of the card, there are still thousands of individuals and families who could benefit from the savings that the program provides.”
The Coast2Coast Rx card provides discounts on name-brand and generic prescriptions as well as dental, vision, hearing, lab and imaging services, diabetic equipment and supplies and even veterinary services.
It saves participants up to 75 percent on prescription drugs, provides discounts on other health care services and helps to fund public health programs through the $1.35 payment generated each time a prescription is filled using the card.
“San Diego County is on track to meet the projected two-year total amount of $295,000 to support the County’s Live Well, San Diego initiative, a 10-year plan for healthy, safe and thriving communities,” said Supervisor Ron Roberts.
The funds are being used to assist with the production and translation of educational and promotional health materials targeted at under-insured and uninsured San Diego County residents for numerous programs including: 3-4-50 and 5-2-1-0.
The educational initiatives are aimed at specific demographics. 3-4-50 attempts to change three behaviors—poor nutrition, physical inactivity, and tobacco use, which lead to four diseases – cancer, heart disease, Type 2 diabetes and pulmonary disease-result in more than 50 percent of all deaths in San Diego County.
The 5-2-1-0 campaign promotes four practices for diet and exercise that can be adopted daily by children and parents to improve overall health and avoid obesity. They consist of eating five or more servings of fruits and vegetables, sitting two hours or less in front of a recreational screen (TV, computer, etc.), doing one hour or more of physical activity and consuming zero sugary drinks.
To start saving immediately, residents can download and print their free card at www.coast2coastrx.com/sd. It will be valid for use by all family members immediately, with no expiration date.
