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NEWS
CVS Caremark cards available to help with prescription drug costs in Lawrence County
IRONTON — Lawrence County residents not covered by prescription plans will have a chance to get a free CVS Caremark card that can offer discounts at 15 local pharmacies starting Oct. 1.
Commissioner Les Boggs said he plans to ask the company for 25,000 cards that can provide an average savings of $13.10 per prescription to people not covered by a prescription plan or who have met their limit or aren’t covered under a prescription drug plan.
The board agreed to join the plan already available in 1,100 counties across the country and 13 in Ohio. The county is able to offer the discount plan since it belongs to the National Association of Counties. Commissioners Doug Malone and Jason Stephens thanked Boggs for his work on the project.
The card can offer savings on 86 percent of prescriptions at participating pharmacies providing an average savings of 23 percent, Boggs said earlier. There are no enrollment fees or income requirements for the card.
The board also approved a contract with Lawrence County sheriff’s deputies covered by the Fraternal Order of Police. The contract, retroactive to Jan. 1, provides a 45 cent per hour raise this year, another 45 cent per hour raise next year and a 35 cent per hour raise in the third year.
Mark McCown, an Ironton lawyer representing the county in the negotiations, said the deputies agreed to pay into the county’s health insurance plan and accept worker’s compensation language, measures that will provide a significant savings along with the deputies agreement not to accept an arbitration ruling that could have provided them with free health insurance.
The arbitration ruling also could have led to layoffs due to budget considerations.
The board also approved a memorandum with the state concerning reimbursement payments for indigent defense. The county initially was hoping to get an increase in reimbursements above the 25 percent level, but recently the reimbursements have decreased to about 21 percent, Boggs said.
