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UM agencies partner for discounts on meds Mary Jacobs, Sep 1, 2009
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PS Card “take-one” displays are available to churches and service ministries who reach out to the uninsured.
By Mary Jacobs Staff Writer
If you have health insurance, you and your insurer pay a discounted price on the drugs you buy. If you don’t have insurance, likely you’ll pay the full retail price.
“It’s a little-known quirk of our healthcare system,” said Jim Robbins, CEO of PS Card. “It’s a little like a customer walking into an auto dealership with a fistful of cash, and being told, ‘Since you’re paying with cash, you’ll have to pay sticker.’”
“What that means is that the poorest people often end up paying the highest prices for prescription drugs,” said the Rev. Mearle Griffith, chief executive of the United Methodist Association of Health and Welfare Ministries.
But through a partnership between the association and PS Card, there’s now a way for United Methodists to get the same discounts, through PS Card’s discount prescription card.
The PS Card allows users to access discounted pricing for prescription drugs at their local pharmacies. Discounts are up to 50 percent off the cash price for virtually all generic and brand-name prescription drugs at over 56,000 participating pharmacies nationwide.
The card involves a cooperative arrangement between Santa Barbara-based PS Card and the association, which serves nearly 400 United Methodist-related health and human service agencies across the U.S. These agencies serve more than 32 million people annually.
Millions of the cards are now available through the association’s member agencies and through United Methodist churches across the U.S.
Mr. Griffith says that PS Card was chosen over other discount prescription programs after a comparison of available options, initially undertaken by the denomination’s General Board of Global Ministries.
“We chose PS Card because there’s no cost to the end user, and it didn’t cost us anything to develop the program,” he said. “Also, we liked the benefits and the number of pharmacies involved through this card.”
PS Card holders pay no membership or other fees. All individuals are eligible regardless of employment status, income level, age or citizenship.
How does PS Card make a profit? The company is able to offer discounts on FDA-approved drugs through its bulk-purchasing agreements with pharmaceutical companies. When a cardholder purchases a prescription, the pharmacy pays a small referral fee to PS Card.
“It’s a private solution to a public problem, involving the church,” said Mr. Robbins. “The cards are easy to get and can be used by anyone. We only make money when people save money.”
Consumers may also obtain items such as diabetic supplies at a discount with the card. PS Card officials estimate the cards save consumers an estimated $10 million a year.
The partnership with the United Methodist Association will help PS Cards reach more Americans needing help paying the high cost of prescription drugs, according to Mr. Robbins.
“The United Methodist Church reaches into virtually every community across the United States,” he said.
The free PS Cards are available through the United Methodist Association at www.umassociation.org or from PS Card online at www.pscard.com/refs/uma. Personalized plastic cards are also available.
Persons without Internet access can obtain the cards by calling 1-877-716-4457. Churches may also place bulk orders for cards and display racks at no cost.
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Mr. Griffith says that PS Card was chosen over other discount prescription programs after a comparison of available options, initially undertaken by the denomination’s General Board of Global Ministries. 
