The Blog

Governor Chris Gregoire

07/10/08

With gas and food prices at record highs, paying for health care is an even bigger challenge for many Washington families. As anybody who has been sick knows, prescription drugs are one of the biggest costs in getting healthy. To make good health more affordable, I encourage all Washingtonians to sign up for the state’s prescription drug discount card.

Since the prescription drug discount card was unveiled in last year, more than 82,000 Washingtonians have enrolled and saved $4 million. The card is free and available to all Washingtonians, no matter their age or income. 

There is no cost to the state. Why? Washington joined with Oregon to buy prescription drugs in bulk. This boosted both states’ buying power, and these savings are being passed to consumers. On average, card users are saving about $23 on every prescription filled.

More than a dozen states offer prescription drug discount card programs, but, according to AARP, none offers discounts as steep as the Washington and Oregon programs. 

For more information about Washington’s prescription drug discount card: http://www.rx.wa.gov/.