Fifteen food banks across the country are helping people navigate the ongoing trade-off between food and medicine, while also benefiting from a new donation stream, thanks to a discount-prescription program from BuzzRx.
BuzzRx, formerly known as Watertree Health, seeks out food banks and other partners to help it distribute discount pharmacy cards that can be used at more than 60,000 pharmacies nationwide to receive discounts of as much as 80% on both generic and name-brand medications. Every time a BuzzRx cardholder uses the card, the company makes a donation to the nonprofit partner featured on the card.
The program started in 2010 when one of the company’s associates read a hunger study from Feeding America stating that 66% of food bank clients reported having to choose between food and medicine/medical care within one year, said Matthew Herfield, CEO at BuzzRx. “His goals were to help the food banks with a steady stream of monthly, unrestricted donations and extend our prescription savings to their clients,” Herfield said.
Since first partnering with the Food Bank of the Rio Grande Valley in September 2011, BuzzRx has rolled out the program to other nonprofits, including 14 additional food banks and national partners such as Make-A-Wish, the ASPCA and the National Kidney Foundation. So far BuzzRx has donated more than 3.5 million meals to food banks, while saving cardholders nearly $1 billion on prescription medications.
Since 2012, the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma, Oklahoma’s second-largest food bank, according to Food Bank News’ list of the top 100, has distributed thousands of the discount prescription cards at various events and fielded about a thousand requests for the cards through the BuzzRx website, said Cathy Nestlen, Communications and Marketing Director. During that time, BuzzRx has donated nearly $120,000 to the food bank, or nearly 480,000 meals for Oklahomans living with hunger.
“The prescription cards are distributed to more than 300 partner pantries throughout central and western Oklahoma,” Nestlen said. “We also provide a link on our website and people can text FEEDOK to phone number 95577 to get a digital card instantly.”
One of the biggest benefits of the program is that anyone can use the card, regardless of income or immigration status. “There are no qualifications, no sign-ups or activation — all a cardholder has to do is show the card to the pharmacist to start saving,” Nestlen said. “Seniors who are living on limited incomes benefit from the card because they don’t have to make the difficult decision between purchasing medication and buying groceries.”
BuzzRx makes money on the program by partnering directly with the nation’s leading prescription claims administrators (known as pharmacy benefit managers, or PBMs) to offer the lowest possible prices for the company’s millions of cardholders. BuzzRx’s PBM partners pay a referral fee to promote the card. That’s why it’s free for BuzzRx’s cardholders.
Anyone can use the card, including individuals who have health insurance. Sometimes the discounted price can be lower than copays. The card might also help if there’s a high deductible that must be met before prescription coverage begins, or it might provide savings on prescriptions that aren’t covered by a health insurance plan.
What’s more, the card never expires, has no fees, and can be used as often as the cardholder wants. Cardholders simply need to present their card to their pharmacist when they fill or refill a prescription for immediate savings. Notably, the cards can be used by anyone who wants to support a food bank.
People learn about the cards at food bank-sponsored health fairs, or through signage placed at distribution centers. Many nonprofits have banners and posters promoting this free way to help people save money.
Early on, BuzzRx mainly distributed the cards via pharmacies and food bank events, such as health fairs. The BuzzRx team also promotes the card on social media, its website, and through public relations outreach.
“We have since increased distribution through doctor’s offices, and with our new brand BuzzRx, we will be expanding into other channels to further increase distribution,” Herfield says. “Each food bank operates very differently and many have limited bandwidth, so we are grateful for whatever they’re willing to do to promote the card, but we have always offered to do the heavy lifting and use our team and distribution channels for promotion. Some contact us when they need more cards, but we also periodically do outreach, checking on inventory.” — Maura Keller
Maura Keller is a Minneapolis-based freelance writer and editor.
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