Kansas Drug Card Media Center

What if we told you there is a new drug card that can save you up to 70 percent on prescriptions for you and your kids? What if we told you it was free and available to everyone? We're letting you in on the secret of the card that most Kansans don't even know exists.

Dani Higgins is a 25-year-old with a criminal justice and sociology degree from Wichita State University. Her diploma is proudly displayed on her mantle, yet she is a week away from having to move back in with her parents. She is without health insurance and in need of 3 prescription medicines per day.

"I did talk to my doctor about it, too, and he said it's a new program and that it's a great thing," Higgins said.

The doctor was talking about a program that, up until now, not many people knew about. It's the Kansas drug card.

"A lot of people, its just a relief they have an outlet now to save money on their prescription medication," said Anglea Garvey of Kansas Drug Card. "For some people, it comes down to a choice: do I pay for my groceries. or do I pay for my medications?"

The card is free and can save you anywhere from 30 to 70 percent on your drugs. Not only is it saving Dani literally hundreds of dollars a year on her prescriptions, she says it is also saving her from the heartache of wondering where she would get the money to pay for them and what she would do without the Kansas drug trial.

"It shows right here what she saved," Garvey said. "Its saved her $42.04 on the cost."

"The first time I took my card in, I showed it to them, they took it and put it in the system. And now it's there. The discount's already on there."

But the card and its discounts are not only useful for the uninsured; it can be helpful for those with insurance as well.

"Perhaps their medication they need isn't covered on their insurance plan, or perhaps they haven't met deductible, or they are in the Medicare donut hole. "Garvey said. "There's a lot of different reasons why people that have insurance can still use our program."

It's a program that is supported by pharmaceutical companies and pharmacies. It is good at more than 50 different pharmacies in the state, including Walgreens, Walmart, Target and Dillons.

"At Dillions, we are always looking for ways to help our customers save," Sheila Lowrey. "And with the Kansas prescription drug card, they can do just that."

For college graduate Dani Higgins, the Kansas drug card is just what the doctor ordered and could be for thousands of other Kansans as well.

I asked Angela Garvey what the pharmaceutical companies and the pharmacies get out of the drug card. She said they are just in it to help the customer. However, you can imagine that they are both profiting at least some from the card, because it allows many more patients to buy their product.