NASHVILLE, TN — Responding
to the escalating cost of prescription drugs, the United
Methodist Church (UMC) has begun making a new drug benefit
available to its 8.3 million U.S. members.
Through a partnership with health supply discounter DestinationRx,
the UMC is offering a free card that makes available discounts
of up to 65 percent on most prescriptions and other supplies such
as contact lenses, vitamins and medications for pets.
The benefit, which is available to all UMC members, without regard
to their insurance coverage, income or health status, was announced
by the United Methodist Association of Health and Welfare Ministries
during a national conference here in early March. The average
member of UMC, the nation’s second-largest Protestant denomination,
is 57 years old.
The benefit is for Methodists among the 40 million Americans
with little or no prescription drug insurance, said the Rev. Mearle
Griffith, president and chief executive officer of the health
association. “We have many people falling through the cracks,”
he said. “They’re choosing between taking all of the
drugs they need, and groceries.”
The cost of prescription drugs promises to be an important issue
in this election year.
The UMC is the first denomination to offer such a benefit, but
Griffith said he has heard from other denominations — including
the United Church of Christ, the Mennonite Church USA and the
Roman Catholic Church — about offering similar programs.
(Editor’s note: Margaret Mellen, senior vice president
for healthcare design of the Presbyterian Church (USA) Board of
Pensions, told the Presbyterian News Service on March 30 that
the board is “looking into this,” adding, “We’re
talking to the United Methodist Church to see how they put this
program together.”)
Griffith said he believes the nation’s leaders have been
too slow in addressing the issue. “We think it’s taken
too long, and we’re not going to wait around any longer,”
he said.
The benefit is the result of two years of research into how the
denomination could help its members, especially the working poor,
afford their medications. The denomination’s missions arm,
the Board of Global Ministries, took up the issue as a social-justice
cause, said Jane Ehrman, a consultant to the board’s Division
of Health and Welfare.
DestinationRx, based in Los Angeles, has contracts with 25,000
pharmacies across the country, including Eckerd’s, Kmart
and Target, to provide discounted prescription drugs and health
supplies to employers, unions, and other organizations and individuals.
It was selected to offer healthcare cost information and software
to the U.S. government under the Medicare reform bill signed in
December.
The denomination struck a deal with DestinationRx in late February
and began offering the cards immediately. UMC members can obtain
cards by calling (800) 379-9040 and referring to the United
Methodist Association.
The association will discuss the benefit during the UMC’s
top legislative gathering, the General Conference, which starts
on April 27 in Pittsburgh.
Griffith said he hopes congregations and youth groups will use
the cards in their outreach to the poor. “This is a natural
extension of our commitment to health,” he said. “It’s
our passion to help the poor and needy.”
Bill Deswick, a UMC member from Pontiac, IL, applauded the denomination
for taking action. “Prescription drugs have been for years
the highest-priced part of getting well,” he said. “This
provides a good opportunity to get involved in something that
will really help our members.”
For more information, call the United Methodist Association at
(937) 227-9494, or visit its Web
site. |
