As the forces on Capitol Hill continue to hash out details regarding a national plan of attack for rising health care expenses, local governments are looking to find ways of their own to help their residents cope with the current healthcare and economic crisis. CBS 11 reported today that Forest Hill will begin offering free prescription drug discount cards. Forest Hill City Manager, David Miller, explained the need for the program, “Whether or not an individual had prescription coverage, this program can make it easier for our residents to afford the drugs they need to deal with short-term illness.” The program cards will be administered through CVS Caremark and can be used at CVS stores even outside of the Forest Hill area. It will serve as a discount card with savings averaging about twenty percent off the retail price. No fees are required to obtain a discount card.
Sponsorship for the programs is being offered through the National League of Cities (NLC). The NLC is one of the oldest organizations dedicated to promoting opportunity, leadership, and governance by local municipalities.
Economists have yet to predict how long the recession will continue, but all agree that economic struggles are likely to continue. Even the World Bank has adjusted it’s predictions on how much the global economy will shrink during the remainder of 2009. It is a positive light on a bleak horizon, however, that local governments are still looking for creative ways to help residents make it through. This prescription care offered by Forest Hill will on average save only 20%, but in an economic environment where every penny counts, 20% is still a valuable 20%.
Unfortunately, even this twenty percent may not be able to help all those in need of financial assistance with ever increasing healthcare costs. The other 80% and the cost of the medical visit can still be a daunting obligation to handle financially. If that obligation is compounding with other financial obligations like a mortgage and credit card debt, the result can be a load that is financially and emotionally crippling…. But it doesn’t have to be. Many of the debt obligations that most people spend months and even years trying to absorb and payoff are dischargeable in bankruptcy. Before making drastic decisions regarding your personal health or financial health, you need to get good information. A qualified bankruptcy attorney can assist you in reviewing your financial situation to determine if bankruptcy is the best option for you.