Release Date: 1/11/2005

Earlier this week, Health and Human Services Sec. Tommy Thompson announced the Together Rx Access Card, which he says will provide "significant prescription drug savings for approximately 36 million uninsured Americans. Thompson said that the program, which was launched by a coalition of ten pharmaceutical companies, is a "great example of private sector leaders coming together with an innovative solution to a complex problem."

"Uninsured Americans can use this card at their pharmacy to receive savings on more than 275 brand-name prescription medicines, and even more on generic drugs," Thompson said. "Cardholders will save an average of 25 to 40 percent on their prescriptions."

In announcing the new program, Sec. Thompson recalled some of the administration's accomplishments geared toward helping the uninsured and underinsured.

"First, we have expanded the good work of community health centers," Thompson said. "These centers provide quality, compassionate care to the patients who need our help the most. Also, thanks to a $500 million increase in funding over the last five years, more than 600 new or expanded sites are up and running. In the months ahead, President Bush will ensure that every poor county in America has a community or rural health center."

Sec. Thompson explained that the administration also helped state governments expand their Medicaid programs to cover millions of additional Americans.

"About 6 million children who otherwise would not have health coverage were enrolled in the State Children's Health Insurance Program at some point during fiscal year 2003 -- a 9 percent increase from the previous year," Thompson said. "President Bush is also committed to leading an aggressive effort to enroll millions of poor children who are eligible but not signed up for the government's health insurance programs."

The HHS secretary added that more than half of the uninsured are small business employees and their families, which has led President Bush to support Association Health Plans that will "help small businesses join together to purchase health insurance at the same discounts available to big companies."

"In addition, as part of our commitment to give consumers more control of their own health care, we have introduced health savings accounts that serve as a low-cost alternative for many uninsured Americans," Thompson said.

Thompson added that America has always had "the finest health care system in the world" and the primary challenge is to ensure that all Americans have access "to this excellent, compassionate system."

"This is a challenge that the government cannot meet on its own," Thompson said. "But joint public-private ventures like Together Rx help us make great strides toward a viable solution to this complex problem."