REPORT: UNINSURED PAY MUCH MORE FOR PRESCRIPTION DRUGS

Date: January 12, 2006
Posted At: NBC3
By: Advocate.com Staff

If you're among the uninsured in New York state, you're paying more than double the best market rate for prescription drugs. That's according to a report released today by the New York Public Interest Research Group.

The government watchdog group says the 20 most popular prescription drugs cost the uninsured about 68 percent more on average than the federal government paid for the same medications.

NYPIRG (nye-perg) says the disparity in drug prices are hitting the people who are the least able to pay the difference in cost. According to the group, more than four and a half (m) million New Yorkers lack health insurance coverage for prescription drugs.

The Pharmacists Society of the State of New York says a variety of local and national programs are available to people without coverage for prescription drugs, but consumers rarely know about them. People can find out about those programs simply by asking their pharmacist.