Discount card offers average savings to residents of 23 percent. Arlington today launched a program to help provide residents with some relief from the high cost of prescription medications. Through the program — sponsored by the National League of Cities (NLC) — the City is making free prescription discount cards available to residents. The discount cards offer residents an average of 23 percent savings off the retail price of prescription medications.

The NLC Prescription Discount Card can be used by all residents of Arlington and has no restrictions based on a resident's age, income level, or existing health coverage. The card can be used at pharmacies around the city, as well as at more than 60,000 participating retail pharmacies across the country.

"Given the current economic climate, where many people need to watch what they spend, we are happy to partner with the National League of Cities to make this prescription discount card available to our residents," said Mayor Robert Cluck. "This card helps residents who are completely uninsured, as well as residents who have insurance but have specific medications that are not covered by their insurance. In both scenarios, residents experience significant savings on prescription medications not covered by health plans."

Council Member Sheri Capehart, who has been working with the NLC over the past three years to bring the discount card program to Arlington, says the City is always looking for programs, like this one, that benefit residents.

"We are so excited to partner with the NLC to offer this prescription discount card to residents of Arlington," said Capehart. "When it comes to quality of life, nothing is more important than good health, and affordable healthcare is a key component. This card could provide a real difference to families in Arlington."

Residents can obtain a free NLC Prescription Discount Card in a number of ways. They can print them from the Internet at www.caremark.com/nlc or can get a card at all Arlington libraries, recreation centers, senior recreation centers, and more. A complete listing of distribution locations is available here. Residents can also use www.caremark.com/nlc to locate the nearest participating pharmacy or call toll-free at 1.888.620.1749 for assistance with the program.

"We're pleased to have joined forces with Arlington to help their residents maintain their health in a cost-effective way," said Marc Shapiro, National League of Cities Program Director. "By offering a health-focused program that provides significant cost savings and is easy to use, we are helping our member cities target an important need among their residents. We hope that the Prescription Discount Card program brings to residents welcome relief from the high cost of prescriptions."

CVS Caremark administers the NLC Prescription Discount Card program.

About NLC

The National League of Cities (NLC) is the nation's oldest and largest organization devoted to strengthening and promoting cities as centers of opportunity, leadership, and governance. NLC is a resource and advocate for 19,000 cities, towns and villages, representing more than 218 million Americans. To learn more about NLC, go to www.nlc.org.