This free prescription discount card is available to residents in 47 states in a joint effort of your local county government and the National Association of Counties (NACo).  The discount card can be used at a participating retail pharmacy and can save you an average of 20% on your prescription medicine.  Nine out of ten pharmacies nationwide accept this card.   The discount card may be used any time your prescription is not covered by insurance.  There are no restrictions and no limits on how many times you can use this card. 

When I looked into this program for Cook County, Illinois, I discovered that many different counties across 47 states (excluding Connecticut, Rhode Island and Vermont) participate in this prescription discount program.  Be sure to checkout the NACo website to find out if your state/county participates in this free program.  This program targets the uninsured, and insured consumers where prescriptions are not covered by their insurance plan.

In January, the Consumer Health Care Blog posted ten useful tips to help consumers reduce their medical bills.  If you haven't read this article that was originally published on BankRate.com, be sure to check it out.

1. Ask your doctor to be your ally
2. Compare costs by using CPT codes
3. Find friends in the billing department
4. Negotiate lower prices, payment arrangements
5. Ask if recommended services are necessary
6. Explore state-sponsored hospital web sites
7. Check your insurance company’s website
8. Ask for the Medicare rates
9. Go generic
10. Sweat the small stuff