City of Cleveland and SaveWell to Offer Prescription, Vision Savings to Cleveland Residents.Business Editors, Health & Medical Writers CLEVELAND--(BW HealthWire)--Oct. 4, 2000 All residents of the city of Cleveland will be eligible to receive substantial discounts on prescription drugs prescription drug Prescription medication Pharmacology An FDA-approved drug which must, by federal law or regulation, be dispensed only pursuant to a prescription–eg, finished dose form and active ingredients subject to the provisos of the Federal Food, Drug, and vision care, thanks to a new joint venture between the City of Cleveland and SaveWell.com, a subsidiary of Medical Mutual of Ohio Medical Mutual of Ohio (formerly known as Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Ohio) is a health insurance company that operates out of downtown Cleveland, Ohio. It has more than 1.5 million customers and 2,500 Ohio-based employees and has operated since 1934. . At a news conference held today, which was attended by more than 100 senior citizens at the Gunning Park Recreation Center in Cleveland, Mayor Michael R. White Michael R. White (born August 13, 1951) is an American politician of the Democratic party and the 55th and longest-serving mayor of Cleveland, Ohio encompassing three four-year terms, from 1990 to 2002. announced that a SaveWell discount card will be offered to approximately 270,000 households in the city. Each SaveWell card is good for the entire household. Under terms of the agreement, the yearly membership fee of $52 will be waived and renewed each year at no cost. The SaveWell card is accepted at most major retail pharmacies nationwide. "This program is designed to serve those who are often overlooked by the current healthcare system," said Mayor Michael R. White. "Many of our residents, especially seniors on fixed incomes, are feeling the pinch of high prescription prices. I commend com·mend tr.v. com·mend·ed, com·mend·ing, com·mends 1. To represent as worthy, qualified, or desirable; recommend. 2. To express approval of; praise. See Synonyms at praise. 3. SaveWell's innovative program, which offers a way to help ease these costs." Since the program began in September 1999, SaveWell has saved its members $3 million on prescription drugs, an average of almost $14 per use. The SaveWell program is able to offer affordable prescription and vision-care pricing through the group purchasing power Purchasing Power 1. The value of a currency expressed in terms of the amount of goods or services that one unit of money can buy. Purchasing power is important because, all else being equal, inflation decreases the amount of goods or services you'd be able to purchase. 2. provided by the 2.1 million members of Cleveland-based Medical Mutual, the oldest and largest health insurance company in Ohio. "As the Federal government simply talks about making prescription drugs affordable, SaveWell and the city of Cleveland are actually doing it," said Ben Zelman, SaveWell.com's president and COO. "I would like to congratulate Mayor White for having the vision to participate in this type of project." In addition to savings on many name brand and generic drugs generic drug, a drug sold or prescribed under the nonproprietary name of its active ingredients or under a generally descriptive name rather than under a brand or trade name. , SaveWell also provides discounts of up to 60 percent on eyeglass eye·glass n. 1. eyeglasses Glasses for the eyes. 2. A single lens in a pair of glasses; a monocle. 3. See eyepiece. 4. See eyecup. frames and lenses and as much as 20 percent on contact lenses contact lenses contact npl → verres mpl de contact contact lenses contact npl → Kontaktlinsen pl contact lenses npl . The SaveWell card is accepted at participating Pearle Vision stores and the optical departments at Sears, Target and JCPenney locations. SaveWell.com will send a series of mailings in the next four to six months informing Cleveland residents about the specifics of the discount program and how to obtain the SaveWell discount card at no cost. |
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