GETTING A BETTER DEAL ON HEALTH CARE—New Mexico PIRG Consumer Advocate Paul Brown meets with Washington, D.C., reporters to release the “Paying the Price” report.

Help For New Mexico’s Uninsured

In a report released in July entitled “Paying the Price,” NMPIRG found that the uninsured in Albuquerque pay 61.5 percent more for common prescription drugs than the federal government, and twice as much as they would pay for the same drugs in Canada. Most surprising, since 2004, the average price paid by the uninsured in Albuquerque increased by nearly 15 percent—the highest increase for any city surveyed and more than twice the general rate of inflation over the two-year period.

“When 46 million uninsured Americans go it alone at the pharmacy, they pay the price,” said NMPIRG Advocate Paul Brown.

Luckily, the state is doing something about this problem. The New Mexico Discount Prescription Drug Program, an NMPIRG-backed effort that expanded the state’s Senior RX program, is available to all New Mexicans, with or without insurance, and provides discounts on prescription drugs. Best of all, it’s free, easy to enroll, and offers significant savings on essential medications. Additionally, some New Mexicans may qualify for New Mexico’s MEDBANK program, which provides access to prescription drug vouchers.

“We encourage all New Mexicans to sign up and begin saving today. Beyond this, there are some other basic steps that consumers can take. They should shop around, compare costs, buy generic drugs when possible, and be honest with their pharmacist and doctor about their needs,” said Brown.

For more information on the New Mexico Discount Prescription Drug Program or to sign up, call 1-866-244-0882 or go to www.nmrhca.state.nm.us/dpdp. For more information on MEDBANK, call 1-800-432-2080.