The Prescription Savings Card from Familywize is free to everyone, regardless if you have health insurance or not. CONTRIBUTED

MADISON COUNTY – United Way of Madison County and FamilyWize reached a new milestone in their partnership to respond to the rising cost of prescription drugs.

“All too often we see families struggling to stay healthy due to the high cost of prescription drugs,” Cathy Miller said. Miller works as Community Impact Director for United Way of Madison County.

“With rising medication costs, many people are forced to sacrifice health to be able to pay for other basic needs. United Way and Familywize are committed to helping individuals avoid those hard choices,” Miller said.

The FamilyWize program is free and represents a “point of sales” savings. Individuals present a standalone savings card with no specific eligibility requirements. Madison County residents who have used Familywize cards “have saved an average 41 percent on the cost of prescription medications,” Miller said.

More than 80 percent of pharmacies in the Madison County area accept the Familywize cards, which cover all FDA-approved prescription medications, Miller said.

In the past 10.5 years, Madison County residents have saved $662,191 on prescription medications through the organizations’ partnership. The results were revealed in the annual Health Impact Report, reflecting the health and financial support that United Way and FamilyWize support in joint community initiatives across the country.

Partnering with FamilyWize allows local United Ways across the country to offer a free savings card to communities. “With the savings realized, more individuals can manage personal expenses and improve quality of life,” Miler said.

“We are proud of our work with United Way and the far-reaching impact we have achieved,” FamilyWize CEO/Co-Founder Dan Barnes said. “The current U.S. healthcare landscape remains difficult for millions of Americans to navigate and, with United Way, we are working towards a goal of helping even more families.”

United Way’s office address is 701 Andrew Jackson Way NE in Huntsville.

To sign up for the program, visit familywize.org. Or, visit uwmadisoncounty.org, click the “Our Work” menu and click “Health” and “Familywize.”