Discount Cards are swell. They promise big but always come up short. The only thing missing from the magazine and mail promotions is Billy Mays. These discount cards practically scream at you that they will save you tons of money off your prescriptions. While it is true that the insurance-less folk out there will save a few dollars off retail prices, the promised savings ranges are rarely, if ever, truly realised. As with all advertisements, people fall for the bold print and BIG type and focus on the "up to 90% OFF" and ignore the little asterisk explaining the only way to receive UP TO 90% off would be to only purchase 10% of a prescription.
Patients expect something that is mailed to them, for free, to provide them with unlimited savings. Where else does this really happen? Are these the people that click every link in their spam folder expecting enhancements?
When patients come up to the counter with these decks of cards I think they expect Monty Hall and a group of cheerleaders with pompoms to suddenly appear in a shower of confetti and start cheering: "Take it off! Take it off! How low can you go?"
*Please note: This is specific to general discount cards and NOT manufacturer-/medication-specific copay cards. That's another rant...
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