© 2025 Connecticut Public

FCC Public Inspection Files:
WEDH · WEDN · WEDW · WEDY
WEDW-FM · WNPR · WPKT · WRLI-FM
Public Files Contact · ATSC 3.0 FAQ
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Prescription drug prices are rising. CT's new discount card could help the patients hit hardest

Pharmacy Tech Yarilis Ruiz works behind the counter at Arrow Pharmacy in Hartford, where officials announced a start date for a new prescription drug discount card called ArrayRx.
Matt Dwyer
/
Connecticut Public
Pharmacy Tech Yarilis Ruiz works behind the counter at Arrow Pharmacy in Hartford, where officials announced a start date for a new prescription drug discount card called ArrayRx.

Leer en Español

State officials recently announced a new prescription drug discount card will become available in Connecticut starting in October. The card will deliver discounts of 80% for generic medications, and 20% for more expensive name-brand drugs, officials said.

State Comptroller Sean Scanlon's office will oversee the program.

“At a time that the drug costs in this country are going up,” Scanlon said, “for the average family member, business owner, senior, this much-needed relief will be a big savings for the people of Connecticut.”

The card is intended for people with high-deductible health insurance, seniors who need drugs not covered by Medicare, and people without health insurance — including those who are undocumented. The card cannot be used if health insurance or Medicare is also paying for the medication.

Connecticut was able to join as part of an existing prescription drug discount program with three other states, after Connecticut’s legislature approved a bill tackling health care affordability last spring.

The drug discount program is administered by a prescription drug middleman company. The company is a pharmacy benefit manager, Navitus, which has existing contracts with almost all of the pharmacies in the state. It will add new cardholders to its list of people eligible for the discount.

Pharmacy benefit managers have been criticized for making the financial underpinnings of the prescription drug market murky.

“With the existing contract that these pharmacies already have with Navitus, and thanks to the discounts they are getting due to the volume of states joining this coalition, they are able to confer these discounts to every single person in the state,” Scanlon said.

There is no cost to the patient or the pharmacy, Scanlon said. He said the only cost to the state is one employee who will oversee the program.

Pharmacist Ed Anulewicz said the card will be another item in his toolbox, to try to help people buy medicines they need.

“Every day we see people come in that might not be able to afford medications,” he said. “This is another option where we can give people.”

Connecticut residents can apply for a card Oct. 2. The card is only available in a digital form, which could pose a barrier to some of the low-income or elderly people it's intended to help, if they're not able to access the internet.

Matt Dwyer is an editor, reporter and midday host for Connecticut Public's news department. He produces local news during All Things Considered.

The independent journalism and non-commercial programming you rely on every day is in danger.

If you’re reading this, you believe in trusted journalism and in learning without paywalls. You value access to educational content kids love and enriching cultural programming.

Now all of that is at risk.

Federal funding for public media is under threat and if it goes, the impact to our communities will be devastating.

Together, we can defend it. It’s time to protect what matters.

Your voice has protected public media before. Now, it’s needed again. Learn how you can protect the news and programming you depend on.

SOMOS CONNECTICUT is an initiative from Connecticut Public, the state’s local NPR and PBS station, to elevate Latino stories and expand programming that uplifts and informs our Latino communities. Visit CTPublic.org/latino for more stories and resources. For updates, sign up for the SOMOS CONNECTICUT newsletter at ctpublic.org/newsletters.

SOMOS CONNECTICUT es una iniciativa de Connecticut Public, la emisora local de NPR y PBS del estado, que busca elevar nuestras historias latinas y expandir programación que alza y informa nuestras comunidades latinas locales. Visita CTPublic.org/latino para más reportajes y recursos. Para noticias, suscríbase a nuestro boletín informativo en ctpublic.org/newsletters.

The independent journalism and non-commercial programming you rely on every day is in danger.

If you’re reading this, you believe in trusted journalism and in learning without paywalls. You value access to educational content kids love and enriching cultural programming.

Now all of that is at risk.

Federal funding for public media is under threat and if it goes, the impact to our communities will be devastating.

Together, we can defend it. It’s time to protect what matters.

Your voice has protected public media before. Now, it’s needed again. Learn how you can protect the news and programming you depend on.

Related Content
Connecticut Public’s journalism is made possible, in part by funding from Jeffrey Hoffman and Robert Jaeger.