Soon senior citizens in the territory will have a new tool in the fight to cut costs in a down economy: The Department of Licensing and Consumer Affairs is teaming with the AARP of the Virgin Islands to launch a new program that tracks the cost of commonly used medications and tells seniors where they are most affordable.
“Some seniors don’t have insurance,” said department spokesperson Shayla Solomon. “And even for those with insurance, it’s still costly.”
The department hopes to have a survey of drug costs around the Virgin Islands completed by the end of the month, Solomon said. They will use a team of AARP volunteers to compile results, and hope to have the results available to the public shortly after – although no set date has yet been named.
“The prescription-drug survey is a new undertaking for the department that is a synergy of ideas and goals for improving the way of life for seniors in the Virgin Islands,” said Commissioner Wayne L. Biggs in a statement released Sunday. “The commitment of the deJongh administration to better educate seniors on services available to facilitate their health-care needs fell hand in hand with the goals of AARP.”
The department currently releases cost-comparison tools for food and gas prices.
“As part of our new information campaign, we intend to continue to collaborate with AARP on educating seniors on a number of issues that greatly affect them,” Biggs said. “Specifically, highlighting ways that they can protect themselves from being taking advantage of by scams and how they can get the most out of their fixed income.”