Merck & Co., Inc. announced that the company will provide its medicines free for low-income Medicare beneficiaries who exhaust their $600 transitional assistance allowance in Medicare-endorsed drug discount cards. This action is consistent with Merck's longstanding Patient Assistance Program, which provides free medicines to patients who lack drug coverage and cannot afford their medicines.

In addition, Merck intends to participate in Medicare-endorsed drug discount cards by offering discounts on Merck medicines for eligible Medicare beneficiaries enrolled in these programmes. Through these efforts, Merck hopes to contribute to the success of the Medicare-endorsed drug discount card programme, and to provide beneficiaries who might not otherwise be able to afford them with access to Merck medicines.

"Providing our medicines for free when low-income seniors have exhausted their $600 allowance is the right thing for patients and the right thing for Merck. It will ensure that patients can continue to benefit from Merck medicines even after exhausting their $600 benefit," said Merck CEO Raymond Gilmartin. "We also hope it will help ensure the success of the Medicare-endorsed discount card programme, which we believe is an important first step in realizing the full benefits of pharmaceutical coverage for Medicare beneficiaries in 2006. Merck fully supports the new drug discount card program and looks forward to competing to gain our medicines' inclusion in the card programmes."

"The Medicare-endorsed drug discount cards will provide savings of 10 to 25 per cent for seniors, with low-income seniors receiving another $600 in savings," said secretary of the US Department of Health and Human Services Tommy Thompson.