Survey Finds Nearly 40 Percent of Adult Americans Have No Drug Coverage or Inadequate Coverage

YOURxPLAN(TM) Offers Immediate Relief

FRANKLIN LAKES, N.J., Nov. 1 -- Results of a survey released today by Merck-Medco, the nation's leading provider of prescription benefit management services, indicate that approximately 77 million Americans either have no prescription drug coverage (45 million) or consider their coverage inadequate (32 million). Moreover, nearly one in five adult Americans (39 million) say that paying for prescription drugs forces them to make sacrifices in other parts of their lives.

While the survey results demonstrate the need for long-term solutions to the problem of prescription drug coverage, a new and innovative program offers immediate relief. Brought to consumers by Merck-Medco and Reader's Digest, YOURxPLAN (pronounced your plan) is a comprehensive program that provides affordable prescriptions to Americans lacking adequate drug coverage and helps them better manage their prescription drug use and their health.

Save on Your Prescription Drug Bills Now

YOURxPLAN offers discounts on virtually all brand name and generic medications and up to 40 percent on leading brand-name medicines and additional savings on selected branded drugs in the form of 10 percent cash-back bonuses every three months. Through YOURxPLAN, consumers can conveniently order new prescriptions by mail or through their local pharmacy, and can refill or renew existing prescriptions by mail, phone and the Internet. YOURxPLAN also provides customers with the safest pharmacy-dispensing environment available in the world.

As part of a free 90-day trial membership, consumers can enroll in YOURxPLAN and waive the low annual membership fee of $25 per person, or $40 per household, during the trial membership period. This offer is valid through November 30, 2000. Anyone who is 18 years of age or older and not covered by a plan administered by Merck-Medco is eligible to enroll in YOURxPLAN. For household coverage, the primary member must be over 18.

``The affordability of medicines, especially for older Americans who lack adequate drug coverage, is a major health concern in this country,'' said Sandra Peterson, senior vice president, Merck-Medco. ``YOURxPLAN offers an opportunity for Merck-Medco to provide an immediate business solution to help seniors and others save money on their drug bills right away.''

YOURxPLAN Provides Safety Features

The survey results also showed that a majority of Americans (61 percent) oversee their own medication usage and nearly half say they are concerned about possible drug interactions. Also, eight out of ten believe that screening for potential drug interactions is important. YOURxPLAN members receive this screening service along with other safety features such as 24-hour emergency phone access to registered pharmacists, comprehensive clinical care programs including those that meet specific needs of seniors and the benefit of the most technologically advanced pharmacies in the world.

``Cost is just part of the prescription drug equation,'' said Dr. Robert Butler, professor of Geriatrics at Mt. Sinai School of Medicine in New York, and president of the International Longevity Center. ``If you can't prevent drugs from doing more harm than good, then cost is a non-issue.''

About the Survey

Merck-Medco commissioned Bruskin/Audits and Surveys to conduct a study to examine prescription drug coverage and attitudes toward prescription drugs among adults in the US. Bruskin/Audits and Surveys' OmniTel service conducted the interviews from June 16 to June 18, 2000. A total of 1,009 interviews were completed among male and female adults (in approximately equal number), all 18 years of age and over.

For more information on YOURxPLAN or to obtain an enrollment kit, call 877-733-6765 or log on to http://www.yourxplan.com.

About Merck-Medco

Merck-Medco is the leading provider of comprehensive, quality, affordable prescription drug care in the United States. An independently managed subsidiary of Merck & Co., Inc., Merck-Medco serves the needs of more than 65 million, or nearly one-in-four Americans. Merck-Medco manages some 370 million prescriptions per year for its clients through its 12 mail service pharmacies and retail pharmacy networks. Merck-Medco's clients include major corporations, Blue Cross-Blue Shield groups, insurance carriers, health maintenance organizations, government health plans and unions. More information on Merck-Medco is available at http://www.merckmedco.com.

About Readers Digest

The Reader's Digest Association, Inc., (NYSE: RDA - news, RDB - news; http://www.readersdigest.com) is a global publisher and direct marketer of products that inform, enrich, entertain and inspire people of all ages and all cultures around the world. Worldwide revenues were $2.5 billion for the fiscal year ended June 30, 1999. Headquarters are located at Pleasantville, New York.

                      YOURxPLAN Prescription Drug Survey
                                 Key Findings

    Merck-Medco, the leading provider of comprehensive, quality, affordable
    prescription drug care in the United States, commissioned Bruskin/Audits
    and Surveys Research to conduct a study to examine prescription drug
    coverage and attitudes toward prescription drugs among adults in the US.
    Interviewing was conducted using Bruskin/Audits and Surveys' OmniTel
    service from June 16 to June 18, 2000.  In all 1,009 interviews were
    completed among male and female adults (in approximately equal number),
    all 18 years of age and over.

    Incidence of Prescription Drug Coverage
    --    Nearly one in four (77 million) American adults has either no
          prescription drug coverage (45 million) or inadequate coverage
          (32 million) (note: figures taken from U.S. Census)
    --    Nearly one in three Americans over 65 have no drug coverage at all

    Sacrifices Made to Cover the Cost of Drugs
    --    More than 30 percent of people without prescription drug coverage
          say they make sacrifices to pay for prescription drugs.
    --    More than 40 percent of people who feel their coverage is inadequate
          say they make sacrifices to pay for prescription drugs.
    --    The most common sacrifices cited are cutting down on other expenses
          (34 percent), spending less on groceries (22 percent), canceling
          entertainment plans (16 percent), and cutting back on paying other
          bills (12 percent).

    Drug Utilization and Costs
    --    Nearly 40 percent of Americans report that they regularly take at
          least one maintenance medication to treat ongoing chronic conditions
          like diabetes, high cholesterol or depression.
    --    Among those over 65, 31 percent say they take at least three
          maintenance medications on a regular basis.
    --    On average, Americans spend more than $500 a year out of their own
          pockets on prescription drugs.
    --    Those without prescription drug coverage pay an average of almost
          $700 per year for their medications.
    --    The typical senior pays an average of more than $800 a year for
          their medications.
    --    Ten percent of seniors say they spend more than $2,400 a year for
          medication.

    Drug Safety
    --    A majority of Americans (61%) oversee their own medication usage.
          Only 24 percent say their physicians oversee the medications they
          are taking.
    --    Similarly, only one in three seniors age 55 and older rely on their
          physicians to help monitor their medication usage.
    --    Forty-five percent say they are concerned about possible drug
          interactions.
    --    Eight in 10 adults believe it is important to have their medications
          screened for adverse effects, and to have a toll-free number to
          reach a pharmacist in case of an emergency due to a medication they
          have taken.

About Merck-Medco

Merck-Medco is the leading provider of comprehensive, quality, affordable prescription drug care in the United States. An independently managed subsidiary of Merck & Co., Inc., Merck-Medco serves the needs of more than 65 million, or nearly one-in-four Americans. Merck-Medco manages some 370 million prescriptions per year for its clients through its 12 mail service pharmacies and retail pharmacy networks. Merck-Medco's clients include major corporations, Blue Cross-Blue Shield groups, insurance carriers, health maintenance organizations, government health plans and unions. More information on Merck-Medco is available at http://www.merckmedco.com.

SOURCE: Merck-Medco