Save Money on Perscription Drugs with Urban League Perscription Savings Program

The National Urban League is proud to present the Prescription Savings Program. Simply present the National Urban League prescription card at a participating pharmacy and save on many of your prescription drugs. You, your family, and your friends may use the savings card any time your prescription is not covered by insurance. It even works for many pet medications! Finding a pharmacy is easy: 8 out of 10 pharmacies nationwide accept your savings card.
Benefits:

• No age limit
• No pre-existing condition restrictions
• No waiting period
• No membership fee
• No enrollment fee
• Instant activation

With the National Urban League Prescription Drug Card, you will receive the lowest price available for generic and brand prescription medications at over 55,000 pharmacies, including all major chains. There is also a convenient option for home or office delivery, visit www.orchardrx.com or call (866) 909-5170 for more information about deliveries.

Please note that while this card provides discounts, it is not insurance.

 Click Here to download your card.

FDIC Reports Blacks, Latinos Lead Way in Lacking Safe Banking Alterantives

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation's (FDIC) recent report highlights the disparity in banking options for minorities.  In it, the FDIC reports some grim statistics:

• Minorities more likely to be unbanked include blacks (an estimated 21.7 percent of black households are unbanked), Hispanics (19.3 percent), and American Indian/Alaskans (15.6 percent).  This means they have no access to a checking or savings account.
• Minorities more likely to be underbanked include blacks (an estimated 31.6 percent), American Indian/ Alaskans (28.9 percent), and Hispanics (24.0 percent).   This means that although these households have access to checking or savings accounts, they rely on alternative financial services. Specifically, underbanked households have used non-bank money orders, non-bank check-cashing services, payday loans, rent-to-own agreements, or pawn shops at least once or twice a year or refund anticipation loans at least once in the past five years.

In a release emailed to the Greater Sacramento Urban League, Lawrence Koen of the FDIC noted:

The results also addressed why consumers who had never used a bank - or had previously used a bank - do not maintain an account now. Among the top reasons were that they lacked enough money to need banking services, did not see the value in a bank account, found that service charges and minimum balances were too high and did not write enough checks. Among underbanked consumers, respondents cited convenience, speed and cost as reasons they use nonbanks for check-cashing and money order services.


In a conference call with reporters, FDIC Chairman Sheila Bair said the study shows many consumers are finding nonbank institutions to be more cost-efficient for their needs. "This gives us a better understanding ... of why folks do and do not use banks," she said. "One of my key takeaways ... is that a lot of this is a product of rational economic decision-making. A lot of the folks who do not use banks now ... found it not to be cost-effective for them.

"Our challenge is to make sure banks have the appropriate range of products and services that meet the needs of all low-income communities and have the right fee mix that is cost-effective, and that we can find that intersection of the products that are also cost-effective for the banks."


In December 2008, the National Urban League Policy Institute issued its Minority and Banking Access factsheet offering analysis and solutions to the difficult issue of banking options for underserved populations.  Among these, the NUL offered:

• Continued expansion of the Community Reinvestment Act, which encourages financial investment in low income communities.
• Expand and continue financial literacy education, which can dispell many of the myths contributing to the lack of trust many minorities and the underserved have about banks.
• Increase hiring of minority banking profesionals at every level of the financial services sector.
• Develop additional disclosures about 'hidden' fees and alternative ways to warn the consumer before they overdraw their account or reached a balance threshold.

Action on these and other recommendations is needed immediately.

Welcome to GSUL's Empowerment Journal

The Empowerment Journal is the online blogging home of the Greater Sacramento Urban League.  Founded in 1968, the Greater Sacramento Urban League pursues a mission to enable African Americans, other minorities and the under served to secure economic self-reliance, parity, power and civil rights. The organization carries out its mission at the local, state, and national levels through direct services, advocacy, research, policy analysis, community mobilization, collaboration and communications. GSUL is committed to being the premier social services, educational and technology training center in the Sacramento Region.

GSUL has an established history of enabling underserved communities to secure self-reliance through advocacy, services related to workforce preparation, employment, education and literacy, and economic development.

The Empowerment Journal is the latest evolution in the GSUL's effort to educate, inform and empower our community regarding the impact economic, political and public policy decisions have on us, our families and our communities.  Decisions in Sacramento and Washington impact us every day, and it is important that we understand what those decisions are, how they impact us, and what we can do to help shape those outcomes.

It is our hope that you will find this blog informative, entertaining and useful.  Please visit our website, http://www.gsul.org/, for more information on our programs and services - or to find out how you can become a part of the Urban League Movement.