Washington ? A new program created by U.S. drug store chains soon may provide low-income seniors without drug insurance an opportunity to purchase discounted prescription medications.

The Pharmacy Care One Card by the National Association of Chain Drug Stores will give seniors with the card access to multiple discount programs offered by various manufacturers that agree to participate. The card will be free to seniors.

“There is keen recognition that pooling existing card programs under one umbrella makes good sense,” said Charlie Schellhorn, president and chief executive of Argus Health Systems, which is in negotiations to be a program administrator.

Manufacturers have introduced their own cards, including Eli Lilly and Co. and Pfizer Inc., which charge a fee. The goal of the association is to let seniors have one free card to access all discount programs, including companies that don’t offer cards.

If all those manufacturers agree to participate, the new One Card would reduce consumer confusion and inconvenience as more pharmacy cards enter the market, said Craig Fuller, association president and chief executive.

“I hope it’s the case that the manufacturer sees us as having significantly lowered the threshold for participation,” Fuller said. “By that I mean they don’t have to go out on their own and launch their whole new program. They have a vehicle now.”

Argus will make money as an administrator of the One Card program by charging transaction fees to drug manufacturers to process claims. Free enrollment for low-income seniors is expected to begin in April.

President Bush is touting his own revised plan to encourage seniors to buy the discount cards from private companies by giving some cards what amounts to a government seal of approval. After paying a one-time enrollment fee  not more than $25  seniors could get discounts of up to 15 percent on some medicines, White House officials said.

The drug store chain association sued after Bush announced an initial plan last year, contending it did not clearly outline who must subsidize the lower prices. It also questioned whether federal officials had the power to promote the pharmacy cards without congressional approval.

A federal judge prevented the program from starting because of the likelihood that the government did not have that authority. But in November, he allowed the government to submit a new proposal.