Help with drug costs and other medical expenses
Medicare and Medigap
Currently does not provide drug coverage but may provide other assistance. Medigap plans with prescription drug coverage may be more costly than benefits warrant. Need to evaluate for your situation.
Go to www.medicare.gov/Basics/Overview.asp and
www.medicare.gov/MGCompare/Home.asp
Medicaid for people with disabilities living on low incomes who are under 65 yrs of age.
12 states offer pharmacy assistance programs for these people.
State Health Insurance Programs (SHIPS) can help you find government and private prescription drug coverage resources in your state as well as Medicaid prescription benefits that may be available.
Listing of SHIP web sites for each state, go to:
www.medicare.gov/Contacts/Related/Ships.asp or
www.qdrug.com/sf/
Manufacturers’ rebate cards: Major prescription medication manufacturers offer free discount cards for Medicare recipients. Although some of the Web site home pages say that the cards are for seniors anybody enrolled in Medicare is eligible for the programs.
Pfizer offer the Share Card for medicare recipients
(no prescripition coverage and gross income does not exceed 18,000 for individuals or 24,000 for couples. Card entitles the holder to a flat rate of 15 for each 30 day suppoy of any Pfizer prescription drug (except Celebrex) including Zoloft and Neurontin.
www.pfizerforliving.com
Eli Lillys’ card: Lilly Answers Card
Identical income requirements. Card entitles holders to a flat 12 for a month’s supply of Lilly prescription www.lillyanswers/com
GlaxoSmithKline offers the Orange Card. Income allowances are 26,000 for singles and 35000 for couples. Holders save 30% to 40% on all GlaxoSmithKline medications that are not administered by a doctor or in a hospital. www.gsk.com
Novartis cffers the CARE CARD
Entitles holders to 30-40% off selected outpatient products
Allowance is apporx. 26000 for individuals and 35000 for couples
www.novartis.com
The Together RX card offered by a consortium of drug manufacturers including GlasxoSmithKline, Novartis and 5 others. Must be enrolled in Medicare to participate. Have no other prescription coverage
Income allowances of up to 28000 for singles and 38000 for couples
Offers savings of 20-40% www.together-rx.com
Income based assistance is available from the manufacturers of almost all prescription medications if the person and/or his doctor apply for them. Each manufacturer has its own program and processes. You must file a separate application for each medication. In some instances the drug company may find you eligible for free medication. The following organizations ban help you find the programs and applications.
The Medicine Program: www.themedicineprogram.com
Assists people who do not have insurance coverage for drugs. The assistance costs $5 for each drug you list.
A free meds program www.NeedyMeds.com is a not-for-profit web site that is a helpful resource. Does not offer any assistance in applying to programs but it does offer a large and easily searchable database of manufacturers applications for cost reductions and exemptions.
PhRMA Foundation provides a list of patient assistance programs.
This site offers a way to type in the name of the medication your income and # of family members to see if you qualify. If you do it will give you the information needed to apply or a number to call. http://www.helpingpatients.org/ follow the step by step instructions it's easy. There is no cost to obtaining this information.
www.disabilityresources.org/RX.html is a broad listing of Web sites that can help you find additional resources for low cost prescription drugs
Prescription Drug Assistance Programs http://www.geocities.com/CapitolHill/1703/RX.html
How to apply for Free Drug Assistance
Sunflower.org. Free Drug Listings
www.sunflower.org/~cfsdays/freedrug.htm
Medication Manufacturers' Indigent Drug Programs
http://www.cancercareinc.org/services/drug_companies.htm
Cancer Care, Inc.: Medication Manufacturers' Indigent Drug Programs
http://www.noah.cuny.edu/cancer/cancercare/services/referral/drug.html
Directory of Prescription Drug Indigent Programs Pharmaceutical Manufacturers'...
http://www.immunet.org/immunet/atn.nsf/page/a-186-01
NEMA Products - free prescription medications Guide to Prescription Drug Assistance Programs, available... http://www.nemahealth.org/products3.html
Free Med Programs for Indigent Patients Might Your Patient Qualify?
http://www.axom.com/r9700334/freemeds.html
Indigent Drug Programs
http://familymedicine.about.com/health/medicine/familymedicine/msubindigent.htm?terms=Indigent&PM=113_300_T
Indigent Prescription Programs
Once you get to the link below, type Indigent drug program in the search window and then using the down arrow in the next little window that says “in channel” click on “In About” then click on “GO”
This will bring up a list of links to indigent prescription programs
http://charlestonwv.about.com/local/southeastus/charlestonwv/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?site=http://www.li.net/~edhayes/indigent.html
The DRM WebWatcher Prescription Drug Assistance Programs
General, easy to use Search Engine to check for other programs
http://www.askjeeves.com/
A number of drug companies have similar programs. They can be accessed at www.phrma.org."
Network Points Patients to Drug-Payment Help A new service offered by the Patient Assistance Network in Washington, D.C. may be able to help individuals who cannot afford their prescription medicine. The network helps people apply for assistance programs. Most programs provide free prescription medication to individuals in need if they meet the sponsor's criteria. Consumers can receive a personalized prescription application instruction package by mailing $5 to Patient Assistance Network, Dept. PPA-0109, P.O. Box 60382, Washington, D.C. 20039-0382. The patient's name, name and address of the prescribing physician and the name of the drug are required. Call 202-595-1038 or visit www.patientassistance-network.org for more information.
