Early Monday morning, May 1st, I am flying to
Washington, D.C. with my son to attend a Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS)
conference. The main purpose for me is to talk to several Congressmen and
Congresswomen about drug parity bills that are on the table. Once cancer
patients go on Medicare (age 65), the out-of-pocket cost of oral cancer drugs
becomes unaffordable for most people.
Cancer drugs are cancer drugs whether they are delivered
intravenously or orally. The insurance laws were written before oral cancer
drugs were invented. This needs to be changed.
In the meantime, Len K (lenkeck) gave me permission to repost his
Health Unlocked response to help those Medicare patients struggling with co-pay
payments and access to their cancer drugs. Please note that these non-profit
organizations are usually funded by Pharma companies.
See the full
list:
Programs that
Assist with Medication
Co-pays
Some organizations
offer to help insured patients that are having difficulty paying the co-pays
for their medications or their insurance. These programs are for very specific
diseases or medications. Some of these programs include:
Caring Voice Coalition
was established early in 2003 to serve comprehensive needs of all individuals
affected by serious and chronic disorders, through collaborative efforts and
partnerships with organizations established to serve those patient populations.
Current programs include: Insurance Reimbursement and Advocacy, Vital Relief
(need based financial assistance limited to certain disorders or medical
conditions), Compassionate Care (counseling and counseling referrals) and
Public Advocacy. Visit:caringvoice.org/
The Chronic Disease Fund,
a non-profit organization founded in 2003. Its focus is to provide assistance
to those under-insured patients who are diagnosed with chronic or life altering
diseases that require the use of expensive, specialty therapeutics.
Visit: https://www.guidestar.org/profile/61-1462062/
The HealthWell Foundation,
a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization established in 2003 to address the needs of
individuals who cannot afford their insurance copayments, premiums,
coinsurance, or other out-of-pocket health care costs. Visit: healthwellfoundation.org
The National Marrow Patient Assistance Program and Financial
Assistance Fund. The Marrow
Foundation is the fund-raising partner of the National Marrow Donor Program
(NMDP). Funds from this program help patients pay for searching the National
Marrow Donor Program (NMDP) Registry and/or some post-transplant costs.
Applications for Patient Assistance Program funds must be submitted by an NMDP
transplant center. Eligible patients may ask their transplant center
coordinator to apply for one or both programs. Call 1
(888)999-6743 or email patientinfo@nmdp.org.
Visit: bethematch.org
The Patient Access Network Foundation is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to
supporting the needs of patients that cannot access the treatments they need
due to out-of-pocket health care costs. Visit: patientaccessnetwork.org
The Patient Advocate Foundation, a national non-profit organization that seeks to safeguard
patients through effective mediation assuring access to care, maintenance of
employment and preservation of their financial stability. The Patient Advocate
Foundation's Co-Pay Relief (CPR) Program provides direct co-payment assistance
for pharmaceutical products to insured Americans who financially and medically
qualify. The Program offers personal service to all patients through the use of
CPR call counselors. Visit: copays.org
Patient Services Incorporated, developed in 1989, is a non-profit charitable organization
primarily dedicated to subsidizing the high cost of health insurance premiums
and pharmacy co-payments for persons with specific chronic illnesses and rare
disorders. PSI is committed to assisting persons with chronic medical illnesses
in accessing health insurance and pharmacy co-payment assistance. Families
requiring assistance in maintaining the high cost of their health insurance
premiums or co-payments are offered assistance based upon the severity of
medical and financial need. PSI offers a "safety net" for persons who
have expensive chronic illnesses and for those persons who "fall through
the financial assistance cracks.
Visit: https//www.patientservicesinc.org
Love & Gratitude,
Dr. La Verne
