Insured patients receiving treatment for the liver disease hepatitis B
have access to new funding to help with prescription co-pay relief. The
Patient Advocate Foundation, based in Hampton, has announced a new
national assistance fund to help with out-of-pocket pharmaceutical
expenses.
The
foundation's co-pay relief program, which funnels funds to patients in
several disease "silos" — cancers, heart disease, etc. — has been
providing direct financial support for qualified insured patients since
2004, distributing more than $190 million in assistance to more than
95,000 patients.
The new grant funding will give qualified
patients up to $4,000 per year for prescription costs, said Erin
Singleton of the Patient Advocate Foundation. She noted that many
pharmaceutical companies offer free drug programs and some contribute to
co-pay relief, but these are typically restricted to those with
commercial insurance and not those with federal benefits, such as
Medicare seniors. They may find themselves in the "donut hole," a gap in
prescription coverage.
Read more...Labels: co-pay relief, Patient Advocate Foundation, Virginia