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FAQs
- What are patient assistant programs?
- What makes a person eligible for these programs?
- Is every medication available at no cost?
- What is the process of enrolling in these programs?
- How long does it take to get the medication?
- How is the medication sent?
- How long can the patient get free medication?
- Do these programs cover medical supplies, diabetic supplies,
or over-the-counter products?
- 1 . What are patient assistant programs?
- Many pharmaceutical companies in response to the growing cost of medicine
now sponsor patient assistance programs. These programs provide medication
free of charge to patients who qualify. Qualifications vary from company
to company, but most are based on income and lack of outpatient prescription
coverage. Age is not a factor in order to qualify.
- 2. What makes a person eligible for these programs?
- Each pharmaceutical company will have it's own eligibility requirements.
Income and lack of prescription coverage is normally the most important criteria
for determining whether someone can enroll. The patient also must not qualify
for any third party coverage, such as a state or federal program that would
cover the cost of their medicine.
Individual's income criteria vary with family incomes ranging from bellow
the poverty level to up to $ 60,000. These are for medications that are used
to treat things such as Multiple Sclerosis, Aids, Cancer, or other rare disorders.
Medications for these specific illnesses are extremely expensive and are
therefore subject to different guidelines by the companies that manufacture
them.
Other factors such as number of people in the household and total medical
cost may also be considered.
- 3. Is every medication available at no cost?
- Normally only brand name products have programs. This is because they are
more expensive and have no generic available on the market. Once they go
off patent and the patient can now buy it for a fraction of the brand name
cost, the company that manufactures the brand name has no reason to make
it available for free.
- 4. What is the process of enrolling in these programs?
- The majority of the companies have applications that must be completed
and signed by both the applicant and the doctor. The patient fills out their
general information (they may be asked to include verification of income
and lack of prescription coverage). It is then given to the doctor's office
to be finished and signed. The physician's office will include either specific
prescription information or an actual prescription to be sent along with
the application to the program address. It is either mailed or faxed according
to that programs instruction.
A few companies allow enrollment by the doctor's office over the phone. These
cases will include specific information on procedure and patient information
to have on hand when calling.
- 5. How long does it take to get the medication?
- The time will vary with each company. It can be anywhere from 2 to 6 weeks.
If the actual mail date of the application is longer than this, then the
company should be contacted by the physician's office to make sure that everything
was completed as instructed.
- 6. How is the medication sent?
- Depending on the pharmaceutical company, and the type of medication, it
will either be sent to the physician's office, or directly to the patient's
house. Some may send a voucher that is taken to your local pharmacy and redeemed.
Specific information on how it is dispensed should be on the application.
If applying for more than one medication, the applicant should be aware that
they would arrive at different times, since it is manufactured and sponsored
by different companies. Normally a three-month supply is sent each time.
- 7. How long can the patient get free medication?
- Most companies allow for refills. Some have limits of only a three- month
supply, while others allow the patient to apply indefinitely. Some have applications
that are only renewed once a year, while others require a new one every three
months. Refills are not sent automatically. The initial application needs
to be read thoroughly and refill request sent with processing time allowed.
- 8. Do these programs cover medical supplies, diabetic
supplies, or over-the-counter products?
- No, patient assistance programs are only for brand name medications.
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