• Posted by Zachary on July 19, 2007 at 6:01 pm

    I got this from Cure magazine. I hope it helps those of you who could use a hand financially:

    Help for Patients

    The costs of cancer treatment can quickly become overwhelming, even if you have medical insurance. Patient assistance programs are offered by various companies, nonprofits and government agencies to help patients with little or no insurance get access to drugs and money for other expenses.

    If you’re interested in enrolling in a patient assistance program, you must first gather information, usually from your doctor or the maker of the specific drug you’re taking for which you need assistance. A doctor must be involved in the process because the physician writes the prescription for the medication.

    Many patient assistance applications will require proof of income, including tax returns, social security income, interest and retirement to prove financial burden and to meet income requirements. Faxing the information often speeds up the process. In addition to many state governments, numerous organizations provide information on patient assistance programs, including the ones listed below.

    Amgen Reimbursement Connection
    800-272-9376
    http://www.amgen.com/patients/assistance.html
    For patients who are uninsured or underinsured and who have limited financial resources; based on insured status and income level. Drugs in this program include Aranesp® (darbepoetin alfa) and Neulasta® (pegfilgrastim).

    Bristol-Myers Squibb Patient Assistance Foundation
    800-736-0003
    http://www.bmspaf.org
    Established to provide temporary assistance to patients with financial hardship who generally have no private prescription drug insurance and are not enrolled in a prescription drug coverage plan through Medicaid or any other federal, state or local health program.

    CancerCare
    800-813-4673
    http://www.cancercare.org/get_help/assistance
    CancerCare’s financial assistance program provides limited grants for certain expenses related to treatment.

    Genentech’s Single Point of Contact
    888-249-4918
    http://www.spoconline.com
    [Avastin Expenditure Cap: 800-232-2717]
    A reimbursement resource for Genentech products that provides information to patients and their health care providers.

    GlaxoSmithKline’s Commitment to Access
    866-265-6491
    http://www.commitmenttoaccess.gsk.com
    Provides outpatient medications to eligible low-income patients who do not have prescription drug benefits.

    Lilly Cares
    800-545-6962
    http://www.lillycares.com
    Provides temporary assistance to patients obtaining Lilly or Dista medication.

    Merck’s ACT Program

    866-363-6379

    http://www.emend.com/aprepitant/emend/consumer/reimbursement/what_is_act.jsp

    ACT is a two-part program specifically designed to assist insured patients with insurance reimbursement issues, and to provide product support for those qualified individuals lacking coverage for Emend® (aprepitant).

    Partnership for Prescription Assistance
    888-477-2669
    http://www.pparx.org
    Offers a single point of access to more than 275 public and private patient assistance programs.

    Patient Advocate Foundation’s Co-Pay Relief
    866-512-3861
    http://www.copays.org
    Provides direct financial assistance to qualified patients to enable them to afford co-payments required by their insurance. Offers personal service to all patients through call counselors.

    Pfizer’s FirstRESOURCE
    877-744-5675
    http://www.pfizerhelpfulanswers.com
    FirstRESOURCE provides products to eligible, low-income, uninsured and underinsured patients.

    RxAssist and Rx Outreach Patient Assistance Programs
    http://www.rxassist.org
    Offers assistance to patients without prescription drug coverage who meet income requirements.

    Rx Hope
    877-979-4673
    http://www.rxhope.com
    Offers information on assistance programs from various pharmaceutical companies; offers an Assistance Finder, which matches patient information against available federal, state and charitable prescription drug programs.

    Sanofi-Aventis’s PACT Plus
    800-996-6626
    oncology.sanofi-aventis.us/reimbursement.do
    Offers reimbursement services and patient assistance programs for most products including Taxotere® (doxetaxel) and Eloxatin® (oxaliplatin injection).

    Schering-Plough’s Commitment to Care Program
    800-521-7157
    http://www.schering-plough.com/schering_plough/corp/commitment_care.jsp
    Provides free cancer medications through patient assistance programs to people with low incomes who do not have prescription drug coverage.

    Together Rx Access
    800-444-4106
    http://www.togetherrxaccess.com
    Assistance for patients who are ineligible for Medicare, have no prescription drug coverage and meet household income and age requirements.


    “Standing on my Head”–my chemo journal
    T3a Grade 4 N+M0
    RC at USC/Norris June 23, 2006 by Dr. John Stein
    Zachary replied 17 years, 1 month ago 3 Members · 4 Replies
  • 4 Replies
  • zachary

    Member
    July 31, 2007 at 3:34 am

    Rosie, that sounds like a tremendous resource.


    “Standing on my Head”–my chemo journal
    T3a Grade 4 N+M0
    RC at USC/Norris June 23, 2006 by Dr. John Stein
  • rosie

    Member
    July 30, 2007 at 5:27 pm

    Wendy, Zach and all, I just found a brochure that was included in the packet my urologist gave me for my upcoming Gyrus Resection of my bladder tumor at Sentara Hospital. The brochure is entitled Patient Advocate Foundation. Direct Services Provided to Patients at No Cost Include:
    Negotiation pre-authorization approvals; Providing assistance at expedting the appeal process: Ndegotiation resolutions to coding and billing errors, Resolving debt crisis realted to diagnosis, Mediating insurance apppeals, Negotiating access to pharmaceutical agents, chemotherapy, medical devices and surgical procedures, Co-ordinating benefits, Brokering resources to supplement to limits of Insurance and to assist access to care for the UNINSURED, Resolving insurance issues in the public and private sector. It also has a co-pay relief program. The website is http://www.patientadvocate.org or telephone 1-800-532-5274. The organization can be of help to all of us in some way, I am sure. Rosie

  • zachary

    Member
    July 29, 2007 at 2:58 pm

    Please do!


    “Standing on my Head”–my chemo journal
    T3a Grade 4 N+M0
    RC at USC/Norris June 23, 2006 by Dr. John Stein
  • wendy

    Member
    July 29, 2007 at 2:23 pm

    Zachary, thank you so much for posting this great info. I have a page on the main site but your source cites a bunch more. I hope you don’t mind if I add this?
    http://blcwebcafe.org/financialresources.asp

    Thanks again for the tips.
    Wendy

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