Hepatitis C-What if I need Financial Assistance to Pay for Treatment?

What if I need Financial Assistance to Pay for Treatment?

If you need help to pay for your prescription medications, you may be eligible for patient assistance programs. The following organizations provide programs that directly reduce the cost of prescription drugs or can assist you in finding programs for which you are eligible.

American Liver Foundation

The American Liver Foundation’s Financial Assistance Resource Support Guide is available for more information: Download

Needy Meds

Needy Meds is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to help people who cannot afford medicine or health care costs.

Program

Needy Meds has a patient assistance program database for patients to search for medications they are taking or need: http://www.needymeds.org/program_list.taf. The Needy Meds Drug Discount Card provides savings on prescription medicines and over-the-counter medications. For more information…

Eligibility

For the Needy Meds Drug Discount Card, there are no income, insurance or residency requirements, and no fees or registration process to use the card. Eligibility varies by program.
Contact Information

Needy Meds
P.O. Box 219
Gloucester, MA 01931
Website

Partnership for Prescription Assistance

The Partnership for Prescription Assistance helps qualifying patients without prescription drug coverage to access the medicines they need.

Program

The Partnership for Prescription Assistance has an online prescription assistance program finder

Eligibility

Eligibility depends on the patient assistance program. Application
Contact Information

Partnership for Prescription Assistance
Phone: 1-888-477-2669
Website

State Pharmaceutical Assistance Programs

Many states offer subsidies to provide pharmaceutical coverage or a discount program for prescriptions to eligible individuals.
Program

For information on what programs are provided in each state…

Eligibility

Eligibility requirements vary from state to state. For more details…
Contact Information

Contact information varies by state. For more details…

Together Rx Access

Together Rx Access assists eligible patients with obtaining discounted prescriptions.
Program

The Together Rx Access Card provides savings on prescriptions to eligible patients in the US and Puerto Rico. For a list of medications covered…

Eligibility

Eligibility requirements can be found here. Application
Contact Information

Together Rx Access
PO Box 9426 Wilmington, DE 19809-9944
Phone: 1-800-444-4106
Website

Additional organizations include:

RxAssist offers a comprehensive database of patient assistance programs, as well as news and practical tools. Visit them on the Web. [link to: http://rxassist.org]

RxOutreach is a mail order pharmacy for people with little to no health insurance coverage. Visit them on the Web. [link to: http://www.rxoutreach.org]

Patient Access Network is a non-profit organization that provides assistance to under-insured people for their out-of-pocket expenses for life-saving medications. Visit them on the Web. [link to: www.panfoundation.org]

Chronic Disease Fund is a non-profit charitable organization that helps people with chronic disease, cancer and other life-altering conditions obtain the life-savings medications they need. Visit them on the Web. [link to: http://www.cdfund.org]

There are also pharmaceutical company sponsored prescription assistance programs for specific drugs used to treat Hepatitis C. The drugs are listed below by their brand name:

Victrelis and PegIntron
Merck ACT Program – Reimbursement Services and Patient Assistance Programs
866-363-6379
www.merckhelps.com

Incivek
Vertex Patient Assistance
855-846-2484
www.incivek.com

Pegasys and Copegus
Genentech Assistance
888-941-3331
www.genentechaccesssolutions.com

To apply for drug assistance programs you will likely be asked for the following information, so it’s helpful to have it handy before contacting these organizations:

State of residence and zip code
Estimated gross annual household income
Number of people living in the household
Brand name of the prescription medicines you have been prescribed
Type of health insurance and/or prescription coverage, if any
Name and contact information of your doctor who prescribed the medication

All information discussed with people staffing patient assistance help lines is strictly confidential.

http://hepc.liverfoundation.org/support/what-if-i-need-financial-assistance-to-pay-for-treatment

Also See - Patient Assistance Programs

Patient Advocate Foundation Announces $9.3 Million Donation to their Co-Pay Relief (CPR) Program

WASHINGTON, Dec. 9, 2011 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- Additional Funding to CPR Program Will Serve Nonsquamous Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC), Breast Cancer, Colon Cancer, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Hepatitis C Patients in Need of Financial Assistance

Patient Advocate Foundation (PAF) is pleased to announce that it has received a $9.3 million contribution, from an existing partner, providing further support through its Co-Pay Relief Program (CPR) for patients suffering from nonsquamous non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), breast cancer, colon cancer, rheumatoid arthritis and hepatitis C who are unable to afford their medical co-payments. These funds are currently available to qualified patients.

PAF's CPR Program provides direct financial support for pharmaceutical co-payments to insured patients, including Medicare Part D beneficiaries, who financially and medically qualify. Since the program's inception in April 2004, CPR has distributed more than $130 million in assistance to more than 50,000 patients nationwide who were unable to afford their pharmaceutical co-payments.

"The Co-Pay Relief Program was developed after PAF recognized extreme increases each year in the number of patients seeking pharmaceutical co-pay assistance, despite the fact they were insured," said Nancy Davenport-Ennis, Founder and CEO of PAF. "Battling any disease is difficult, particularly now with the high out-of-pocket expenses that are routinely incurred by patients. Thanks to this extremely generous donation, we will be able to offer an even greater level of support to patients seeking help with their pharmaceutical co-payments."

On August 1, 2011, PAF announced a new operational model for CPR that serves more patients, provides enhanced service to both providers and patients through new technology tools, and allows for many more patient approvals. CPR donations are now released in total into each disease silo immediately upon receipt, rather than dividing contributions across a twelve month period. CPR accepts all qualified new and renewal applications on a first come first serve basis with no limit imposed on the number of approvals issued monthly. CPR also accepts and processes all expenditures on a first come, first serve basis until the available funds in the entire silo are exhausted. Eligible expenditures may be submitted by patients, providers and/or pharmacists.

"We are excited about CPR's use of state-of-the-art technology solutions to deliver a high degree of automation and efficiency to program users. For example, electronic signature and file upload capabilities have been integrated into both the online application and the expenditure submission processes, including the capability for a user to fax documents which use a barcode based routing system," said Beth Patterson, President of Mission Delivery, and Fran Castellow, President of Operations. "These technological enhancements allow the patient, provider and pharmacy communities to leverage existing Electronic Health Records (EHR) or their Health Information Technology (HIT) to increase the speed with which their expenditures and applications are processed. In addition, CPR still has secure web-based portal access 24 hours a day, online assistance capabilities and live assistance via the toll-free phone number."

Patient Advocate Foundation and its companion organization, the National Patient Advocate Foundation (NPAF), were founded on the principle that health care is a basic human need and shared social responsibility. Annually, PAF receives thousands of contacts requesting information and assistance via their toll-free hotline, as well as online, with complete direct, sustained case management services provided to patients from all fifty states free of charge. For more information about PAF, visit www.patientadvocate.org or call toll free (800) 532-5274. For more information about PAF's Co-Pay Relief Program visit www.copays.org or call toll free (866) 512-3861.

SOURCE
Patient Advocate Foundation

Copyright (C) 2011 PR Newswire. All rights reserved
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/patient-advocate-foundation-announces-93-million-donation-to-their-co-pay-relief-cpr-program-2011-12-09

Merck has included Victrelis/Boceprevir to its patient assistance program/May 22

http://www.merck.com/merckhelps/

Merck will include Victrelis to its patient assistance program through which eligible patients may be able to receive product free of charge.

Many Merck medicines are included in this program. A partial list of Merck medicines follows. Please call The ACT Program at 1-866-363-6379 for the full list of covered products.

• EMEND^® (aprepitant)
• EMEND^® (fosaprepitant dimeglumine) for Injection
• INTRON^®A (interferon alfa-2b, recombinant) for Injection
  Before prescribing INTRON A, please read the Prescribing Information, including Medication Guide and Boxed Warnings about fatal or life-threatening neuropsychiatric, autoimmune, ischemic and infectious disorders.
• NOXAFIL^® (posaconazole) Oral Solution
• PEGINTRON^® (peginterferon alfa-2b) Powder for Injection
  Before prescribing PEGINTRON, please read the Prescribing Information, including Medication Guide and Boxed Warnings about fatal or life-threatening neuropsychiatric, autoimmune, ischemic and infectious disorders and ribavirin-associated birth defects and fetal death.
• SYLATRON^™ (peginterferon alfa-2b)
  Before prescribing SYLATRON, please read the Prescribing Information, including Medication Guide and the Boxed Warning about depression and other neuropsychiatric disorders.
• TEMODAR^® (temozolomide)
• TICE^® BCG LIVE (for intravesical use)
  Before prescribing TICE BCG, please read the Prescribing Information, including the BOXED WARNING about potential risk for transmission of the live attenuated mycobacteria contained in TICE BCG.
• VICTRELIS^™ (boceprevir)
• ZOLINZA^® (vorinostat)

Who May Qualify

If you have been prescribed a Merck medicine, you may be eligible for the program if all 3 of the following conditions apply:

1. You are a US resident and have a prescription for a Merck medicine from a doctor licensed in the United States.*
   AND
2. You do not have insurance or other coverage for your prescription medicine.
   Some examples of other insurance coverage include private insurance, HMOs, Medicaid, Medicare, state pharmacy assistance programs, veterans assistance, or any other social service agency support.
   AND
3. You cannot afford to pay for your medicine.
   You may qualify for the program if you have a household income of $43,560 or less for individuals, $58,840 or less for couples, or $89,400 or less for a family of 4.**

At Merck we realize that sometimes exceptions need to be made based on the patient's individual circumstances. If you do not meet the prescription drug coverage criteria, your income meets the program criteria, and there are special circumstances of financial and medical hardship that apply to your situation, you can request that an exception be made for you.
.
Download and print out an application with instructions

• English*
  [PDF: 934 KB, 3 pages]
• Spanish*
   [PDF: 459 KB, 3 pages]

Patients/Consumers:
Patients can call 1-800-727-5400 toll free 8:00 AM–8:00 PM ET to obtain a brochure outlining the program and an enrollment application. The enrollment application must be completed by the patient and his or her physician.

OR

Patients/consumers may request a brochure and application online.

See Mercks Website For More Information

Related; VICTRELIS™- Boceprevir: Prescribing Information and Medication Guide

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Video/Living with Hepatitis C: Viral Load Testing at The Chance Center

Three to four times a year The Chance Center of St. Petersburg, Fl offers free viral load testing for persons with viral hepatitis B & C. This is a video of our Oct. 26,2010 testing day. Over 200 persons in our community received were blessed.

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Prescription Help: HCV drugs and many more

Prescription Hope

Also See: Drug Assistance Programs

On the website it listed :PEG-Intron, peginterferon alfa-2b and ribavirin

With this disclaimer : * This medication list is subject to change at any time. Each medication is subject to pharmaceutical company approval. If the medication you are looking for does not appear on this list, please call Prescription Hope to check availability.

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You may qualify for Prescription Hope if:

•If you earn $30,000 or less per year as a single person or $50,000 or less as a couple. These are average figures; some pharmacutical company's guidelines may be higher.

•You may have a discount prescription drug card and still qualify.

•Do not participate in Medicaid.

•You are experiencing financial hardship.

How the Program Works

•Perspective patients can pre-enroll by calling Prescription Hope toll free 1-877-296-Hope (4673) to receive an application packet, or download an application at http://www.prescriptionhope.com/ .

•In less than 24 hours an enrollment counselor with Prescription Hope will match your prescriptions using our state of the art software system with the correct pharmaceutical companies, and begin the process of completing all applications on behalf of the patient and doctor.
•Prescription Hope will work closely with your doctor's office to have their applications completed efficiently and in a timely manner.
•After we receive your completed applications from the doctor's office, we will check them for completeness and accuracy, attach all necessary documents and forward them to the pharmaceutical companies for their approval.
•Once the pharmaceutical company receives your application, it normally takes 1 to 3 weeks to receive your medications.
•For your convenience most of your medication will be shipped in a 3 month supply to your home or your doctor's office.
•Prescription Hope will track your prescriptions and automatically re-fill with the pharmaceutical companies to ensure continual prescription medication coverage as easy and hassle free as possible.

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Who is Prescription Hope?
We are a service based organization. We are not an online pharmacy. We work directly with each pharmaceutical companies' patient assistance program to assist you in the administrative process which the pharmaceutical companies require to receive their medication.

How much does the Prescription Hope program cost?
The only cost associated with the program is a $15 per prescription per month service fee. There are no application fees, no other medication cost, and no hidden costs.

When will I start being charged for Prescription Hope's services?
Charges will begin for our services approximately 30 days from the time we receive your application.

Am I getting the actual drug prescribed or a generic form of it?
All drugs are filled, as prescribed, by your doctor, if offered under the program.

How many different medications are offered under the program?
Over 1,500 brand name medications are offered under the program.

What happens if my medication is not offered under the program?
If this should happen; you simply notify your doctor who, in many cases, may be able to prescribe an alternate drug that may qualify.

If I am receiving drugs under this program, can my spouse be considered as well?
Yes, as long as he or she fills out a separate enrollment application.

How long should I expect from the time I apply to the date I receive my medication?
When all the requested information is collected from both you and your doctor, you should receive your medication within 4 weeks or less.

Is there a limit to the number of medications I can receive under the program?
No, as long as all medications are prescribed for you by your physician.

How will I know when to renew my medications?
With Prescription Hopes automated three step renewal system, we maintain the goal of continual prescription coverage.

Can I still take part even if I have prescription coverage through my HMO?
Yes. Most HMO's have a prescription limit. All we need is an exhaustion letter from your HMO provider stating that you have used up your prescription benefit.
Can I participate in this program if I have Medicare?
Yes.

Can I participate in this program if I have a prescription discount card?
Yes. A discount card does not disqualify you from the program.

How are my medications delivered?
Your medications usually are delivered in a 3 months supply directly to your home or to your doctors office.

Over 1,500 brand name medications for only $15.00 a month!

http://www.prescriptionhope.com/enrollment.html