The Medicine Program-Helping Those Who Can't Afford Their Prescription Drugs
What can a person do, or whom can you turn to if you can not afford the cost of your prescription drugs. Well there is an organization that may be able to help you if you meet the following criteria:
The name of the organization is The Medicine Program and if you want to visit their site please go to http://www.themedicineprogram.com. To quote from their site:
"Our function, in cooperation with the physician, is to assist patients who may qualify to enroll in one or more of the many patient assistance programs now available. These programs provide prescription medicine free of charge to individuals in need, regardless of age, if they meet the sponsor's criteria."
The program helps needy people apply for enrollment in one or more of the patient assistance programs available. The organization will work in conjunction with your physician to help you apply to one of the programs available from the various drug companies for no charge prescription drugs. If you go to the company's site listed above you will find the application form needed for enrolling in the program. Once you send in the application the company states that they will respond to your application by return mail.
Each applicant will receive a customized packet that will help you in applying to the appropriate drug manufacturer. The package will also contain a letter to your physician requesting the physician's assistance and recommendation in connection with your application. The physician's recommendation has a significant bearing on your acceptance or rejection by the drug manufacturing company. The completed application is sent to the appropriate manufacturer, and if approval is granted it usually takes 2-3 weeks before you actually receive the medication.
To be eligible for the drug the household income limit requirement varies with each manufacturer. " Decisions concerning which medications are provided free-of-charge and which individuals are accepted into the programs are made solely by the various program sponsors".
A $5 processing fee must accompany the application, but the program guarantees a full refund if no medication is received, and the patient is determined to be ineligible for assistance by all applicable manufacturers. Refund requests must be made within 120 days after the original application is made to the program.
For further help in finding out what is available to pay for prescription drugs please see our article: "Using the Web to Help Buy Discounted Prescription Drugs".
FOR AN INFORMATIVE AND PERSONAL ARTICLE ON PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS WHEN SELECTING A NURSING HOME SEE OUR ARTICLE
"How to Select a Nursing Home"
By Allan Rubin
updated January 28, 2003
To e-mail: hrubin12@nyc.rr.com or rubin@brainlink.com