Due to rising health costs, some people cannot afford to purchase the prescription medications they need. Those without insurance have to pay for their medications out of their own pockets, and some people do not make enough income to purchase expensive drugs. Some drug companies and nonprofit organizations offer prescription assistance programs to help these patients get the medications they need.
Abbott Patient Assistance Foundation
The Abbott Patient Assistance Foundation gives free medications, diabetic products and nutritional products to people who do not have medical coverage or the financial resources to purchase these products. Some of the products offered by this Abbott program include clycosporine, niacin, glucose test strips, antiviral drugs and nutritional supplements. Applicants must fill out a foundation application and attach proof of income for everyone in their households. Abbott also requires a physician to sign and date the application.
Abbott Patient Assistance Foundation
P.O. Box 270
Somerville, NJ 08876
1-866-898-1473
abbottpatientassistancefoundation.org
AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals
AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals offers prescription assistance to individuals making $30,000 per year or less, according to the AstraZeneca website. The program also covers families with an annual income of $60,000 or less. Some of the medications covered by this program include drugs for high blood pressure, bipolar disorder, acid reflux and asthma. Program applicants should not have private health insurance coverage, Medicare Part A, military benefits, Medicare Part B, Medicare Part D or state-provided prescription coverage. AstraZeneca requires applicants to complete an application and provide proof of income and a valid prescription for an AstraZeneca drug.
AZ & Me Prescription Savings Programs
P.O. Box 66551
St. Louis, MO 63166-6551
1-800-961-8323
astrazeneca-us.com
Boehringer Ingelheim CARES Foundation
The Boehringer Ingelheim CARES Foundation helps elderly people and low-income families get the medications they need. The program covers Aptivus, Catapres-TTS, Flomax, Micardis, Viramune, Spiriva and other medications made by Boehringer Ingelheim. The foundation offers prescription assistance to U.S. citizens who do not have prescription coverage through an employer or government agency. The income limit for this program is approximately 200 percent of the federal poverty income level, according to the Boehringer Ingelheim website. Patients must complete and sign an application for consideration.
Boehringer Ingelheim CARES Foundation, Inc.
c/o Express Scripts SDS, Inc.
P.O. Box 66555
St. Louis, MO 63166-6555
1-800-556-6317
us.boehringer-ingelheim.com
Bristol-Myers Squibb
Bristol-Myers Squibb has several prescription assistance programs. The Abilify Patient Assistance program covers Abilify, Abilify OS and Abilify Discmelt. The Bristol-Myers Squibb Patient Assistance Foundation covers Plavix, Avapro, Avalide and Onglyza. Other prescription assistance programs offered by Bristol-Myers Squibb cover cancer drugs, antivital drugs and Orencia, a drug used to treat severe rheumatoid arthritis. The eligibility requirements vary by program, but most of the programs require applicants to live in the United States and have some form of financial hardship.
Bristol-Myers Squibb Patient Assistance Foundation, Inc.
P.O. Box 1058
Somerville, NJ 08876
1-800-736-0003
bmspaf.org
GlaxoSmithKline
GlaxoSmithKline offers the Bridges to Access program, which covers drugs that treat infections, asthma, high blood pressure, depression and other medical conditions. Patients have next-day access to their medications if they enroll by telephone. If a patient does not need a prescription drug immediately, she can fill out the required forms and send them to GlaxoSmithKline in the mail. This program covers low-income participants who live in one of the 50 U.S. states or the District of Columbia. Applicants must fill out an enrollment form and submit valid prescriptions and proof of income.
Bridges to Access
P.O. Box 29038
Phoenix, AZ 85038-9038
1-866-728-4368
gskforyou.com
Johnson & Johnson Patient Assistance Foundation
The Johnson & Johnson Patient Assistance Foundation offers prescription assistance to U.S. citizens who need medications for muscle spasm, chronic pain, infection and other ailments. The program website estimates that 93 percent of the patients who apply for this program are accepted. Patients who need self-administered drugs have an income limit of $21,660 for an individual and $29,140 for a family of two. If a patient needs a physician-administered drug, the income limit increases to $43,320 or less for an individual and $58,280 for a family of two. The foundation adjusts the income limit for larger families. The program does not accept individuals who have private or public coverage for prescription medications.
Johnson & Johnson Patient Assistance Foundation, Inc.
Patient Assistance Program
P.O. Box 221857
Charlotte, NC 28222-1857
1-800-652-6227
jjpaf.org
Member Comments