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This information is awesome except you should be aware that individuals on SSDI, otherwise known as Disability can NOT participate in the drug company programs as there is a law against the drug companies providing financial help to those receiving benefits (SDSI & Medicare/Medicaid) from the government. I have written to the Medicare Advocacy Group to protest this law.
You can participate in the various foundation programs which I understand the drug companies help suppport. In my experience, the amount of help only covered my use of Enbrel for about half the year.
Hope that helps.
Sounds to me like the group who is sponsoring your aid is a non-profit group and not the drug company itself. that is the only way I know of to get around the law. The drug company is probably putting money into this foundation in order to provide aid, though not directly.
When I speak with our representatives and senators, none of them seem to know anything about this law.
If the foundation will sponsor you enough for the year and it is something that they will review to give you another year's worth and so on each year then I would move forward with it.
Enbrel is a miracle drug. Do not be afraid to go forward. With RA there are many hurdles but you have to be willing to go forward as best you can to get a quality of life that you deserve.
My best,
D
While I applaud the offering of patient assistance programs, they aren't guaranteed. If you are trying to decide on your treatment program based on the assistance program offered, I would recommend speaking to the individual in your physician's office who deals with these programs and knows them well to see what the reputation of the program is. I signed up for one of these programs that uses debit card if the doc's office accepts them, or reimburses by check if they don't. Due to an entry error on the part of the assistance program, I have been waiting well over a month for reimbursement, and was actually told by one of their reps that they wouldn't be reimbursing me for one of my infusions because of their error. It has taken many phone calls from me, my doc's office, and elevations of the issue to the quality assurance department to get them to agree to pay for that infusion, but I'm still waiting for reimbursement.
While I applaud the offering of patient assistance programs, they aren't guaranteed. If you are trying to decide on your treatment program based on the assistance program offered, I would recommend speaking to the individual in your physician's office who deals with these programs and knows them well to see what the reputation of the program is. I signed up for one of these programs that uses debit card if the doc's office accepts them, or reimburses by check if they don't. Due to an entry error on the part of the assistance program, I have been waiting well over a month for reimbursement, and was actually told by one of their reps that they wouldn't be reimbursing me for one of my infusions because of their error. It has taken many phone calls from me, my doc's office, and elevations of the issue to the quality assurance department to get them to agree to pay for that infusion, but I'm still waiting for reimbursement.
thank you lisa im going to give this a try i hope i can get some help with my meds the cost is just so much thank you for doing the hard work for us all i could do was cry an thinking about stopping everything the cost of meds an doctors an blood work xrays is adding up an im thinking what im i working for
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Awesome post! What a terrific resource. I know I'll be linking to this on a regular basis. Thanks so much!
thank you for the help, I wish this was available in the 1980's when i was first diagnosed. I don't think my RA would be as bad as it is. I have used the Enbrel financial help this ys. it was great.
I wiill save the list for future ref.