A new service launched recently that does something absolutely remarkable for people who are struggling to pay for their medications.

FreeMedicineRevolution.com not only provides you with the application forms for free medication, but the site also, for FREE, pre-qualifies you for each medication that you take. There is no obligation to use the qualification tool, and there is nothing else like it in the Internet.

This service takes attaining free medication to a whole new level by providing the most needy patients with access to the technology that clinics and hospitals use to qualify their patients. (And many institutions don’t even have access to anything this easy to use.)

Have you been wondering if you could get your prescriptions for free? Stop wondering and got get yourself pre-qualified right now. Make today the day that you decide to get out from under your mounting debt and free up your medication money for your family.

We will be following this service in the coming months and we are looking forward to writing about how many people they reach with their message of education and empowerment.

Alaska’s health assistance program for seniors 65+, SeniorCare, is in danger of being ended on June 30, 2007 unless the stae agrees to re-fund the program.

SeniorCare is a needs-based program providing cash assistance and prescription drug benefits. SeniorCare pays $120 per month to qualifying Alaskans with an annual income less than 135 percent of the federal poverty guideline. There are approximately 6,600 participants receiving cash assistance. Additionally, there are approximately 150 persons participating in the drug benefit.

The program is currently being debated in the state’s legislative session. The real issue is trying to fund the program that once cost less than $10 million a year to run, but would need an estimated $34 million a year to continue. The other issue is that the proposed extension of the program would NOT allow any new enrollees - which could open the state up to legal action that would require care be extended to ALL qualified seniors in the state.

The exact state of Alaska’s SeniorCare program is not yet known. There are three sticking points that must be addressed before the extension of the program can be passed, but Alaska is not unique in its quest to provide medical assistance to those who cannot pay. Hawaii’s program is also in a state of peril. We can only hope that the state governments are able to extend the support that the citizens so desperately need.

First started in 2002, Hawaii’s drug assistance program, called Rx Plus, is designed to help low- to middle-income Hawaii residents get help with their prescription medication costs. Rather that using the Patient Assistance Programs, the state actually negotiates lower drug acquisition costs and passes those savings on to consumers.

The program is called Hawaii Rx Plus. It is a free discount program for residents who earn too much money to qualify for Medicaid and either do not have insurance or have prescription drug needs not fully covered by their insurance.

The problem with the program is that the government is not actively pursuing the deals as set forth in the legislation.  The wording actually stated that they “may” negotiate, which left it open to avoiding the talks all together. The result has been that rates haven’t been as low as they could be.

State House and Senate Democrats, over Gov. Linda Lingle’s veto, amended the law this year to require the administration to negotiate by simply changing the word “may” to “shall.” The new law also requires the state to tell doctors about the differences in drug costs between manufacturers that offer rebates to the state and those that do not.

They are in a place now where they are ready to go to bat for their patients, but with an enrollment of just 112,000 people (all of whom make less than 3.5 times the poverty level), they need to start enrolling new patients rapidly to have the buying power that they need to get even better deals.

“The success of the program depends on the number of people we can enroll quickly,” Lillian Koller, director of the state Department of Human Services, said at the time. “As enrollment grows, we will be able to leverage our purchasing power with drug manufacturers and achieve greater discounts for our participants.”

Unfortunately, Hawaiians have not gotten the level of benefit that was expected from this program when it was created. They have faced opposition from lawmakers and manufacturers, and advocates have been left feeling frustrated on many levels. Hawaii should be proud of their efforts to provide prescription assistance to those in need, and we can only hope that they are able to soon provide the support that they had planned for.

We have often found that the problem is not a lack of free prescription assistance programs, but rather a lack of education about the programs that are available to provide prescription assistance. This is surely the case in Louisiana.

The state of Louisiana has a program called SenioRXx that was created to help seniors get relief from the burden of prescription medication costs.

The program is SenioRx, begun about four years ago through the Governor’s Office on Elderly Affairs. Its mission: Help eligible seniors obtain the prescription medications they need at no or very low cost to them.

The SenioRx program is now touring the state to try and raise awareness for the help that’s available to them. The situations that seniors often find themselves in is often grave:

“A lot of seniors cut their pills in half or take one a week when they should take it more often.”

In order to get help, patients need to be at least 60 years old, have an annual income “of $29,400 annually ($2,450 monthly) for a one-person household or $39,600 annually ($3,300 monthly) for a two-person household.” Those eligible must have no prescription drug coverage.” The program assists in completing all of the paperwork - the patient just needs to pick up the medication from their doctor.

As the article points out, the importance of this assistance goes beyond immediate relief of prescription costs. The reality is that seniors can expect more and more medication costs as they age, so it’s critical that they raise awareness right now so they are taken care of in the future.

To be sure, seniors understand illness will come and the need for increased medications may grow. Access to prescription drug assistance helps them to better manage their health and ease financial strain.

Kudos to the state of Louisiana for creating programs for prescription assistance and finding ways to spread the word about the help that’s available. We hope that all states follow your great example.

A full one quarter of Americans had difficulty paying for healthcare costs in 2006. If you are struggling to pay for your monthly medications, you are NOT alone! Here are some GREAT tips from lowering your prescription medication costs.

• Buy generic: Generic drugs are as safe as brand-name medications and typically cost 30 to 80 percent less. Ask your doctor if the medication you’re taking is available in generic form or check online at www.rxaminer.com. Discount retailers like Wal-Mart and Target are currently offering great deals, charging only $4 for a 30-day supply, while Kmart offers a 90-day supply for $15. Costco also offers low cost generics to its members.

• Ask about cheaper alternatives: Even if your drug doesn’t have a generic equivalent, there may be an older, less expensive brand-name drug your doctor can prescribe. Brand-name drugs on the market for seven or more years are up to 40 percent cheaper than newer ones, and studies show that older drugs are just as effective.

• Ask about free samples: Many doctors have extra supplies of medications in their offices and are willing to help out patients in need.

• Buy in bulk: Many pharmacies give discounts if you buy a three month supply of drugs at once versus a 30-day supply.

• Split your pills: Ask your doctor about cutting your pills in half. Pill splitting allows you to get two months’ worth of medicine for the price of one, but not all pills can be split. Splitting devices are available in most pharmacies, or for those hard to split pills see www.precisionpillsplitters.com.

• Shop online: Using online or mail-order pharmacies is another way to cut costs - often 25 percent or more. A top resource for finding U.S.-based pharmacies offering the lowest prices is www.destinationrx.com - click on “Price Compare.” (Tip: Make sure the online pharmacy you’re buying from has the “VIPPS” seal of approval - see www.vipps.info). Seniors enrolled in a Medicare prescription drug plan also need to make sure the online pharmacy they’re buying from is included in their network. Otherwise, the purchase may not count toward their deductible.

• Buy from Canada: This option offers huge savings - between 30 and 80 percent - on brand-name drugs and you’ll be happy to know that the U.S. Customs office has eased import restrictions, so you don’t need to worry that your pills will get seized at the border. If you’re interested, see www.pharmacychecker.com, an independent resource that finds the lowest prices from licensed and reputable Canadian pharmacies. (Note: This is not a good option for Medicare Part D enrollees because it will not count toward their deductible.)

• Seek extra help: If your income is limited, you can probably get help with your drug cost through pharmaceutical patient assistance programs (see www.rxhelp360.org, www.rxassist.org and www.pparx.org), state pharmacy assistance programs, Medicare’s extra help, national and local charitable programs and more. To find out if you’re eligible for these programs visit www.benefitscheckuprx.org. Other good resources to see are www.needymeds.com and www.medicarerights.org - click on “Discount Rx Resources.”

• Get a discount card: Many pharmacies offer drug discount cards to people with and without coverage, regardless of income. The cards may be free or carry a small upfront fee. (If the fee is large, don’t buy it.) These are essentially store “loyalty” cards that can cut your costs by 10 to 25 percent, but not all drugs are eligible for discount. Other resources offering discount cards that are worth a look are www.familywize.com, www.togetherrxaccess.com and www.aarppharmacy.com.

• Check out Bid for Rx: This is a new Web resource (www.bidforrx.com) where licensed pharmacies compete to fill your prescriptions.

You can see the full text of the article here. The bottom line is that you have to do what works for you and your family, and not every solution will work for every person. Take the time to get educated about your options and reach out for the help that you need.

The Will-Grundy Medical Clinic has been helping needy patients for nearly 20 years. One of the great services they offer is free prescription assistance by using Patient Assistance Programs.

Their ‘indigent patient assistance program’ is run entirely by 7 volunteers - some of them retired health care workers. The volunteers review patient charts, write renewal prescriptions, and ready forms for signatures and mailing.

Clinics like Will-Grundy in Chicago are run on love and compassion. Their tireless free medication efforts brought in over $641,000 in free prescription assistance last year for their patients.

We have found that many local free clinics like Will-Grundy do a tremendous amount of manual paperwork that require countless man hours to fill out, check, and then mail and file copies. These clinics may be able to boost productivity and lower costs by using Patient Assistance Program software.

Here is how the medication delivery process is handled:

If you walk down to the nurses’ station, you’ll find Dave seated at a long table with the week’s refill list and the bagged medications. He is usually accompanied by an interpreter for Spanish-speaking patients.

After verifying that the patient and medication go together, he will do a final check ensuring that the medication in the bag compares to the medication listed. He concludes with a handshake and a “thank you.”

Well done, Will-Grundy clinic. Keep up the great work that you do. We love seeing clinics actively using the help available from Patient Assistance Programs to get free medications for indigent and uninsured patients.

I recently read a story about the Lindgren family in New Jersey. Their story is a sad one, but not all that uncommon today. Their family is stuggling to pay for the medications they need to stay healthy.

The Lindgrens are a family coping with illness on all fronts and without adequate income to pay their health-care costs. They cannot afford the medicine that keeps Tim Lindgren, who is 62, from lapsing into a coma, and struggle to pay the relatively small expenses of tolls and parking in Manhattan when they go to the doctor.

By yesterday, Lindgren had just two pills left for today. He needs six and was hoping his doctor could provide samples.

“It’s $525 that we don’t have,” Ann Lindgren said. “If we have to, we’re forced to put it on our credit card.”

While the Lindgrens’ situation is horrible, it’s also somewhat indicative of what the rest of the nation is facing - even in families without grave diseases.

Even those with insurance struggle. A survey of adults with private insurance, done in 2003, found 17.6 million people reporting substantial problems paying their medical bills, according to a 2005 report on medical debt by the Kaiser Foundation’s Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured. The nonprofit foundation focuses on health-care issues.

While Ann Lindren, the matriarch of the family, pays $715 for a health insurance, her husband and daughter are on Medicare and have Medicare Part D prescription coverage. Unfortunately, the medication that Tim Lindren, the father of the family, needs is not covered and costs $525 a month. That cost, in addition to $715 for health insurance and $333 a month in supplemental insurance is too much for the family to bear.

The family has now been given an application for free prescription medication through the Salix PAP, which makes Tim’s medication, but they will need to prove financial hardship in order to get the company to even consider an appeal because if his Medicare Part D coverage.

Our thoughts are with the Lindgren family as they try to get the free medication they need for their family. We hope that Patient Assistance Programs provide the safety net that their family needs to return to a somewhat normal life.  You may read the full text of the article here.

Brand name drugs received through PAPs are FREE. However, if you need generic drugs, there will be a fee for your medications.

Generic drugs are NOT offered through Patient Assistance Programs, but rather by two companies that offer generic medications at a low cost for low-income patients.

The two companies that offer low-cost generic medications are:

• http://www.rxoutreach.com/
• http://www.xubex.com/

RxOutreach offers generic medications for $20, $30, or $40 for a 3 month supply, depending upon the medication. There are income requirements to use their program, and they can be found here. The amount varies depending upon how many people live in your household. To receive low-cost generic medications, you just need to:

• Print the form.
• Fill it out according to their directions and go to your doctor to get a 90 prescription for EACH medication you are applying for.
• Return it to them with your prescriptions and payment.

You can see their available medications here.

Xubex.com is another company that offers low cost generic medications. Their income requirements are here. You must also:

• Be a United States resident
• Must provide a recent proof of income
• Must provide a valid prescription indication number of refills
• Patients enrolled in Medicare Part D are eligible

You can see their complete medication list here. You only need one application for all of your medications, but you DO need an accurate prescription for each medication. The costs for their generic medications are:

• $20.00 – 90 day supply
• $40.00 – 180 day supply
• $80.00 – 360 day supply

These two companies were created to address the problem that you cannot get free generic medications through Patient Assistance Programs. These companies buy generic medications in bulk from the manufacturers and pass it on for a small administrative fee (to cover the cost of processing paperwork, storing the medications, shipping, etc.).

This is a great service for those who need it and who qualify, so don’t hesitate to take advantage of these low-cost generic medications!

Once you have gone through the entire process of researching the Patient Assistance Programs that offer your medications, filling out the forms, providing the proof of income, and mailing in any other necessary documents, it can be incredibly frustrating to the be denied your free medication.

Denial could come for many reasons:

• You may have forgotten to fill out a section of the application.
• You may have forgotten to include your proof of income.
• You may have forgotten to include your prescription.
• You may have forgotten to have your doctor sign the form.
• You may have been over the income limits.
• Plus a number of other possible factors.

If you get a dreaded denial letter, make sure that you don’t get frustrated before you take a look at your appeal options.

If you are slightly over the income limits of the PAP, it’s possible that they will accept an appeal letter for your physician that describes the level of medical necessity and the hardship that doing without the medication would cause. You need to prove to them that it would be a financial hardship to purchase the medication in order to have your appeal considered. There is NO guarantee that you will get assistance from the PAP - there is just an appeal process for you to let the PAP know why you should be eligible, and they make that determination on a case by case basis.

In a case where you have prescription coverage, but you have totally maxed out your benefits, you may still be eligible for coverage if you send in a letter stating your situation. If you can provide official documentation regarding your maxed out state with your insurance company, that will aid your cause. Again, there is no guarantee that you will get help - each PAP decides appeals on a case by case basis.

In the event that you made errors or omissions on your application, you can simply reapply with the correct information filled out.

The process for applying for free medication CAN be frustrating and complicated, but the insurance companies have policies in place for very good reasons. The decisions are made by them on a case by case basis and they truly want to help those in need, so do what you can to show them how dire your situation is.

As we have discussed before, the rules, regulations, guidelines and requirements of each Patient Assistance Program varies - and the supply amount is no different. However, it’s typical to receive a 90 day supply of medication.

If you have questions about the length of supply, feel free to call the specific drug program and ask. You are being smart to diligently plan for your future of receiving free medication. And because the refill and reapplication windows are strict, the more you plan, the better!