May 28, 2005

One of the most difficult problems anyone with Migraine disease or other head pain disorders has is finding the right medications. It can take months or even years to find the right preventive regimen. In addition to preventive medications, we need abortive medications and pain medications. This is all difficult enough for those who have prescription insurance coverage, but for those who don't have such coverage, it can make the situation downright impossible.

Here are some statistics on uninsured Americans:

• More than one in five adults ages 18 to 64 was uninsured in 2003. 11.4 percent of children under 18 were without insurance.
• More than eight out of 10 people who are uninsured come from working families.
• 45 million Americans were uninsured in 2003, up from 43.6 million in 2002.

A new program, Partnership for Prescription Assistance (PPA), is one of the most impressive  I've seen. PPA is a national coalition, the largest-ever private-sector program to help patients who lack prescription coverage get access to the medicines they need. The partnership includes pharmaceutical companies, doctors, nurses, pharmacists, other health care providers, patient advocates and community leaders.

PPA offers a single point of access to more than 275 public and private patient assistance programs, including more than 150 programs offered by pharmaceutical companies. Information is also made available on government programs for which patients may qualify. .

The PPA Web site is very user-friendly. It has three paths that can be followed to obtain information:

1. Patients: can determine which programs they may be eligible for by answering questions and using the online application wizard.
2. Caregivers: can help patients determine which programs may be available and assist patients in answering questions and filling out forms with the online applications wizard.
3. Prescribers: can research available patient assistance programs, print forms for your practice, and fill out forms for your patients with the online application wizard.

Those who don't wish to use the Web site, may call toll-free, 1-888-4PPA-NOW to speak with a trained specialist who can provide application assistance in English, Spanish and more than 150 other languages.

To test the web site, I followed the patient path as if I were looking for assistance with my medications. There were five steps:

1. Choose "Patients Click here to Start." Patients can determine which programs they may be eligible for by answering questions and using the online application wizard.
2. Medication Selection: The first step in determining what patient assistance programs you may be eligible for is to select your medicines. You are able to select multiple medicines so be sure to add as many as necessary. Your selections are completely confidential.
3. Application Questions: Please answer these short questions so we can best determine the Patient Assistance Programs for which you are qualified.
4. Programs: The Programs that are not a match are also listed (and indicated as non-matching). Many of our companies have pledged that no patient in need should go without coverage and evaluated needs on a case-by-case basis
5. Program Selection: Here are the assistance programs that you have selected. Some of the applications require that you contact the company, others need to be filled out and signed by your doctor. You can print the applications and details sheets for those programs that don't have applications available now or you can use our online application wizard to fill out all of the 'online available' applications at once. You can then print them and deliver them to your doctor.

I stopped without printing the forms, and all had gone very well to that point. I found all but one of my many medications listed, and there were potential assistance programs for all of them. Although I didn't complete the step to complete and print the forms, it's bound to be a great time-saving feature and should ensure that the forms are completed accurately.

There have been many discussions I've taken part in regarding the high price of prescription medications. Honestly, I don't know who, if anyone in particular, is to “blame.” However, I do think it only fair to point out that pharmaceutical companies have been assisting patient with patience assistance programs for years. Here are some statistics on the prescriptions filled through these programs:

• In 2002: 13,387,890 prescriptions were filled with a wholesale value of $2,446,924,763.
• In 2003: 18,160,523 prescriptions were filled with a wholesale value of $3,478,004,058.
• In 2004: an estimated 22,119,664 prescriptions were filled with a wholesale value of $4,179,393,960.

Summary
If you're uninsured and can't afford your medications, there is help! Some of my readers have asked me about organizations and Web sites they've come across who provide similar services but charge a fee per prescription. My advice? Stay away from them. Search out the assistance programs yourself. Or, better yet, check out the Partnership for Prescription Assistance.

To view a PPA brochure, click HERE. (Requires Adobe Reader)

Click to download.

Partnership for Prescription Assistance Press Release: "Unprecedented National Program to Help Millions of Uninsured Americans Get the Prescription Medicines They Need." Washington. April 5, 2005.

Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured (2003). “The Uninsured: A Primer—Key Facts About Americans Without Health Insurance.” December, p. 4.

Partnership for Prescription Assistance. “Lack of Healthcare and Prescription Drug Insurance in the U.S.: A Serious Public Health Problem.” April, 2005.

Partnership for Prescription Assistance Fact Sheet: “How the Pharmaceutical Industry Helps America’s Uninsured.” April, 2005.

Partnership for Prescription Assistance Fact Sheet: “How the Pharmaceutical Industry Helps America’s Uninsured.” April, 2005.