Help Paying for Prescriptions:
Rx Charity, Discount and Government Programs

State Rx Assistance Programs Rx Charity, Discount and Government Programs
Shoppers’ Guides to Online Pharmacies

The programs listed below may help you save money on your prescriptions if you qualify. Eligibility requirements vary by program but are often based on age, income, or medical condition. If you have a certain condition, you may find additional resources by asking disease-specific groups, such as Cancer Care, the National Multiple Sclerosis Society or the American Diabetes Association.

Be aware that only certain types of prescription programs work with the Medicare drug benefit (Part D). If the program is a

• certified charity, the program will generally work with Part D and the amount the charity pays for your drugs will count towards your Part D plan’s catastrophic coverage limit.
• drug discount program, you can often be enrolled if you have part D, but you generally only use the discount card when you are not using your Part D coverage (for example, for off-formulary drugs, drugs that are excluded from Medicare coverage by law, or during your plan’s coverage gap). The discount from your card will not count towards your Part D plan’s catastrophic coverage limit. For more information on which drugs the Medicare drug benefit covers, see Medicare Interactive.
• federal program, in most cases it will be as good as or better than the Medicare prescription drug benefit (“creditable”). If your coverage is creditable, then you do not need to sign up for Part D (although you can).
• state program, you must generally enroll in Part D in order to keep this coverage. Your Medicare drug plan will serve as your primary drug coverage. In some cases, the state program will wrap around this program by paying for additional drugs or out-of-pocket costs. You will need to check with the program in your state to find out how it will work.

Programs that fall into these categories are identified by type below.

Some programs have different rules or do not work with Part D at all. To find out whether a program will work with Part D, and if so, how it will coordinate, call the program directly.

Certified Charities
Name of Program	Eligibility	Benefits	Drug Source	Other
Caring Voice Coalition 1-888-267-1440 www.caringvoice.org	You must be diagnosed with one of the following conditions: pulmonary hypertension, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, or Alpha 1. Your income, cost of living (dependent on your family size), and medical expenses are also considered.	May help pay for some of the cost of your prescription drugs for certain medical conditions.	You regular pharmacy or doctor.	A social worker or health care professional must apply on your behalf if they think you may be eligible.
Chronic Disease Fund 1-877-968-7233 www.cdfund.org	Helps people with some specific diseases and you must need copay assistance with certain drugs to treat those conditions. See their website for a complete list of eligible conditions and prescriptions. Your income, cost of living (dependent on your family size), and medical expenses are also considered.	Helps you pay your prescription drug copays for certain drugs if you have insurance, or pays in full for those drugs if you do not have any insurance.	You regular pharmacy or doctor.	If you use one of the Chronic Disease Fund’s participating pharmacies, the Fund will be able to pay the pharmacy directly on your behalf. If your pharmacy is not a Chronic Disease Fund participating pharmacy, you must pay for your prescription and then submit your receipts to the Fund for reimbursement.
The HealthWell Foundation 1-800-675-8416 www.healthwellfoundation.org	Helps people with some specific diseases. They frequently receive funding for new conditions. See their website for a complete list of eligible conditions. You must have monthly income under $3,404 ($4,564 for couples) in 2007 . Your drug must be covered by your prescription drug insurance.	Helps you pay your prescription drug copays if you have insurance, or helps to pay your monthly premium if you are eligible for insurance but cannot afford it.	You regular pharmacy or doctor.	HealthWell gives you a grant for full or partial assistance for up to 12 months. You submit invoices or receipts to HealthWell, and the foundation sends reimbursement directly to your insurance company, pharmacy, or doctor. If you have paid for the medication yourself, HealthWell may send reimbursement directly to you.
National Marrow Patient Assistance Program and Financial Assistance Fund 888-999-6743 patientinfo@nmdp.org www.marrow.org/ PATIENT/Plan_for_Tx/ Planning_for_Tx_Costs/ Financial_Assistance_for_Trans/ index.html	You must have used the National Marrow Patient Assistance Program’s donor registry to find your marrow transplant donor. In addition, the transplant must have been “unrelated,” meaning that your donor is not a family member. Your income, cost of living (dependent on your family size), and medical expenses are also considered.	May help pay for some of the cost of your prescription drugs that you take when recovering from a marrow transplant.	Your regular pharmacy or doctor.	A social worker or health care professional must apply on your behalf if they think you may be eligible.
National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD) 800-999-6673 (voicemail) 203-746-6518 www.rarediseases.org	NORD’s medication assistance programs help people with certain conditions. Check their website for a complete list of programs.	Help people obtain Rx they could not otherwise afford or that are not yet on the market.	Depends on the program.	Over 1,100 rare diseases are listed on NORD’s Web site including AIDS, Alzheimer’s Disease, Multiple Sclerosis, and Parkinson’s Disease.
Patient Advocate Foundation Co-Pay Relief 866-512-3861 www.copays.org	You must be diagnosed with and taking medication(s) for specific conditions, including: diabetes, cancer and problems caused by cancer treatment, and macular degeneration. See their website for a full list. This list may change, depending on funding. You must have insurance that pays for a part of your prescription drugs.	Pays your full copay for prescriptions covered by your insurance.	Your regular pharmacy or doctor.	Co-Pay Relief is in contact directly with your doctor and insurance company, and will know to reimburse you, your doctor, or your insurance company directly for your prescription copayments.
Patient Services Incorporated 800-366-7741 866-367-4836 (for medical items service) www.uneedpsi.com	PSI helps people with specific conditions, regardless of income. Check their website for a complete list of conditions. This list may change, depending on funding.	Copayment assistance for drugs that treat certain medical conditions. Medical items for people with bleeding disorders. Premium assistance for COBRA, high-risk insurance pools and private health insurance.	Depends on Program.	Apply over the phone. If approved, assistance will be granted for a maximum of two years depending on funding. Should you require assistance beyond the two-year period, you must contact PSI and submit a new application.
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Discount Programs
Name of Program	Eligibility	Benefits	Drug Source	Other
Alliance Health Card www.alliancehealthcard.com 888-656-2346	Anyone can join, no matter your age, income or health status. You must pay a monthly or annual membership fee.	Discounts on Rx, dental, vision, hearing, chiropractic, physical therapy and more.	Any retail or independent oharmacy in their network, including, including many major chains
Criteriod Card (Offered by the Iowa Prescription Drug Corporation) 866-282-5817 www.iowapdc.org/ Criterion%20Card.htm	No age or income limits. Anybody in the United States can join.	Discounts on all FDA-approved generics and certain brand-name prescription drugs.	Any participating pharmacy.
CVS Health SavingsPass 888-616-2273 www.cvshealthpass.com	Must be at least 50 years old. You must pay a monthly or annual membership fee. The card is good for you and one other person. Only one card will be given per household.	Discounts on prescriptions and dental, vision, and hearing care.	CVS pharmacies nationwide.
Free Drug Card — U.S. 866-298-0857 www.freedrugcard.us	Anyone can join, no matter your age, income or health status. There is no membership fee.	Up to 75 percent off of the cost of your prescription drugs.	Any participating retail or independent pharmacy, including many major chains
National Association of Counties (NACo) Drug Discount Program 877-321-2652 https://naco.advancerx.com	Must live in a county where the program is offered. This program is not offered in all states or counties. For a complete list of participating areas, click on the link to the left.	Generally provides a 20% discount on all drugs at a local pharmacy or 50% through mail-order. (Exact discount depends on the drug and manufacturer.)	Any participating local pharmacy or the Caremark Rx mail-order pharmacy.
Nonprofit Warehouse 770-541-7777 www.nonprofitwarehouse.com	Anyone can join, no matter your age, income or health status. There is no membership fee.	Discounts on Rx, dental, vision, hearing and other medical supplies.	One card specifically for Kmart pharmacies, one for other pharmacies.
Pharmaceutical Company Patient Assistance Programs (PhRMA) For a directory of programs: www.helpingpatients.org 1-888-477-2669 www.rxassist.org www.rxhope.com 1-908-713-7600 www.needymeds.com www.medicare.gov/ pap/index.asp	Depends on program. Usually low-income with no other Rx coverage. Keep in mind that many patient assistance programs do not allow you to apply if you are eligible for the Medicare drug benefit.	Free or heavily discounted Rx for limited duration (often 90 days).	Sent directly from drug company to physician.	Must have internet access to search. You can search by drug name, company, or class. To find out which company makes each Rx and to apply, ask your doctor for assistance.
Plan Plus 800-527-5583 800-527-0959 (en español) www.planplussavings.com	Anyone can join, no matter your age, income or health status. You must pay a monthly or annual membership fee.	Discounts on Rx, dental, vision, hearing, foot care, chiropractic services and more.	Participating pharmacies or Plan Plus' mail-order pharmacy.
Rx Outreach 800-769-3880 www.rxoutreach.com	Must have 2007 income less than $25,525 ($34,225 for married couples). *Income may be greater in Alaska and Hawaii.	No enrollment fees. $20-$30 for three-month supply.	Express Scripts mail-order pharmacy.	Certain generic drugs only.
TogetherRx Access Card 800-444-4106 www.togetherrxaccess.com	Must have no other Rx coverage. Must not be eligible for Medicare. Annual income must be less than $30,000 (single) or $40,000 (couple).	No enrollment fees. Discounts on select Abbott, Astra Zeneca, Aventis, Bristol-Myers Squibb, GlaxoSmithKline, Janssen, Novartis, Ortho-McNeil, Pfizer, Takeda and TAP Rx only.	Participating pharmacies, only.
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Federal Programs
Name of Program	Eligibility	Benefits	Drug Source	Other
Federal Employee Health Benefits (FEHB) 888-767-6738	Federal employees and retirees and covered family members.	Low-cost Rx.	Participating pharmacies only.	Many programs are available, each with a monthly premium. What you pay for drugs through FEHB will not count toward your out-of-pocket costs before Medicare Part D catastrophic coverage begins.
TRICARE 877-363-6337	Military retirees who have served at least 20 years. Must be registered with Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System (DEERS).	No enrollment fees. Low-cost Rx.	National Mail Order Pharmacy; TriCare network and non-network pharmacies.	What you pay for drugs through TRICARE will not count toward your out-of-pocket costs before Medicare Part D catastrophic coverage begins.
VA Health Benefits Service Center 877-222-8387	Veteran must have been honorably discharged from the military. Must enroll with VA and be seen by VA doctor.	Free Rx for low-income veterans. $7 per Rx for all other veterans.	VA hospitals and pharmacies.	What you pay for drugs through the VA will not count toward your out-of-pocket costs before Medicare Part D catastrophic coverage begins.
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State Programs
Name of Program	Eligibility	Benefits	Drug Source	Other
AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP) 800-542-2437 in New York State. Website varies by state: www.atdn.org/ access/states/index.html	Must be low-income, uninsured or underinsured with HIV/AIDS.	State-sponsored program provides Rx for HIV/AIDS treatment.		For similar HIV/AIDS drug assistance programs in other states, call your State Department of Health. What you pay for drugs through ADAP will not count toward your out-of-pocket costs before Medicare Part D catastrophic coverage begins.
Medicaid Contact information and coverage varies by state. Call your state Medicaid office for more information.	Income limits vary by state. Full Medicaid or Medicaid Excess Income Program "spend-down."	Full Rx coverage if you don't have Medicare.	Participating pharmacies only.	If you have both Medicare and Medicaid, you will get most of your drug coverage through the Medicare prescription drug benefit (Part D).
State Pharmaceutical Assistance Programs (SPAPs) Contact information varies by program. See the Medicare Rights Center’s chart, State Rx Assistance Programs, for more information.	Eligibility requirements vary by program.	Vary by program. Many—although not all—require you to enroll in Part D.	It depends on the program. Often, SPAPs will help pay for the drugs that you get at your regular pharmacy.
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