Veronica
517-372-4700 ext.118
Prescription Assistance
Do you have insurance?
Although 10% of all residents said they lack any kind of health insurance coverage, more than 25% of residents living below poverty are uninsured in Ingham County based on, the Capital Area Behavior Risk Factor Survey.
Do you have medical insurance?
Rising drug prices present a hardship to all consumers, but they are especially difficult for the 30,000 uninsured people in Ingham, Eaton and Clinton counties and for older residents.
From 1994 to 2004, the number of prescriptions purchased increased 68%. The average number of retail prescriptions per capita increased from 7.9 in 1994 to 12.0 in 2004. The percent of the population with a prescription drug expense in 2002 was 61% (for those under age 65) and 91% (for those 65 and older). Retail prescription prices increased an average of 8.3% a year from 1994 to 2004 (from an average of $28.67 to $63.59); more than triple the average annual inflation rate of 2.5%. For uninsured families, increases at that level make it impossible to continue purchasing the medications they need.
A 2005 survey found that uninsured adults (51%) are twice as likely as insured adults (25%) to say that they or a family member cut pills, did not fill a prescription, or skipped medical treatment in the past year because of the cost. For seniors age 65+, the survey found that those with no drug coverage were more likely than those with drug coverage to not fill a prescription or to skip or take a smaller dose due to costs in 2003 (37% vs. 22%).
Providing the uninsured safe, secure, affordable access to prescription drugs has profound human and financial benefits. For example, with medicines, a patient with hypertension and high cholesterol can better manage his disease, decreasing the chance of incurring expensive hospital stays and lost time at work. Access to prescription medicines is a critical link to preventing detrimental health outcomes.
Our prescription assistance program will help guide the uninsured to the best program for them. Many of the patients we serve are minorities, who are disproportionately uninsured and cannot afford the medicines their illness requires. Our program allows patients who don’t have health insurance to have access to the medicines they desperately need.
Our program provides:
Vouchers, once during the year, for prescriptions from area pharmacies when funding is available.
Donated over-the-counter medications and sample medications that are obtained from the Greater Lansing Food Bank Distribution Center and pharmaceutical representatives.
Assistance with applications for pharmaceutical companies' patient assistant programs. These programs allow individuals to receive medications free-of-charge directly from the pharmaceutical companies.
Help to access existing long-term programs including the IHP (Ingham Health Plan), the new Medicare prescription drug plan or other medical program to help reduce future demands, and the need for short-term support.
One of the components of our program is assisting clients in accessing pharmaceutical companies' patient assistant programs. In 2003 we provided 670 clients with $178,821 worth of free medicines and in 2004, 1,160 clients received medicine valued at $336,826. In 2005 we provided 1,334 clients with $483,373 worth of free medication.
For more information, call Veronica at (517) 372-4700 extension 118
