Prescription Assistance

It's a fact. Older adults have more health problems than younger ones. It's also a fact that seniors are less likely to have good prescription drug plans, therefore making it harder for them to afford medications that can be expensive, especially when dealing with serious illnesses like mesothelioma.

What many seniors don't realize, however, is that there are literally hundreds of programs available that can provide seniors with low-cost or free prescriptions. Even seniors who don't think they qualify may be surprised to find out that they do. Each prescription assistance program carries its own set of qualifications and while you may not qualify for some, there are others that will heartily accept you and help you fulfill your medication needs. Factors like the type of drug in question, age, state of residence, and other existing prescription programs are all part of the big picture. You may even find that you'll be able to join more than one prescription assistance program.

Finding Programs for which You Qualify

The best way to get started in finding prescription assistance is to make a list of the medications you take and how much they are costing you out-of-pocket. In some cases, seniors are paying so-called full price for drugs, which is often exorbitant, especially when no generic equivalents are available.

When filling out an application for a particular prescription assistance program, the applicant will be asked a variety of questions. Most often, these include:

• City and state of residence
• Age
• Gross annual household income
• Number of dependents/number of people living in household
• Type of existing health insurance or prescription coverage, if applicable
• Brand name of each prescription medicine taken on a regular basis (though some programs are only for specific medications)

One of the best resources for finding prescription assistance programs that meet your needs is the Partnership for Prescription Assistance (www.pparx.org). This organization can put seniors in touch with nearly 500 public and private programs that may be of assistance to them. An estimated 200 are offered by pharmaceutical companies. The organization charges no fee and they are eager to help potential participants find exactly the right program(s) to fit their needs. Member programs, they note, offer more than 2,500 brand name prescriptions and many generics as well. The Partnership for Prescription Assistance (PPA) can also aid older adults in contacting Medicare and Medicaid so that they make take advantage of government programs as well.

Sponsored by a large network of American pharmaceutical research companies, the organization can also put seniors in touch with free health care clinics and will help those with chronic illnesses discover new medicines that may benefit them.

PPA warns vulnerable seniors to beware of groups - especially those on the internet - who promise to provide the same service as they do, but for a fee. PPA never charges for its services and has a much larger network than most other prescription assistance resources.

Other options for finding assistance can include a family doctor (or his/her staff) or a social worker at the local hospital. These individuals are often more than familiar with what is available in the way of assistance, especially if they are accustomed to dealing with an older population. Your local pharmacist is another possible resource. He or she may also be well-versed on the kind of help available to those with a limited income.