Q. What are Patient Assistance Programs (PAPs)?A. Patient Assistance Programs are government, pharmaceutical, and non-profit grant programs which provide co-pay assistance, premium assistance, and free medication to eligible applicants.
Q. Do I have to be uninsured to qualify?
A. No. The programs are vast and so are the eligibility requirements. Most programs are intended for under insured and non-insured patients; however, there are programs such as the Healthwell Foundation, Patient Access Network, and The Patient Advocate Foundation that offer grants to fully insured patients with high, out-of-pocket costs.
Q. How do I know if I qualify?
A. Contact each program for eligibility requirements.
Q. How do I find Patient Assistance Programs?
A. First, ask your physician’s office for their recommendations. Doctors’ offices are given brochures by pharmaceutical sponsored co-pay programs to give out to their patients. Next, search the Internet for the drug, or treatment, for which you are seeking assistance.
A few search programs for medications are: needymeds.org and patientassistance.com.
Q. Am I guaranteed acceptance into Patient Assistance Programs?
A. No. There are no guarantees with any program. Grant programs often run out of funding; there are limitations to the number of uses for co-pay cards; and eligibility requirements change. It is the responsibility of the patient to know the limitations of the programs into which they are accepted.
Q. Are there any tips to applying to Patient Assistance Programs?
A.Yes. Completely fill out applications. Do not leave blanks since this will slow, or reject the application. If the question does not pertain to you, simply write N/A. Also, have copies of your most recent tax return, insurance cards, photo identification, and most recent financial obligations. Not all programs will require all these documents. Be sure to send in the required information.
The bottom line: Ask for assistance. There are many programs for patients to utilize. To be successful, you must ask, seek out, and initiate the Patient- Assistance- Program process. Please do not assume that your physician, or medical staff, is aware of your financial constraints. The Arthritis and Infusion Center’s staff is the area’s leading expert in financial assistance. We are more than happy to help our patients seek out the assistance they need. 
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