IOH Diabetes Drug, Medical and Financial Assistance Program Resources



		Islets of Hope for persons with diabetes



		Fast Click to Diabetes Assistance Program Information Canadian Asssistance World-wide relief, assistance, and diabetes support & charitable organizations United States Food & Nutrition Programs, Local Resources & Health Care Financial Assistance for Students Health Care Assistance Resources for Prescription Medications, Insulin, Diabetes Supplies Health Insurance & Subsidy Program Information Medicaid and Medicare Program Information Online Discount Diabetes Care Supplies & Prescription Drugs Prosthetic Care Technology Assistance According to the American Diabetes Association, people with diabaetes spend an average of $13,243 a year on health care expenses. Many states have laws requiring that insurance companies cover diabetes care products. This includes syringes, test strips, lancing devices, and test meters in addition to medications. Items typically not covered include glucose tablets, supplements recommended by your physician, diabetes medical alert accessories, insulin pump wear (but insulin pumps should be covered), bandaids, alcohol pads, and numbing creams. To see a list of which states have laws governing diabetes coverage see our Legal Resources page. If you have legal troubles with your insurance company and live in CA, contact Jeffrey I. Ehrlich, an appellate attorney specializing in health-care related legal issues. The Ehrlich Law Firm Holding insurers to their promises 237 W. Fourth Street Claremont, CA 91711 (909) 625-5565 (phone) (909) 624-5477 (fax) jehrlich@ehrlichfirm.com Sponsor Advertisement Get Significant Discounts on a Wide Array of Services Without Insurance! VitalSavings.com by Aetna When every penny counts As a single mom to four children every penny does count in our household, but clipping coupons is time-consuming. So when a friend told me about a coupon site. Wow-Coupons, I had to check it out, I was skeptical. They offer (free of charge) printable store coupons for dozens of different merchants and services. The day I visited there were coupons for Target, Wal-Mart, Borders, Sears, Best Buy, Midas, and many other "major" merchants. (IOH receives no compensation for you visiting their site.) E-Bay - A true case of buyer beware, but I have seen unopened, new, glucose meters sell for as little as $2.00. The savvy shopper may wish to at least browse Diabetes Supplies listed on E-Bay. MADIGAN: NEW LAW EFFECTIVE JANUARY 1 ENSURES CONSUMERS HAVE RIGHT TO COMPARISON SHOP FOR PRESCRIPTION MEDICATIONS. Chicago – A new Illinois law effective January 1, 2006, ensures that consumers can comparison shop to find the lowest price for their prescription medications. Based on that law, Attorney General Lisa Madigan today urged Illinoisans to take advantage of the new law to help lower skyrocketing monthly prescription costs. Read 12/29/05 Press Release New Law Allows South Carolina Students to Carry Their Own Medicines Bills Aim for Expanded Health Coverage ; Allow More Health Conditions for Mentally Ill, Diabetics. 12/03/05 Important Disclaimer. Islets of Hope provides this information for general information and it is not intended to be a recommendation or endorsement of any program or entity. Please contact the company directly as information may change, programs may be discontinued, of there may be certain changes in restrictions for qualifying for assistance.
						Financial & Assistance Programs for Persons with Diabetes Charitable Diabetes Assistance Health Care Assistance Resources for Prescription Medications, Insulin, Diabetes Supplies M. Sarah Rosenthal The Type 2 Diabetic Woman: The Type 2 Diabetic Woman is designed to address the unique physical and emotional aspects of this disease for women. Stressing the importance of good self-management, best-selling health writer M. Sara Rosenthal presents information on nutrition, exercise, self-testing, medications, sex, and pregnancy in a warm, supportive manner. The book focuses on how to work with your health-care team, how to make the right lifestyle changes, and how to prevent long-term complications. 3M Pharmaceuticals - Patient Assistance Programs - United States Animas Corporation - Insulin pumps and supplies through the Diabetes Trust Fund (for children 21 and under with current health care coverage). 1-877-YES-PUMP (937-7867), ask to speak to Anne Barton at extension 1149. AstraZeneca Foundation Patient Assistance Program - Offers a variety of assistance programs including: Patient Assistance Program Caring Partners Program Together Rx Access Partnership for Prescription Assistance Medicare Prescription Benefits AstraZeneca also lists the following assistance resource links: Area Agencies on Aging (ElderCare) Assoc. of Clinicians for the Underserved (ACU) BenefitsCheckUp® Health Resources and Services Administration Medicare NeedyMeds Pharmaceutical Discount Cards Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) RxAssist RxHope™ Volunteers in Health Care Bayer Corporation - Precose (acarbose) - Bayer Patient Assistance Program - 1-800-998-9180 - Glucophage (metformin hydrocloride) and Glucovance - Bristol- Myers Squibb Patient Assistance Foundation, Inc.- 1-800-736-0003 Charles Ray III Diabetes Association offers free diabetes supplies for those that cannot afford the cost, all over the world. Pumps and pump supplies available here. Children With Diabetes Foundation - Has a new program that assists families in need for up to three months. Make tax-deductible donations or complete and assistance application online. DHF Medical Assistance Program partners with pediatric hospitals and pharmaceutical companies to ensure low-income patients care still able to get healthcare and medications. (DHF is located in Canada) Eli Lilly and Company - Lilly Corporate Center, Indianapolis, IN 46285 - Humulin (insulin), Humalog (insulin), Glucagon (emergency kit) Eli Lilly “Lilly Answers;” A Prescription Assistance Program – A program for qualified senior citizens that offers drugs made by Eli Lilly at substantially reduced costs. Lilly makes insulin and Dymelor (a sulfonylurea). Persons must have a medical disability (diabetes), no other prescription drug coverage, be enrolled in Medicare, and meet income requirements. See site for full details. Phone: 1-800-795-4559 Lilly Cares Program - A program for diabetics that cannot afford their insulin. Lilly offers free, 3-month supply of insulin, the possibility of renewal. Eligibility determined by consultation with your doctor who needs to call Lilly Cares at 1-800-545-6962. Everyone’s RX – This site’s program offers access to reduced cost American brand name medications to U.S residents that financially qualify. Typically, people making less than $25,000 per household or $16,000 for a single person can be assisted. The program offers prescription assistance for low income patients, information on medication research, access to medical care for pre-existing health conditions, pharmacy aid to community clinics, and pharmacy discounts to their patient members. GlaxoSmithKline - Makers of Avandia (rosiglitazone) and Avandimet (combo of Metformin and Avandia). Two programs offered: GlaxoWellcome Patient Assistance Program and the SmithKline Foundation Access to Care - 1-800-546-0420; 1-800-729-4544 Insulin-Pumpers.org, is the largest nonprofit organization serving the needs of insulin pumpers world-wide. They are almost exclusively run by dedicated volunteers and offer financial assistance through their Insulin Pumpers Foundation program. Visit their main site for more information. Insulin Pumps for Underinsured Mellitus Patients (IPump.org, Inc.) - A nonprofit company (supported in part by Islets of Hope) that works with insulin pump companies to help qualified, underinsured, insulin-dependent patients obtain insulin pumps. IPump.org, Inc. also provides emergency diabetes care supplies and partial reimbursement for diabetes medications to qualifying individuals. (Another good reason to support Islets of Hope!) IPump.org is in process of obtaining their nonprofit 501(c)(3) status so all their programs are not yet fully funded. Contact the Assistance Program Director, program-director@ipump.org for more information about programs currently funded. Medicare Therapeutic Shoe Program – A program under Medicare offering free foot-care for diabetics. The coverage includes a specialized shoe program to help prevent complications for people with diabetes and those with foot problems. Under the program patients are entitled to (annually) one pair of customized shoes, two sets of inserts, and a fitting by a podiatrist or shoe specialist. Patients can order molded or a depth shoe. Medtronic Mini-Med - For Insulin pumps and supplies through their Mini-Med Financial Assistance Program. For more information call Medtronic at 1-800-MINI-MED. Merck and Co., Inc. - The Merck Patient Assistance Program - 1-908-423-1000 Novartis - Starlix - Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation Patient Assistance Program - 1-800-277-2254 Novo Nordisk Pharmaceuticals Inc. Offers free, 3-month supply of insulin, the possibility of renewal. Eligibility determined by consultation with your doctor who should call Novo Nordisk at 1-800-727-6500. NovoNordisk is the maker of Prandin (repaglinide), Novolin (insulin), Novolog (insulin). Two programs offered: Patient Assistance Program (Insulin products) and the Indigent Program Administrator (Prandin). Partnership for Prescription Assistance (PPA) - The program brings together America’s pharmaceutical companies, doctors, other health care providers, patient advocacy organizations, and community groups to help qualifying patients who lack prescription coverage get the medicines they need through the public or private program to obtain free, or at-cost medications. The PPA site offers an online questionnaire to determine program eligibility from more 475 public and private patient assistance programs, including more than 150 programs offered by pharmaceutical companies. To access the Partnership for Prescription Assistance by phone, you can call toll-free, 1-888-4PPA-NOW (1-888-477-2669). Espanol Pfizer - This company offers a prescription drug "Share Card" to qualifying patients that permits them to purchase a 30-day supply of any Pfizer prescription medicine for only $15.00 per prescribed medication. Pfizer makes the sulfonylureas, Diabinese (chlorpropamide) and Glucotrol and Glucotrol XL (glipizide). Over 44,000 pharmacies participate in the program. Applicants must be enrolled in Medicare and meet income requirements. Download their .pdf guide to the program. 1-800-707-8990. The Connection to Care Program may cover: Glucotrol (glipizide), Glucotrol XL (glipizide – extended release), Diabinese (chlorpropamide), Glucamide, Metaglip (combo of Metformin and Glipizide) Pharmacia a subsidiary of Pfizer may provide assistance for Glyset (miglitol), Micronase (glyburide), Tolinase, Orinase, DiaBeta. Please contact Pfizer for information about the Pharmacia assistance programs. 1-800-707-8990 The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) and its member companies sponsor an interactive website with information on drug assistance programs at www.helpingpatients.org. Phone: (202) 835-3400; The following information comes from the The National Federation for the Blind: "The pharmaceutical industry has a tradition of providing medications free of charge to physicians whose patients might not otherwise have access to necessary medicines. Members of PhRMA, an association of drug manufacturers, have created a directory listing each participating manufacturer and the products that manufacturer has decided to list. Eligibility rules vary between manufacturers. All prescription medications are not included and all drug manufacturers may not be members of PhRMA. Still, the association's patient assistance program (which does include insulin, oral diabetes medications, and cyclosporine) is a useful safety net. For information about the Directory of Prescription Drug Patient Assistance Programs, physicians should contact PhRMA at the above address. (NOTE: The Web list of participating companies is in text but reading the directory requires Adobe Acrobat software.) " Proctor and Gamble Pharmaceuticals - Proctor and Gamble Pharmaceuticals Patient Assistance Program - 1-800-830-9049 Roche Laboratories Inc. - Roche Laboratories Patient Assistance Program - 1-800-285-4484 www.rocheusa.com Sanofi-Aventis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. - For Amaryl (glimepiride) and Lantus (insulin) - Lovenox Patient Assistance Program and the Aventis Patient Assistance Program - 1-888-632-8607; 1-888-875-9951 Takeda Pharmaceuticals North America - Actos (pioglitazone hydrochloride - Takeda Patient Assistance Program - 1-800-830-9159 Together Rx Prescription Savings Program – Offers a free prescription discount card (20-40% off many name brands, additional discounts off generic drugs) to senior citizens. See site for full list of eligibility requirements. Veteran’s Administration - For active and retired military personnel and their families - 1-877-222-8387 or http://www.tricare.osd.mil/ (mail order pharmacy) Other Resources to Explore for Prescription Drugs and Medical Supplies If you can't pay for your medicines and supplies without help, you should tell your health care provider. Your doctor may be able to direct you to local programs or even provide free samples. You or your doctor can order a free filament to check feet for nerve damage. The filament (with instructions for use) is available by calling the Bureau of Primary Health Care's (BPHC's) Lower Extremity Amputation Prevention Program (LEAP) at 1–888–ASK–HRSA (275–4772) or by accessing www.bphc.hrsa.gov/leap on the Internet. The Medicare Prescription Program offers a searchable database of prescription drug assistance programs. The website offers information on public and private programs with discounted or free medication. You can also learn about Medicare health plans with prescription coverage. Try contacting a local shelter for more information on how to obtain free medications and medical supplies; sometimes private or public corporations offer shelters medication and medical assistance. Check your phone book under Human Service Organizations or Social Service Organizations for the number of your nearest shelter.



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