Prescription Advocacy Programs

Patient Assistance Programs run by pharmaceutical companies have been in existence for over 15 years. These programs are designed to assist eligible individuals who cannot afford their prescription medications due to limited income or other financial hardships. Pharmaceutical companies did not want their low income customers to be forced to make a choice between paying for life saving medications or paying for rent or groceries. As a result, patient assistance programs came into being as part of the company's philanthropic efforts. Until relatively recently, few people knew about the existence of these programs or could follow the complicated application process that was necessary for participation. In many cases multiple applications had to be filed with several different pharmaceutical companies in order to gain access to a prescription advocacy program.

AmeriPlan® has recently released the AmeriPlan® Prescription Advocacy Program (APAP). AmeriPlan® members who meet income eligibility requirements and have more than $90 in monthly prescription expenses may qualify for this program.

• Patient must meet income eligibility requirements-generally 2 times the poverty level with allowance made for hardship cases.
• Patient has no prescription coverage either from a private insurance company or government assistance program e.g. Medicaid, V.A., or state assistance.
• Patient's prescription benefit has been exhausted due to limits set by insurance companies.
• Patient is taking medications that are not covered by the insurance companies Rx formulary.
• Senior citizens who find themselves in the so-called "donut hole" of Medicare Part D and are incurring more than $90 per month in medication expenses.

For the payment of a small monthly servicing fee, AmeriPlan® members who meet the above requirements can receive unlimited free prescriptions with:

• Access to over 1,100 name-brand prescriptions
• No limit to the number of prescriptions that you take
• No age limits, health restrictions or limitation of use
• No paperwork, other than completing our application form
• Customer service 800 number for easy sign-up

• Determine initial eligibility for the client
• Gather all necessary documentation and authorization forms
• Complete the required application on the patient's behalf
• Send properly completed forms to each prescribing physician
• AmeriPlan will review all documentation for completeness and forward to the appropriate pharmaceutical company patient assistance programs
• Monitor every step of the process from initial application to medication delivery
• Prescriptions come in 90 day supplies
• Automatically handle refills and renewals so that the patient maintains an ongoing supply of medication

For more information about the AmeriPlan® Prescription Advocacy Program visit www.healthplansplus.net/APAP.html or call: 800-635-3394. Also visit my blog at www.healthplansplus.blogspot.com.