Can a foundation help pay my copays?

What this means

• These foundations organize their money into disease funds. A fund for one condition can be open while another is closed.
• Most funds have an income limit stated as a multiple of the federal poverty guideline, and most require that you already have insurance, including Medicare.
• An award is usually a set dollar amount for the year that the foundation pays toward your copays, and sometimes toward premiums or travel.
• Applying is free. Patient Advocate Foundation TotalAssist is at totalassist.org, and it also offers case managers who deal with insurers for you.

What to do first

1. Check the disease fund lists at Patient Advocate Foundation TotalAssist, HealthWell Foundation and Good Days for your specific diagnosis.
2. Apply the moment a fund for your condition opens, because open funds are used up quickly.
3. Ask your doctor's office or the hospital social worker whether they have a financial navigator who does these applications routinely.
4. Apply for Extra Help as well if the cost is a Medicare prescription, since that is ongoing rather than one year at a time.

What you'll need

• Proof of household income
• Proof of diagnosis
• Income information for you and your spouse
• Medication name and prescriber
• Insurance card
• Household income for the last year
• Prescription or treatment records
• Diagnosis
• Social Security number
• Proof of income
• Statements for stocks, bonds, or retirement accounts
• Prescriber information
• Bank account balances
• Diagnosis information

Where to go

• Extra Help with Medicare Prescription Drug Costs (Low-Income Subsidy): https://www.ssa.gov/locator
• Patient Advocate Foundation TotalAssist: https://www.patientadvocate.org/connect-with-services/
• HealthWell Foundation Copay Assistance: https://www.healthwellfoundation.org/disease-funds/
• Good Days Copay and Travel Assistance: https://mygooddays.org/patients/