Profiting From Misery Because They Can

By: Marcus J. Hopkins, Founder & Executive Director, Appalachian Learning Initiative

Since the passage of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) in 2010, millions of Americans have gained access to health insurance and other forms of healthcare coverage which they were previously unable to afford. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), a record 31 million Americans have access to healthcare coverage through the ACA’s Marketplace or Medicaid Expansion coverage (HHS, 2021). And yet, for a significant percentage of Americans, healthcare has not become, despite the name of the law, “affordable.”

When we talk about “affordability,” we often speak in terms of average numbers—the average costs of services and prescriptions; the average costs of insurance premiums and deductibles. By those measures, the ACA has failed:

• The cost of services has increased at an average annual rate of 3.5% per year over the past 20 years (Peter G. Peterson Foundation, 2022). Several factors contribute to this increase in costs, including the introduction of new and innovative technologies leading to more expensive procedures and products, the complexity of the U.S.’s overly complex multi-payor healthcare system that naturally leads to administrative waste, and the decrease of competition as hospital systems consolidate and take over smaller hospitals.
• The cost of prescription drugs has increased on an annual average of around 5% (Keown, 2022). Two HIV drugs, Biktarvy and Descovy (Gilead Sciences), saw price increases of 5.6% in 2021 which, according to a Gilead spokesperson, are offset by rebates and other discount programs (Keown).
• The cost of premiums has increased on an annual average of 11.6% (Antos & Capretta, 2020). Deductibles have risen dramatically, as well, increasing from an average of $2,425 in 2014 to $4,500 in 2020 for Silver Plans offered on Healthcare.gov (Antos & Capretta).

While these costs have increased at a consistent rate, the Real Median Personal Income in the U.S. has largely stagnated since the late-1990s, hovering between $30,000 and $37,000 (U.S. Census Bureau, 2022). This translates to the reality that, while the costs associated with healthcare services and treatments have increased, median incomes have not increased in conjunction to support those increased expenditures.

According to a recent report released by Peterson Center on Healthcare and the Kaiser Family Foundation, although 90% of Americans now have access to some form of health insurance coverage (private, employer-sponsored, or public), medical debt remains a persistent problem for 23 million people—nearly 1 in 10. This is especially true for Americans with lower incomes, Black Americans, and patients with significant medical needs. In terms of age, patients aged 35-64 were more likely than any other demographic to have significant medical debt. In terms of geographic location, people living in the South or in states that have not expanded Medicaid were more likely to have significant medical debt (Rae, et al, 2022). 

Other aspects of the ACA—such as the 80/20 rule, requiring insurers to spend at least 80% of the premiums they collected on medical claims—were designed to limit the profits made by insurance companies. If insurers fail to meet that percentage, they are required to rebate the difference to policyholders. In the early years of the ACA, this resulted in billions in rebates to consumers. However, insurers have successfully devised numerous schemes to ensure that consumers pay more, and insurance provider profit margins stay high.

One such mechanism involves a practice referred to as “Co-Pay Accumulator Programs.”

What Are Co-Pay Accumulators and How Do They Work?

Co-Pay Accumulator Programs are stipulations included in many private and employer-sponsored health insurance plans, often hidden in the “fine print.” Under these programs, money paid to pharmacies and healthcare providers via coupons, assistance cards, discounts, product vouchers, and other third-party sources does not count towards patients’ deductibles or out-of-pocket maximums (OPMs). Since reaching a deductible or OPM makes the insurance company responsible for any further cost of treatment and services covered under a plan, delaying these benchmarks makes patients liable for more costs, increasing the amount they end up paying for prescriptions and other services.

Co-Pay Accumulator Programs save money for insurers by passing along higher costs to patients. For instance, a patient with hepatitis C might be prescribed a direct-acting antiviral (DAA) costing $28,000 per month. Even if an industry co-pay assistance program (CAP) only covers up to 25% of the drug’s cost, meaning $7,000, then just by paying for the first $3,500 dose, the CAP will already meet the patient’s $3,000 deductible. The patient only pays a token amount out of pocket, perhaps $5, while the CAP pays the other $3,495, and all future doses are billed to the insurer.

However, if the plan includes a co-pay accumulator program, that CAP payment will not count towards meeting the patient’s deductible. Instead, the patient uses the CAP for the second dose as well, hitting the CAP maximum of $7,000 yet even then still not meeting their plan’s deductible. With no more help from the CAP, the patient then has to spend $3,000 out of pocket for the next dose before finally hitting their deductible. This saves the insurance company $10,000 by costing the patient $3,000 and the CAP $7,000 before the insurance company even begins helping to pay for the drug. (Hopkins, 2021)

It is our belief that regardless of the source of payment—be it manufacturer coupon, AIDS Drug Assistance Program, or other patient assistance organization, such as the Patient Access Network (PAN) Foundation—all payments should count toward both deductibles and OPMs.

How Many Patients Are Impacted?

According to a 2018 analysis by Zitter Health Insights, 12% of patients with commercial plans were subject to Co-Pay Accumulator Programs in 2018, with 44% of commercial plans including Co-Pay Accumulator Programs. They predicted that 40% of patients would be impacted in 2019 with that number expected to grow annually (Schweitz, 2019). Many patients who are impacted, however, are unaware that their plans contain Co-Pay Accumulators Programs in no small part due to companies using seemingly innocuous language such as “Out-of-Pocket Protection Program” (Express Scripts), “True Accumulation” (Caremark), or “Coupon Adjustment: Benefit Plan Protection Program” (UnitedHealthcare) (Hopkins, 2021).

Photo Source: The Matrix Consulting, LLC

How Can We Address Co-Pay Accumulators?

At the end of 2021, only state-level action had been successfully undertaken to prohibit the inclusion of Co-Pay Accumulator Programs, with twelve states and Puerto Rico having passed such legislation:

• Arizona (HB 166)
• Arkansas (HB 569)
• Connecticut (SB 003)
• Georgia (HB 946)
• Illinois (HB 0465)
• Kentucky (SB 45)
• Louisiana (SB 94)
• North Carolina (SB 257)
• Oklahoma (HB 2678)
• Tennessee (HB 0619)
• Virginia (HB 2515)
• West Virginia (HB 2770)

In 2022, eleven states have introduced legislation to address Co-Pay Accumulators (that the author was able to find):

• District of Columbia (B24-0557)
• Florida (SB 1480) – FAILED; (HB 1063) – FAILED
• Iowa (H 2384)
• Maine (SP 621)
• Minnesota (SF 2136)
• Mississippi (HB 880) – FAILED; (SB 2470) – FAILED
• Missouri (SB 1031)
• New York (A1741); (SB 5299) – FAILED
• South Carolina (H 4987)
• Utah (SB 139) – FAILED
• Washington state (HB 1713) – FAILED; (SB 5610) – PASSED

In addition to state-level actions, Congress recently introduced the Help Ensure Lower Patient (HELP) Copays Act (H.R 5801). The HELP Copays Act, sponsored by Rep. A. Donald McEachin (D-VA-04), would ban co-pay accumulator programs by:

• Updating the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) definition of cost-sharing to require that all out-of-pocket payments made by or on behalf of a patient count toward the patient’s deductible and out-of-pocket limit. This would end co-pay accumulator programs in marketplace exchange insurance plans. 
• Stipulating that any item or service covered by an employer health plan is part of the essential health benefits (EHB) package and therefore the plan must count any cost sharing toward patients’ annual limits. This would end the ACA’s EHB loophole that allows plans to deem certain categories of drugs as non-essential.

This addition to the ACA would require insurers to count co-pay assistance paid by any third party on behalf of the patient toward their insurance deductible or out-of-pocket maximum (Immune Deficiency Foundation, 2021). The bill has bipartisan support with 20 co-sponsors and 116 state and national organizations sent a sign-on letter via the All Copays Count Coalition to Secretary of Health and Human Services, Xavier Becerra, in support of the HELP Copays Act.

Whom Should We Contact?

While federal legislators continue to work on the HELP Copays Act, people can (and should) reach out to their state legislators to pass legislation at the state level to prohibit insurers from implementing Co-Pay Accumulators by any name. They may find their state legislators online.

At the federal level, the HELP Copays Act continues to sit in the House Committee on Energy and Commerce. People should reach out to their Congressional Representatives, which they may find here.

In addition to contacting members of the House, we urge patients to contact their Senators to ask for a companion bill to be introduced in the Senate. They may find their contact information here.

The ADAP Advocacy Association, Patient Access Network Foundation, and The Matrix Consulting, LLC, invite you to direct your elected representatives to the PAN Foundation’s excellent campaign:

End harmful co-pay accumulator programs online at https://www.panfoundation.org/end-copay-accumulators/.

References:

• Anton, J. R. & Capretta, J. C. (2020, April 10). The ACA: Trillions? Yes. A Revolution? No. Washington, DC: Health Affairs Blog: Health Affairs Forefront. https://www.healthaffairs.org/do/10.1377/forefront.20200406.93812/full/
• Keown, A. (2022, January 04). Drug Price Increases for 460 Drugs in 2022. Urbandale, IA: BioSpace. https://www.biospace.com/article/a-new-year-means-price-increases-for-many-prescription-drugs/
• Peter G. Peterson Foundation. (2022, February 16). WHY ARE AMERICANS PAYING MORE FOR HEALTHCARE? New York, NY: Peter G. Peterson Foundation: Blog. https://www.pgpf.org/blog/2022/02/why-are-americans-paying-more-for-healthcare
• Hopkins, M. J. (2021, April 07). How “Co-Pay Accumulators” Stifle Healthcare Access and Empty Patients’ Wallets. Lost River, WV: Community Education Group: Rural Health Service Providers Network: Publications. https://secureservercdn.net/198.12.144.78/m60.322.myftpupload.com/wp-content/uploads/CoPay_Accumulators-FINAL.pdf
• Immune Deficiency Foundation. (2021, December 02). Support the HELP Copays Act and fight unfair copay accumulators. Towson, MD: Immune Deficiency Foundation: News. https://primaryimmune.org/news/support-help-copays-act-and-fight-unfair-copay-accumulators
• Rae, M., Claxton, G., Amin, K., Wager, E., Ortaliza, J., & Cox, C. (2022, March 10). The burden of medical debt in the United States. Peterson-KFF Health System Tracker. https://www.healthsystemtracker.org/brief/the-burden-of-medical-debt-in-the-united-states/?_hsmi=206419781&_hsenc=p2ANqtz--ts2CCK83uE9bi6lOcPJxnqqO0KQG5tOHocn9uAhHCAiYGFqKj4-5sQwvC4s15sMUuMqmLSQsg_QORW4rajQjwpITJZg&utm_campaign=KFF-2022-Health-Costs&utm_medium=email&utm_content=206419781&utm_source=hs_email
• Schweitz, M. C. (2019, January 22). The Cost-Shift Conundrum of Copay Accumulator Programs. Thorofare, NJ: Healio: News: Rheumatology: Practice Management. https://www.healio.com/news/rheumatology/20190114/the-costshift-conundrum-of-copay-accumulator-programs
• United States Census Bureau. (2022, March 11). Real Median Personal Income in the United States [MEPAINUSA672N]. Retrieved from FRED, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/MEPAINUSA672N
• United States Department of Health and Human Services. (2021, June 05). New HHS Data Show More Americans than Ever Have Health Coverage through the Affordable Care Act. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: About HHS: News. https://www.hhs.gov/about/news/2021/06/05/new-hhs-data-show-more-americans-than-ever-have-health-coverage-through-affordable-care-act.html

Disclaimer: Guest blogs do not necessarily reflect the views of the ADAP Advocacy Association, but rather they provide a neutral platform whereby the author serves to promote open, honest discussion about public health-related issues and updates.

Co-Pay Accumulators are an Extremely Dangerous, Anti-Patient Policy

By: Brandon M. Macsata, CEO, ADAP Advocacy Association

Today's lexicon outside healthcare policy discussions probably doesn't include the words, co-pay accumulators. But that is slowly changing as more and more people encounter what is widely recognized as an extremely anti-patient health insurance policy. Co-pay accumulators amount to nothing more than the greedy health insurance industry (and other payers) making prescription drug coverage less affordable for patients, especially for those living with chronic health conditions such as HIV/AIDS.

The Hepatitis B Foundation defines a copay accumulator (or accumulator adjustment program) as "a strategy used by insurance companies and Pharmacy Benefits Managers (PBMs) that stop manufacturer copay assistance coupons from counting towards two things: 1) the deductible and 2) the maximum out-of-pocket spending."[1]

Last year in the ADAP Blog, guest contributor Marcus J. Hopkins provided an excellent description on these potentially harmful policies: "Essentially, what a co-pay accumulator attempts to do is increase the amount of money consumers pay in order to decrease the amount of money insurers have to pay, once their annual deductible and/or Out-of-Pocket Maximum (OPM) is met. When consumers are allowed to count co-pay assistance cards against their deductible/OPM, they reach those limits sooner, meaning that insurers are then on the hook for every pharmaceutical fill after that date."[2]

Photo Source: Bankrate

Co-pay accumulators are particularly problematic for the HIV community because they rely on specialty drugs, such as anti-retroviral medications. In 2018, Dr. Adam J. Fein with the Drug Channels Institute warned, "Patients today are being asked to pay a significant share of prescription costs for more-expensive specialty drugs, because of high coinsurance amounts."[3]

Unfortunately, increasingly health insurance companies and PBMs have elected to institute co-pay accumulators. Make no mistake about it, but these co-pay accumulators will lead to patients being unable to afford their medication...and that will lead to less medication adherence...and that will lead to higher costs for the entire healthcare system. Our response is simple: It is time to advocate for the patient!

The AIDS Institute recently published an in-depth report, "Double Dipping: Insurance Companies Profit at Patients' Expense - An Updated Report on Copay Accumulators." According to the report's findings, in 45 states and the District of Columbia, there is at least one plan with a copay accumulator adjustment policy.[4]

For people living with chronic health conditions, such as HIV or viral hepatitis, co-pay accumulators generally pose significant problems for patients. As the report highlights: "With the many crises plaguing our health care system today, this very confusing issue can easily be dismissed. However, for the patients it affects, it simply cannot be ignored. And for those who haven’t experienced a copay accumulator yet, it may only be a matter of time."[5]

The problem for patients is much broader, though. According to the Patient Access Network Foundation (PAN), more than 10 percent of seniors shared that they took on credit card debt to afford prescriptions, while nearly 20 percent of seniors said they reduced spending on everyday purchases, including groceries and transportation.[6]

Photo Source: PAN Foundation

The Biden-Harris Administration recently had the opportunity to pump the brakes on co-pay accumulators, similar to the way they stopped the harmful demonstration project designed to weaken the six protected drug classes under Medicare's Part D. They failed to so, and the patient advocacy community was quick to express its concern.

“We are deeply disappointed that CMS passed on addressing the issue of copay assistance for prescription drugs and requiring insurers and pharmacy benefit managers to count assistance towards patient out-of-pocket cost-sharing and deductibles,” commented Carl Schmid, executive director of the HIV+Hepatitis Policy Institute. “Even before COVID-19, patients were struggling to afford their medications and relied on copay assistance from drug manufacturers. Now, the need is even greater. We know that the Biden-Harris administration wants to improve patient affordability of healthcare, particularly for vulnerable communities; however, they missed a perfect opportunity to demonstrate this commitment.”[7]

In a recent letter, U.S. Representatives A. Donald McEachin (VA-04) and Rodney Davis (IL-13) asked President Biden to halt the Trump Administration's copay accumulator policy ― which was included in the 2021 Notice of Benefit and Payment Parameters (NBPP).[8] It is now left in the hands of the Congress to reverse course on the extremely dangerous, anti-patient policy known as co-pay accumulators. Patient health depends on it!

[1] Hepatitis B Foundation (2020, March 4). Copay Accumulators – What They Are and What They Mean For Your Prescriptions. Retrieved online at https://www.hepb.org/blog/copay-accumulators-mean-prescriptions/#:~:text=A%20copay%20accumulator%20–%20or%20accumulator%20adjustment%20program,the%20deductible%20and%202%29%20the%20maximum%20out-of-pocket%20spending.

[2] Marcus J. Hopkins (2020, July 16). CMS Co-Pay Accumulator Rule Aims to Increase Consumer Costs. The ADAP Blog. ADAP Advocacy Association. Retrieved online at https://adapadvocacyassociation.blogspot.com/2020/07/cms-co-pay-accumulator-rule-aims-to.html.

[3] Adam J. Fein, Ph.D. (2018, January 3). Copay Accumulators: Costly Consequences of a New Cost-Shifting Pharmacy Benefit. Drug Channels. Retrieved online at https://www.drugchannels.net/2018/01/copay-accumulators-costly-consequences.html.

[4] The AIDS Institute (March 2021). Double Dipping: Insurance Companies Profit at Patients' Expense - An Updated Report on Copay Accumulators. Retrieved online at https://aidsinstitute.net/documents/2021_TAI_Double-Dipping_Final-031621.pdf.

[5] The AIDS Institute (March 2021). Double Dipping: Insurance Companies Profit at Patients' Expense - An Updated Report on Copay Accumulators. Retrieved online at https://aidsinstitute.net/documents/2021_TAI_Double-Dipping_Final-031621.pdf.

[6] Amy Niles (2021, April 19). Morning Consult survey: high out-of-pocket costs causing concern for seniors. PAN Foundation. Retrieved online at https://www.panfoundation.org/high-out-of-pocket-costs-causing-concern-for-seniors/. 

[7] Carl Schmid (2021, April 30). Biden Administration Passes on Protecting Patient Affordability of Medications. HIV+Hepatitis Policy Institute. Retrieved online at https://hivhep.org/press-releases/biden-administration-passes-on-protecting-patient-affordability-of-medications/.  

[8] The Honorable A. Donald McEachin (2021, March 22). McEachin Leads Bipartisan Letter Asking President Biden to Reverse Previous Administration’s Copay Accumulator Policy. The Office of U.S. Representative A. Donald McEachin (VA-04). Retrieved online at https://mceachin.house.gov/media/press-releases/mceachin-leads-bipartisan-letter-asking-president-biden-reverse-previous.

Disclaimer: Guest blogs do not necessarily reflect the views of the ADAP Advocacy Association, but rather they provide a neutral platform whereby the author serves to promote open, honest discussion about public health-related issues and updates.

Together, We Can Lower Out-of-Pocket Costs & Increase Access to Healthcare

By: Amy Niles, Executive Vice President, PAN Foundation 

Your voice as a patient advocate, and the voices of the patients you support, are critically important when it comes to health policy. You have experiences to share, perspectives to provide and valuable input on proposed policy solutions. Healthcare policy is only effective if it addresses patient needs and improves access to and affordability of treatment. 

That is why the PAN Foundation has launched its online advocacy action center – to provide a central place for information about effective ways to communicate with elected officials, and importantly, to be a key destination for campaigns and advocacy initiatives focused on improving access to and affordability of treatment. 

Photo Source: PAN Foundation

Our first campaign addresses the need to lower out-of-pocket costs for prescription medications in Medicare Part D. In one click, we make it easy for you or your constituents to send an email to their elected officials, letting them know that relief from out-of-pocket costs for millions of Americans is desperately needed – NOW! Information about this campaign is included below. 

My ask of you?

As soon as you can, please encourage your patient communities to visit PAN’s advocacy action center, learn more about this campaign, and take immediate action by writing their members of Congress. It is easy, important, and needed as we head into the fall months.

If you need any assistance or have ideas for encouraging patients to share their stories, and their voices, do not hesitate to reach out to me. Learn more at https://www.panfoundation.org/become-an-advocate/.

Thanks, as always, for all you do. 

Disclaimer: Guest blogs do not necessarily reflect the views of the ADAP Advocacy Association, but rather they provide a neutral platform whereby the author serves to promote open, honest discussion about public health-related issues and updates. 

Bad Medicine Prescribed by the Trump Administration, Putting Health Insurers before Patients

By: Brandon M. Macsata, CEO, ADAP Advocacy Association

Earlier this week the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services ("CMS") issued the final Notice of Benefit and Payment Parameters for the 2021 benefit year, also referred to as the 2021 Payment Notice. CMS hailed the announcement as continuing "the Trump Administration's efforts to promote affordability, improve consumer choice, ensure program integrity, and increase market stability," yet it was met with strong criticism from the patient advocacy community. The ADAP Advocacy Association blasted the Trump Administration for putting the deep pockets of the health insurance industry before the needs of patients living with chronic health conditions, such as HIV/AIDS.

Photo Source: Patients Rising Now

Most troubling for patients is the decision allowing health insurance companies to disallow drug manufacturer co-pay assistance programs towards patient out-of-pocket cost sharing and deductibles.
Co-pay savings programs are offered by drugmakers, thereby reducing out-of-pocket costs for patients. Some programs, such as co-pay coupons are typically for "expensive, brand name drugs without a generic equivalent" (Chase, 2019).

According to a statement issued by Carl Schmid, executive director of the HIV+Hepatitis Policy Institute, "In 2018, drug manufacturer copay assistance totaled $13 billion, according to data from IQVIA. The new rule is a complete reversal of the administration's policy announced last year that required copay assistance to count for brand name drugs that do not have a generic."

That sentiment was echoed by Bill Remak, chair of the International Association of Hepatitis Task Forces: "This is a major setback for patients living with viral hepatitis and related diseases and will effectively raise patient costs and reduce access to critical medications. On behalf of the millions of people living with viral hepatitis, we urge the Trump Administration to reverse this rule and not adopt policies that do not count copay assistance toward their deductible and annual out-of-pocket limit. With the COVID-19 pandemic, this move creates even more barriers preventing patients from getting the medications they need."

Twitter also was filled with condemnation from the patient advocacy community, including rebukes from the Community Access National Network (CANN) and The AIDS Institute.

The PAN Foundation warned disallowing co-pay accumulator programs will hurt vulnerable patients by shifting the cost burden over to them.

According to Patients Rising Now ("PRN"), "patient assistance programs are providing free medications, expanding patient support services and increasing access to care as a way to help millions of patients struggling to pay the bills during the COVID-19 pandemic." PRN characterized the decision by CMS as flawed and asked that they reconsider the final rule.

The All Copays Count Coalition - representing a broad spectrum of patient groups - sent a letter to HHS Secretary Azar prior to the final rule urging HHS to reconsider the co-pay provision. It obviously fell on deaf ears because the Trump Administration sided with the greedy health insurers rather than the patients who need the financial assistance.

A copy of the 2020 Final Payment Notice can be downloaded online: https://www.cms.gov/newsroom/press-releases/cms-announces-final-payment-notice-2021-coverage-year.

References:

• Chase, Lauren (2019, September 16). What Are Manufacturer Copay Cards? GoodRx. Retrieved online at https://www.goodrx.com/blog/what-are-manufacturer-copay-cards/. 
• Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (2020, May 7). CMS Announces Final Payment Notice for 2021 Coverage Year. Retrieved online at https://www.cms.gov/newsroom/press-releases/cms-announces-final-payment-notice-2021-coverage-year.
• Remak, Bill (2020, May 8). On May 7, 2020, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released its final 2021 Notice of Benefit and Payment Parameters rule. LinkedIn. Retrieved online at https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/may-7-2020-centers-medicare-medicaid-services-cms-released-bill-remak/.
• Schmid, Carl (2020, May 7). Trump Administration Shocks Patients By Allowing Insurers to Increase Cost of Prescription Drugs. HIV+Hepatitis Policy Institute.

Disclaimer: Guest blogs do not necessarily reflect the views of the ADAP Advocacy Association, but rather they provide a neutral platform whereby the author serves to promote open, honest discussion about public health-related issues and updates.

Transportation Assistance Survey from the PAN Foundation

By: Brandon M. Macsata, CEO, ADAP Advocacy Association

The Patient Access Network (PAN) Foundation launched a transportation assistance pilot program earlier this year, called Treatment Transport. Through Treatment Transport, eligible patients received a stipend towards Lyft rides to doctors' appointments and to the pharmacy.

Click here to learn more about PAN's Treatment Transport FAQs.

Photo Source: U.S. News & World Report

 The Treatment Transport pilot program has ended, and PAN is seeking to gauge interest in expanding it in 2020. Please let PAN know your thoughts in this survey, which should take 5-7 minutes to complete. We hope you will respond by December 6, 2019.

Complete the PAN survey online at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/WBWSJ2Z.

For additional information, please contact Amy Niles, Vice President, External Relations, PAN Foundation at aniles@panfoundation.org.



Disclaimer: Guest blogs do not necessarily reflect the views of the ADAP Advocacy Association, but rather they provide a neutral platform whereby the author serves to promote open, honest discussion about public health-related issues and updates.

Medicare's Low-Income Subsidy Program

By: Amy Niles, Vice President, External Relations, Patient Access Network (PAN) Foundation

Access to medically necessary healthcare is critical for successful patient outcomes, yet access is often impeded or blocked entirely by high deductibles, co-pays and coinsurance. These out- of-pocket (OOP) costs hit low-income seniors especially hard. For economically vulnerable Medicare beneficiaries and people with disabilities, the Low-Income Subsidy (LIS) program is a critical safety net that helps cover OOP costs for prescription drugs. The PAN Foundation's Issue Brief describes the LIS program, how it helps low-income seniors and people with disabilities, and what more can be done to ensure that OOP drug costs do not prevent these beneficiaries from getting the treatment they need.

WHAT IS THE LIS PROGRAM AND WHO IS ELIGIBLE?

All Medicare beneficiaries are eligible for prescription drug coverage through Medicare Part D drug plans. Medicare beneficiaries with low incomes and very few assets (e.g. bank accounts, stocks, bonds, etc.) as well as some people with disabilities may qualify for the LIS program, which helps cover OOP prescription drug costs. Also called “Extra Help,” the LIS program shields economically vulnerable and disabled beneficiaries from high OOP drug costs by helping them pay for monthly premiums, annual deductibles and co-payments for prescription medications obtained through Medicare prescription drug programs.[1]

The LIS program is divided into two parts: the “Full LIS program” and the “Partial LIS program,” and they differ based on who is eligible, how people enroll, and how much support the program provides for OOP drug costs.

To learn more about the LIS program, download the PAN Foundation's Issue Brief 11 - Medicare’s Low-Income Subsidy Program.

Disclaimer: Guest blogs do not necessarily reflect the views of the ADAP Advocacy Association, but rather they provide a neutral platform whereby the author serves to promote open, honest discussion about public health-related issues and updates.

Simplify the Search for Financial Assistance with FundFinder

By: Ayesha Azam, Senior Director of Medical Affairs, Patient Access Network (PAN) Foundation

We often hear that the road to financial assistance is difficult to navigate. Thousands of people living with life-threatening, chronic and rare diseases depend on financial assistance from charitable foundations to start and stay on treatment. These foundations provide a much-needed safety net for people—including those living with Hepatitis C and HIV/AIDS.

Until recently, people looking for charitable assistance had to manually monitor the status of disease funds across multiple organizations to find an available program. This placed an additional burden on patients, their families and healthcare teams.

To ease this burden, my colleagues at the Patient Access Network (PAN) Foundation developed FundFinder, a web-based app that streamlines the search for financial assistance by instantly notifying users when a program opens.

In addition to the PAN Foundation, FundFinder tracks information on program availability from the websites of seven other charitable foundations: CancerCare, Good Days, HealthWell, Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, Patient Advocate Foundation, Patient Services, Inc. and The Assistance Fund. The app is updated hourly to provide the most up-to-date information.

Users can access the free app from any web browser, tablet or smartphone by visiting fundfinder.panfoundation.org. After creating an account, users may subscribe to email or text message notifications and select specific disease funds to follow. When a followed fund opens, users will receive an alert indicating which foundation has available funding.

At PAN, we understand that a diagnosis often puts priorities in perspective. FundFinder helps simplify the search for financial assistance so patients can spend more time focusing on their health and wellbeing. I invite you to join the 4,500 FundFinder users who are saving time for what matters most. Sign up for FundFinder today.




Disclaimer: Guest blogs do not necessarily reflect the views of the ADAP Advocacy Association, but rather they provide a neutral platform whereby the author serves to promote open, honest discussion about public health-related issues and updates.

PAN Foundation Opens HIV Prevention & Treatment Fund

By: Brandon M. Macsata, CEO, ADAP Advocacy Association

The Patient Access Network (PAN) Foundation — a corporate partner of the ADAP Advocacy Association — announced that it opened its fund for HIV Prevention And Treatment. Presently, there are 56 HIV-related medications covered by this program.

The PAN Foundation is accepting applications for new and renewal patients. People needing financial reprieve from the cost of their HIV-related medications are eligible for assistance up to $3,400 per year (additional assistance may be available, subject to the availability of funding). In fact, nearly 60 disease-specific assistance programs to help patients pay for their out-of-pocket costs are made available by the organization.

The PAN Foundation is an independent, national 501 (c)(3) organization dedicated to helping underinsured patients with chronic and critical illnesses afford their out-of-pocket medical expenses. Over the last thirteen years, they have provided more than 700,000 underinsured patients with over $2.5 billion dollars in financial assistance.[1]

Patients and advocates can apply for PAN assistance by phone at (866-316-7263) or online (Click here to start the application online).

[1] Patient Access Network Foundation (2017).