Help Finding Discounted or Free Prescription Drugs

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Woman with prescription drug bottle
Andy Dean Photography / Shutterstock.com

If the high cost of health care is making you sick, don’t worry… there are literally dozens of government, non-profit and industry backed programs that can get you your meds for little or no cost.

Needy Meds (http://www.needymeds.org) – Offers help getting more than 4,100 medicines, plus links to discount drug card and coupon programs, thousands of free or low-cost clinics around the country, programs offering medical equipment and supplies for specific diseases. Also has a glossary of insurance and related terms, and a tool to see if you’re eligible.

Partnership for Prescription Assistance (http://www.pparx.org) – Entry point for more than 475 different programs sponsored by pharmaceutical companies, government programs, health plans and charities.

Patient Advocate Foundation (http://www.patientadvocate.org) – The most comprehensive patient assistance program, with far more than help getting free or discount prescriptions. Provides help paying for surgery or large copayments for medical care, child care while patients are getting treatments, even transportation to treatments. Has specialized case managers who can help with a multitude of financial health care issues.

PatientAssitance.com (http://www.patientassistance.com) – Has links to more than 1,000 prescription-assistance programs, free clinics and programs that help with copayments for treatment for cancer and rare and chronic diseases.

Rx Assist (http://www.rxassist.org) – Links to state-run assistance programs and programs to help with drug copayments, a search by drug name for available help, online patient education.

Rx Hope (http://www.rxhope.com) – Offers online assistance applications, links to medical group, patient advocate and drug company sites.

State Pharmaceutical Assistance Programs (http://www.ncsl.org/programs/health/drugaid.htm) – This is a report from the National Conference of State Legislatures detailing programs offered by each state.

Heart Support of America (http://www.heartsupportofamerica.org) – Provides financial assistance to those in need of heart surgery.

AIDS Treatment Data Network (http://www.atdn.org) – If you’re having trouble paying for AIDS medications, these people can help.

American Kidney Fund (http://www.kidneyfund.org/patient-grants/) – The American Kidney Fund’s Patient Grant Program is already helping more than 75,000 patients across the country with their health insurance premiums, Medicare expenses, and other related expenses that insurance will not cover.

Caring Voice Coalition (http://www.caringvoice.org/program-fa.htm) – Offers a Financial Assistance Program that “may pay a portion or all of a patient’s share of cost under the patient’s health insurance plan”.

National Organization for Rare Disorders (http://www.rarediseases.org/programs/medication) – List of all programs currently offered by NORD which help pay for patient medication, focused on those suffering from a rare disease or disorder.

Together Rx Access (http://www.togetherrxaccess.com) – Just one of many prescription payment cards. It’s not full health insurance, but they can help you cover much of your prescription costs.

Do you know of a plan that we left off this list? Let us know by commenting below and we’ll add it.

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