Prescription Drug manufacturers Enlarge Their Prescription Drug Assistance

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The existing fiscal downturn has affected scores of individual's capacity to pay for their prescription medication. Some drug companies are responding with better prescription drug aid. Merck, which produces Singulair for asthma, Januvia for diabetes and Fosamax for osteoporosis, increased the amount of total yearly income a family can bring in and nevertheless become certified for free of charge prescriptions in March. Those making lower than $43,000 and families of four making less than $88,000 at this time can qualify for help with prescription medication. Merck says it has helped 1. million patients with $1.8 billion of prescription medication over the last seven years.

"We are committed to helping patients, and that commitment is evident in the $140 million of financial assistance we provided in 2008," representative Shannon Altimari from drug maker Biogen claims. Biogen Idec provides assistance for prescription Avonex and Tysabri which is used for the treatment of multiple sclerosis. Pfizer announced a program at an earlier time this year called Maintain that provides free prescription medicine to out of a job people who need prescription medicine aid. Maintain is merely one of several patient assistance programs that the company provides.

AstraZeneca just announced that it was changing its prescription medicine assistance program to provide aid earlier to a number of individuals. The company's program provides free of charge prescription drugs or low-cost prescription medication to uninsured, low-income people. AstraZeneca said in a announcement that it "would immediately extend assistance to qualifying patients who have lost their jobs, had their incomes reduced or had a change in marital status or family size". The company said these types of individuals had been having problems qualifying for prescription medicine as their tax returns showed exceedingly high an income. Qualifying individuals can right now join by providing certification of their recent pay and family size, AstraZeneca said.

Keith Black is a patient that has experienced such problems. The 3 -year-old Realtor was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 2004 . His pay from social security and a small disability policy only just covers his mortgage, medical bills, and other living expenses. "I have tried all sorts of things to see if I can acquire medicine help," he says. He called the drug companies, Social Security, and his physician's staff. He has as well followed quite a lot of leads on the Internet and in the end found a company that would process all of the paperwork for him.

His prescription cost over $500 a month and his health care costs are more than $250 per month. "There were times when I have had to miss out taking my prescription medicine for a day or two," he admits. He is not certain what the future holds for him but at least at this instant he is getting the assistance with prescriptions that he requires.

Article Source: http://depositarticles.com/

Prescription drug help is available now! Kirby Horton is Founder, President and CEO of Rx Help, a Prescription Assistance Company. He has over 30 years experience helping Americans with their healthcare needs. He can be reached at 866-960-9497

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