How can I get low or no-cost prescription medicines?

Are you underinsured? Do you have problems paying for your prescription medications each month? Are you currently on prescription medications for any type of medical disorder? Are you looking for help in paying for your prescription medications?

If you answered yes to any of the above questions the good news is that there is probably some kind of help available for you. Currently around 40 million Americans are uninsured, meaning they have no health insurance what so ever, but in addition to that there are many people who have health insurance but have no prescription drug coverage. And because they are lacking this kind of coverage they are unable to afford their prescription medications, either name brand or generic, that they need each month in order to survive. But the good news is that there are numerous programs out there for people who need help in paying for their prescription medications.

Many of the companies that actually make the drugs provide majority of these programs so if you are interested in getting help with your prescription drug costs you should first look to the companies themselves. But another thing that you can look into is a program for your specific condition; many times these programs offer free or low cost medication based on your condition and if they don't offer that program directly they can refer you to other groups that can help. One thing that you want to keep in mind is that these are only some of your options in finding low or no cost prescriptions. Keep in mind that the federal government has put out an alert involving free or low cost prescription drug scams. If the program you are looking into is asking you to pay for information or to pay to submit your application it is a scam because these programs and all information related to it is free for the general public.

Here is a brief overview of some of the programs that are available to help you get free or low cost prescription drug assistance.

Number one:
Private and/or public health insurance is the most common way for people to get low cost prescription medications, and depending on their exact insurance they might even be able to get prescriptions at no cost. For example if you have private insurance, such as the type that is provided through an employer, some or all of the cost for your prescription drugs is going to be covered. But if you have the traditional Medicare program your prescriptions probably aren't covered because you are going to need to sign up for Medicare Part D or a Medicare managed care plan. But if you have Medicaid chances are that all of your prescription medicines are going to be covered.

Number two:
State and community programs can also be used to support low or no cost prescription drug coverage. Many state governments offer some kind of program that allows seniors, disabled people and people who have low incomes to get help on prescription drug costs. Some of the types of programs that are offered by the community include community health centers, Area Agencies on Aging, and free health clinics. But in order to use these services you might have to prove that you don't qualify for private health insurance or that you don't make enough money to pay for your own medications. What you are going to need to do to use these programs is going to depend on your state's laws.

Number three:
Private programs, such as the Salvation Army and some private hospitals, will offer financial help for people who cannot afford prescription drugs. To find out more about the programs you can contact the Salvation Army and the hospitals directly. Many hospitals offer a toll free financial assistance line that you can call to get help with all of your medical needs. But something else you need to know is that non-profit hospitals can also offer these same kinds of programs so be sure to ask your local hospital about any programs they might have if you need help with prescription medications.

Number four:
Patient assistance programs, which are also referred to as PAPs are available through the companies that make the prescription medications. But one thing that you need to know is that each company is going to have its own rules about who can qualify for their PAPs. In most cases you are going to have to prove that your income is below a certain level and that you don't qualify for public or private health insurance. Every PAP has its own application process and in most cases you are going to need to have your doctor, nurse or social worker fill out the application for you. In some cases you can have the application submitted online, but in most cases your doctor is going to need to mail in the completed application. But make sure that you keep in mind that just because you are applying for a PAP that doesn't mean you are going to get approved so you will want to look into various options.

Number five:
You also need to look into patient advocacy foundations if you have insurance because these programs can help those who are insured find the help that they need. The Patient Advocate Foundation's Copay Assistance program helps people with certain medical conditions who have health insurance find free or low cost prescription medications. The Patient Access Network Foundation can help patients who currently have insurance but can't afford the insurance copays or out of pocket expenses of the prescription drugs.

If you are interested in finding out more about the various programs that are offered or in applying for assistance here are some of the websites you can visit to see if you qualify for free or low cost prescription drug assistance.

www.rxassist.org
This website is sponsored by a group called the Volunteers in Healthcare. The website allows you to search their database to see what PAP's you might qualify for. But it doesn't stop there nurses, doctors and social workers can also search the database for you to see what kind of programs you would qualify for. But not only does this website provide you with an online database of programs for help in prescription drug costs the web site also provides you with information about other resources that you might be able to use, such as drug discount programs.

www.RxHope.com
Unlike other websites this website is actually supported by the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, which is also known as PhRMA. And unlike other prescription drug help websites this website is not for people to use, this website is only available for your doctor to use. How it works is that using the tools on the RxHope website your doctor can apply for you to receive free or low cost prescription drugs directly from the companies that make them. Because only the doctor can apply for these free or low cost drugs for you must talk to your doctor first to get any kind of help with prescription drugs otherwise you won't qualify on this website.

www.needymeds.com
This is probably the most popular website that you can visit when it comes to free or low cost prescriptions. The website offers the user numerous information about PAP's in general and how they can help you. But in addition to that information the website also lists the numerous drugs that are available through PAP's and gives the user contact information for the companies that make them. By giving the user access to this information it makes the website more user friendly than RxHope which requires your doctor to apply for you. The website also allows you to download a copy of a drug company's PAP application in most cases as well as providing you with links to every states Medicaid websites.

www.TogetherRxAccess.com
This is a website that has already helped millions of Americans who currently do not have prescription drug coverage and who are not eligible for Medicare. This website has helped those people save between 25% TO 40% on name brand prescription drugs and medical products. How it works is you need to apply for a prescription drug card that will give you these kinds of savings on the website and the good news is in addition to saving on name brand prescription drugs you can also save on generic drugs and the card is accepted at majority of the pharmacies in the United States. But not only that Together RX Access Program also directs individuals to the Partnership for Prescription Assistance (PPA) for help on prescription drugs. The PPA is a clearinghouse for over 475 public and private assistance programs including 180 of them that are offered by the pharmaceutical companies themselves.

If you still need more information about various programs that are offered to help you with your prescription drug costs or where you can go to find low or no cost prescription drugs you should contact your doctor's office. And to help cut back on the paperwork you should try and find a program that you think is right for you and then bring in all of the relevant information for the office staff to proceed with.