BRIDGEWATER, N.J., Oct. 11, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- If you find
yourself spending more on health care than ever, you're not alone.
According to US government figures, out of pocket costs for many
Americans rose 3.9% in 2016 — the fastest rate in a decade — and
are expected to rise by 4% in 2018 and 4.9% in 2019.
Americans under the age of 65 who were insured through their
employer spent more than ever on health care, and spending grew
faster in 2016 than in recent years.
If you're managing a chronic condition like diabetes,
cardiovascular disease, or multiple sclerosis, being unable to
afford your medication can leave you feeling completely helpless.
What's behind the problem?
For some patients, the problem is a lack of health insurance or
a sudden gap in coverage that may come with a job change. Other
patients may have been vigilant in choosing an affordable policy
that covered the medicines they need, only to find that coverage
was changed or eliminated the next year.
Higher deductibles, higher prescription copays, and even limits
on what drugs are covered; all can take their toll on
affordability. While pharmaceutical companies try to offset this
with rebates to insurance companies and pharmacy benefit managers,
those potentially money-saving discounts may not be passed on to
patients. All of this means that there are both patients who
continuously face the challenge of not being able to afford their
medicines, or who unexpectedly can no longer pay for their
treatments.
What can I do?
If you're someone who needs help paying for your medicine, it's
important to know that there are programs that can help lower or
even eliminate the cost of your medicines. Affordability programs
come in a few varieties. Some cover a wide range of prescription
drugs; others are specific to a condition like diabetes.
Instead of taking dangerous steps to save money such as
splitting pills or skipping doses, these programs can allow you to
access medicines as prescribed by your health care provider. In
many cases you can qualify even if you have commercial
insurance.
Places to Start
Some online companies allow you to save on many prescription
drugs by buying online and then picking up drugs at a local
pharmacy; even if you have insurance. Other online companies enable
you to comparison shop, and will compare prices on the medicines
you want, and can send you savings coupons or direct you to savings
programs from manufacturers.
For people with no prescription drug coverage, organizations
such as The Partnership for Prescription Assistance helps find you
needed medicines at very low or no cost. Patients also can check if
the pharmaceutical company that makes their medicine also has a
financial patient assistance program for that drug. Many such
programs are available for chronic conditions such as diabetes,
when patients are having trouble affording daily medications like
insulin and even supplies like test strips. These programs can
sometimes offer eligible patients their prescribed medicine for
little to no cost.
How Sanofi Helps
Sanofi offers several patient support programs, many through the
company's Patient Connection website:
- For those with high-deductible commercial insurance,
Sanofi offers a robust savings program for many of its products
which limit out-of-pocket expenses – sometimes to $0 for commercially-insured patients in the U.S.,
regardless of formulary status – to help ensure high copay costs
are not a barrier to medication access.
- For people living with diabetes and are prescribed
insulin, the Insulins VALyou Savings Program offers one set
price that helps lower out-of-pocket costs for those who otherwise
would pay full retail price for select Sanofi insulins. This
includes people who have not yet met their insurance deductibles or
who do not have commercial health insurance.
- For qualified low-income, uninsured patients, Sanofi
offers patient assistance programs that provide medications at no
charge. Details on the program are available via the patient
assistance tab of the Sanofi Patient Connection program.
It can take time to complete paperwork and have your eligibility
verified, so if you can, don't wait until you are out of medication
to seek help from these programs.
If you're prescribed a Sanofi medicine, you can call Sanofi
Patient Connection at (888) 847-4877 or visit
www.sanofipatientconnection.com, where we can connect you to the
medicines and resources you need. This service is provided at no
cost.
What else can I do?
In addition to the programs listed here, you can find others
that may fit your situation by doing an online search for eligible
savings. Make sure to visit the website of each company that makes
your prescribed medication, and search there for available savings,
financial assistance or patient assistance programs. You also
should check the websites for reputable patient support and
advocacy organizations for your condition, as they often have
resources there on how to keep your costs in check. Finally, don't
give up, and don't assume you're not eligible for assistance.
* The inclusion of links or mention of any third party
organization does not imply Sanofi's endorsement or
support.*
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SOURCE Sanofi