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November 15, 2009

Partnership helps patients find best meds plan

Charles Oliver

There are more than 475 programs in the United States that help patients get needed prescription drugs free or at a greatly reduced cost, says Mark E. Grayson, deputy vice president of the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America.

But he says figuring out which programs someone qualifies for and which of those programs best covers the drugs needed can be daunting. That’s why the drug manufacturers sponsor the Partnership for Prescription Assistance (PPA), to help Americans find the right plan for them.

“We’ve helped more than 6 million Americans, including more than 250,000 in Georgia, since we started this program four years ago,” Grayson said.

The PPA’s “Help is Here Express” bus came to the Dalton-Whitfield Library on Friday to help patients sign up for some of the drug programs.

“The qualifications for each program are different, but the basic qualification is that someone doesn’t have insurance (that covers drugs). Today, we are seeing people who have been laid off from their jobs. Or they are working jobs that don’t have insurance,” Grayson said.

He said they can also help seniors in the “donut hole” where their Medicare Part D coverage does not pay for their drugs.

One Dalton woman, who would not give her name, said the express has helped her find a plan that would cover the costs of her medicines while she is in the donut hole.

“This is a free service. It’s a confidential service, and it’s available to people of all ages,” Grayson said. “Every session is different. Some people come in with only one or two drugs, and some people have small bags full of different drugs, and we try to help them find a plan that will cover all of them.”

Teresa Payne and her husband came to see if they could get help for their daughter, whose Medicaid drug coverage has recently been cut. She said programs such as the help express bus are “very important.”

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