Patient Access Network Foundation uses the following criteria to
determine eligibility for assistance:
1. You have to be insured and your insurance has to cover the
medication for which you are seeking assistance.
2. The medication you take must fight the disease directly.
3. You have to be a US resident.
4. Your income must fall below 400% of the Federal Poverty
Level.
Click
here
for the Federal Poverty Guidelines
applications for new and renewal patients are accepted and
grants are immediately allocated.
Multiple myeloma (MM) is a cancer of the plasma cell, an
important part of the immune system that produces antibodies to help
fight infection and disease. This is an incurable but treatable
disease. MM is the second most prevalent blood cancer. Plasma cells
normally make up less than 5 percent of the cells in the bone
marrow, but for a MM patient, the group of abnormal plasma cells
multiplies to make up more than 10 percent of the cells in the
marrow. The result can be erosion of the bones and can also
interfere with the function of the bone marrow and immune system,
which can lead to anemia and infection.
The treatment of MM involves the use of chemotherapy.
Chemotherapy drugs are often called "anticancer" drugs and are given
by intravenous infusion, injection, or by mouth. Chemotherapy is
often used alone, or in conjunction with radiation therapy or
surgery.
Private insurance and Medicare are the most common types of
health coverage for patients with MM. Both have co-payments that can
present difficulties for patients. For example, Medicare does not
have a cap on coinsurance in certain health care settings. Also,
private insurance coverage can vary. As a result, low-to-moderate
income beneficiaries are often unable to afford the out-of-pocket
costs associated with their prescriptions. The Patient Access
Network may be able to provide assistance with these patient
cost-sharing requirements.
