Paying for Your Meds
Getting the medication you need isn't always easy. If you’re worried about how you will pay for your HIV therapy, here are a few tips:
1. Talk to your doctor.
If you're worried about how you'll pay for treatment, a good place to start is by talking to your doctor. Your doctor can also help you apply for most assistance programs.
2. Contact your insurance company.
Most HIV drugs are covered by insurance. If you have health insurance of your own or through your employer, you or your doctor can find out if the insurance company will pay for some of your HIV drug costs.
3. Look into government programs.
If you're uninsured or your insurance won't pay for your HIV medicine, one of the following government programs may be able to help. Contact them for assistance.
AIDS Drug Assistance Programs (ADAPs) are state-run programs that help HIV-positive people by covering some of the cost of their HIV prescription medications. Contact the 24-hour National AIDS Hotline:
1-800-CDC-INFO (1-800-232-4636)
http://hab.hrsa.gov/findcare/statehotlines.htm
Medicaid is the state-run national health insurance program that helps certain people who need help paying for medical care. For more information, contact them at:
1-877-267-2323
www.cms.hhs.gov
Veterans Affairs (VA) has a government program for people who have served in the United States military. The VA is the largest single provider of HIV care in the country. For more information, contact them at:
1-877-222-8387
www.va.gov
4. Contact the ATRIPLA Patient Assistance Program.
The makers of ATRIPLA, Bristol-Myers Squibb & Gilead Sciences, LLC, have created a program to provide temporary assistance to eligible patients applying for, or enrolling in, prescription coverage plans.
Contact Information:
ATRIPLA Patient Assistance Program
PO Box 13185
La Jolla, CA 92039-3185
Phone: 1-866-290-4767
Fax: 1-866-290-4487
Product covered by program:
ATRIPLA
Eligibility:
For patients who meet eligibility criteria for this program.
Resources:
Download the
ATRIPLA Patient Assistance Program Application
5. Contact the Partnership for Prescription Assistance (PPA).
The makers of ATRIPLA are proud to participate in a special program called the Partnership for Prescription Assistance. The partnership includes pharmaceutical companies working with more than 1,300 healthcare organizations and leaders in the medical community.
The program is designed to help uninsured Americans get the prescription medicines they need at no or low cost. Since April 2005, PPA has assisted more than 5.7 million Americans in finding programs that can help them pay for their medicines.
To find out if you qualify, here’s all you need to do:
- Know the names of the medicines you take.
- Call toll-free 1-888-4PPA-NOW (1-888-477-2669).
- A trained specialist will answer your questions and help you apply.
The call center accepts calls in English, Spanish, and approximately 150 other languages. You can also visit the Web site at
www.pparx.org.
6. Contact the ATRIPLA Co-pay Assistance Program
- For certain patients who are eligible
- For more information, call toll-free 1-866-784-3431
ATRIPLA does not cure HIV-1 infection or AIDS and has not been shown to lower your chance of passing HIV-1 to others through sexual contact, sharing needles, or being exposed to your blood.
Ask your doctor if ATRIPLA is right for you, and see your healthcare provider regularly. Individual results may vary.
Please
click here for Important Safety Information, including information on
buildup of lactic acid in the blood,
serious liver problems, and sudden worsening of hepatitis B virus.