Patient Assistance Programs (PAPs)

Drug manufacturers offer programs called Patient Assistance Programs (PAPs) that help low-income people get prescription drugs. Each PAP has its own rules about eligibility and what they will pay for. Before you look for a PAP, write down what drugs you need and make sure you have information about your income handy, such as your most recent paystub.

Here are a few ways to search for PAPs:

• Search PhRMA’s Medicine Assistance Tool (MAT).
• Look at RxAssist’s database of Patient Assistance Programs, with up-to-date information on how to access assistance from nearly 100 companies and more than 700 medications.
• Go to Medicare.gov and check out its list of PAPs. This list is also useful for anybody, not just people on Medicare.

If you are enrolled in a health insurance or drug coverage program that already pays for your medications, you probably won’t be eligible for a Patient Assistance Program. However, insured individuals may be able to obtain a coupon directly from the drug manufacturer or from their doctor’s office that will help to reduce their prescription copayments.