In this tough economy, a few drug companies are broadening their programs
that help people struggling to pay for prescription drugs.

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Last month, Merck, whose drugs include Januvia for diabetes and
Singulair for asthma, increased the income eligibility of its
assistance plan to 400 percent of the federal poverty level, from its
previous 200 percent level.

This
means that patients in the contiguous United States qualify if they
have an annual household income of $43,320 or less for individuals,
$58,280 or less for couples, or $88,200 or less for a family of four,
even if the financial situation is temporary.

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Abbott launched a program to help pay for its injectable autoimmune
disease drug, Humira. Even many people with insurance coverage will not
have to pay more than about $5 per month for the drug, according to the
company.

Information: 800-448-6472.

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Together Rx Access recently eased the income rules for its discount
drug card. Eligibility now starts at $45,000 a year for a single person
(up from $30,000) and runs up to $105,000 for a family of five (up from
$70,000).

The
free card, whose sponsors include Pfizer and Novartis, is designed to
benefit legal U.S. residents without public or private prescription
coverage who don't qualify for Medicare. Discounts on more than 300
drugs average 25 to 40 percent, according to Christopher Loder, a
spokesman for Pfizer.

Information: http://www.togetherrxaccess.com or 800-444-4106.

--
Rx Outreach has added more than 100 drugs to the nearly 300 generics
that it will provide for anyone with a U.S. address whose income is no
greater than 300 percent of the federal poverty level. (That's $32,490
for an individual, $66,150 for a family of four.)

Information: http://www.rxoutreach.com or 800-769-3880.

Jeff
Trewhitt, a spokesman for the pharmaceutical trade association PhRMA,
says that because companies are reevaluating their programs, it is
worth checking your eligibility even if your income level kept you from
getting assistance previously.

For
information on all drug company assistance programs, as well as some
offered by patient organizations such as the Arthritis Foundation,
check these two clearinghouses:

RxAssist (http://www.rxassist.org
or 401-729-3284), which is sponsored by several organizations,
including drug companies, and the Partnership for Prescription
Assistance (http://www.pparx.org or 888-477-2669), which is sponsored by PhRMA. Both list many of the same programs.