More than 60,000 Missourians who received help paying for their prescription drug costs lost that assistance on July 1.
Lisa Reynolds Insurance Agency recently hosted the Regional Healthcare Foundation of Dexter to share options that might help those affected.
The Regional Healthcare Foundation offers prescription drug assistance to those who find it difficult to afford expensive medications. The prescriptions are provided by the pharmaceutical companies that disburse prescription drugs in the United States. These programs offer free namebrand medications to people who do not have adequate healthcare coverage and meet guidelines for prescription drug assistance.
Reynolds estimated about 12 appointments were scheduled throughout the day as well as receiving more than 30 calls from customers seeking advice.
The general concerns Reynolds said she was hearing from customers was the fact they would no longer be able to afford their prescriptions.
The Missouri RX Plan (MORx) works with Medicare Part D prescription drug plans to help seniors and persons with disabilities save money on prescription drugs.
MORx pays 50 percent of out-of-pocket costs on medications covered by the Medicare Part D prescription. This means members saved 50 percent off their deductible, co-pays, during the coverage gap and beyond.
A letter mailed June 16 to plan members stated:
"Due to a law passed in 2014, your Missouri Rx (MORx) program coverage expires in 2017. The last day you can receive help with prescription drug co-payment costs from the MORx Program will be June 30, 2017. Prescriptions filled after this date will not be covered by MORx."
Verbiage in the Senate Bill 139 changed the income qualifications for Missourians to join MORx, as opposed to renewing the program.
If someone did loose their MORx coverage, a special enrollment period will kick in to allow changes to the Part D program, which will reassess to see if another plan fits a person better.
The letter went on to provide five different resources to possibly provide help with prescription drug costs.
* MO HealthNet (Medicaid): To see if you qualify for MOHealthNet, call the Family Support Division at 1-855-373-4636.
* The Partnership for Prescription Assistance (PPA): The PPA helps the uninsured and under insured to get prescription medications from existing patient assistance programs. Call PPA at 1-888-477-2669.
* Rx Outreach: Rx Outreach is a non-profit mail order pharmacy that provides affordable medications for people in need. To find out if you qualify for the program, call 1-800-769-3880.
* Community Leaders Assisting the Insured of Missouri (CLAIM): To see if you qualify for a Medicare savings program, speak with CLAIMs counselor at 1-800-390-3330.
* Area Agencies on Aging (AAA): Missouri has 10 AAAs that are ready to assist you. To see if you qualify for a Medicare savings program, call AAA at 1-800-375-1406.
More information about MORX can be found by calling 1-800-375-1406 or visiting its website at morx.mo.gov.
Regional Healthcare Foundation Patient Program Coordinator LeVeda Scates said most have not been to the pharmacy for their prescriptions since losing their MORx coverage on July 1, so they have not seen first hand what the cost difference in their medications will be.
"There is uncertainty right now," Scates said. "That is unsettling."
Scates urged people who have been affected by this change to contact the Regional Healthcare Foundation or another agency after they see how the changes affect the cost of their medications.
"The worse thing someone can do is set the letter aside," Reynolds said.
In addition, the Prescription Drug Assistance program is not a substitute for those who are eligible for Medicare Part D, Medicaid or health insurance.
Patients may qualify to receive free name brand medications through the Prescription Drug Assistance program, if they (1) cannot afford to pay for their medications, (2) do not have prescription drug coverage or are under insured and (3) meet the income guidelines determined by the pharmaceutical companies.
"The income guidelines for qualifying for the program are very generous for the Southeast Missouri area," Scates said. "Help is also available for people who are zero income in many cases."
College students on a tight budget are also encouraged to contact the Regional Healthcare Foundation if they have prescriptions they cannot afford.
To apply for help from the Regional Healthcare Foundation, patients must first fill out an application from www.regionalhf.org and mail the completed application and all required documents to: Regional Healthcare Foundation, 215 W. Grant Street, Dexter, Mo., 63841. Scates stressed an incomplete application will cause a delay in the process.
Once the completed application has been received, the patient will be assigned a patient advocate who will discuss one-on-one how the program works. The advocates have years of experience and expertise as well as are familiar with the required process.
The advocates will check the appropriate drug manufacturers for availability and requirements; complete the necessary paperwork and submit applications; forward the necessary paperwork to the doctor for verification of prescriptions, information and signature; track the status of applications and resolve any problem that may arise; and order refills as needed.