Although effective against rheumatic disease, biologic therapies come with hefty price tags. Patient assistance programs can be a useful resource to help under- and uninsured patients get the drugs they need.
Lessons from Caring for the Underinsured & Uninsured
As the first rheumatologist at a federally qualified health center in Austin, Texas, Samantha Shapiro, MD, learned several practical tips for the care of uninsured and underinsured patients with rheumatic diseases.
U.S. Supreme Court Rules for Insurers over $12 billion Obamacare Claims
WASHINGTON (Reuters)—The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of health insurers seeking $12 billion from the federal government under a program set up by the Obamacare law aimed at encouraging them to offer medical coverage to previously uninsured Americans. The 8–1 ruling authored by liberal Justice Sonia Sotomayor paves the way for a significant one-time…
Drug Assistance Programs Offer Little Charity to Uninsured
(Reuters Health)—Many patients who receive assistance from charities set up to defray prescription drugs costs may already have insurance that covers most the cost for their medications, a U.S. study suggests. Researchers examined data on the six largest independent charities offering patient assistance programs through 274 different disease-specific programs. These programs had total revenue ranging…
U.S. Uninsured Rate Up by Most in Nearly a Decade
WASHINGTON (Reuters)—The number of Americans without health insurance rose by 3.2 million people between 2016 and 2017, or 1.3% points to 12.2%, according to a Gallup poll released on Tuesday, the biggest jump in the uninsured rate in nearly a decade.1 Several factors likely contributed to the jump, Gallup said, including attempts by Republicans, who…
U.S. Senate Health Bill Would Decimate Long-Term Care Coverage
CHICAGO (Reuters)—When Americans think about retirement planning, long-term care usually is a major blind spot – few of us want to contemplate the possibility of infirmity and dependency in old age. But we would do well to think about it now, as the Senate Republicans take a holiday weekend pause in their push to dismantle…