Advice for those contacting AmeriCares for help in getting needed medication and medical care—specifically for those without health insurance and without the financial resources to obtain medical care. AmeriCares has free clinics in Danbury, Bridgeport and Norwalk, Connecticut. If you live outside of these areas, we hope the following information will help you.
General Information
Department of Social Services
Free Clinics
Community Health Centers, Hospitals Clinics, Primary Care Centers
Free Medicine
1. General Information
Services vary from clinic to clinic, in addition to medical care, may include any combination of the following: medications, lab work, diagnostic/x-ray services, mental health treatment/counseling, work/school physicals, specialty consultations, dental care, and screening/testing and treatment for infectious dieses such as tuberculosis, hepatitis, sexually transmitted diseases and AIDS. Mental health and dental services may not be available and can be harder to find. City Health Departments offer various services and are worth contacting –their number is in the blue pages.
Most clinics have income guidelines to determine a patient’s eligibility for free care or for a reduced fee (sliding scale). Be sure to ask about this, and bring proof of your –and/or your spouse’s – income (usually your latest income tax return or pay stubs), otherwise you may be charged the full amount.
It is best to call the clinic in advance to determine what services are available, when the clinic is open, if an appointment is needed, and what you need to bring with you (proof of income, etc.). It is important to bring any medical records you may have, and all medicine bottles containing any medications you are currently taking. Try to bring a list of your medical problems, the medications you are taking, and the name, address and phone number of the last doctor you saw.
Don’t be afraid to tell clinic staff if you cannot afford the medications they prescribe. Ask for samples. If samples are not available, the clinic may have other ways to help you get your medicine (see below).
If you do not speak English, be sure to take someone with you who can translate. Often there will be a translator at the clinic, but do not plan on it.
If the clinic you go to can’t help you, they may know of another source of care in the community, so be sure to ask – advice and referrals are free!
2. Department of Social Services (DSS)
DSS can provide advice, help in applying for public assistance (“welfare”), and give referrals to other community resources. Some DSS offices also have an emergency fund to help with purchasing essential medication, or if not, they can usually direct you to another social service that does have one. The social services office for your town or city should be listed in the “blue pages” section of your local directory. It may be referred to as Social Services, Human Services, City Welfare or Department of Income Maintenance. They can direct you to programs you might be eligible for, and explain what other services are available to help you.
3. Free Clinics
Free Clinics usually have income-eligibility and only see patients with no health insurance. It is best to call in advance to determine what services they offer and if you qualify. There is a directory of free clinics at: www.freeclinic.net
4. Community Health Centers, Hospitals Clinics, Primary Care Centers
These health care providers usually charge on a sliding scale – in other words, the fee can be adjusted according to your income, remember to bring pay stubs or tax return. There is often a directory on the Internet; try community health centers and your state on your search page. Many of these may offer mental health and dental services. Appointments may take awhile to schedule – most have walk-in hours if you can’t wait.
5. Free Medicine
There are several programs that offer free medications for those who qualify. Most pharmaceutical companies have established a "Patient Assistance Program" (PAP) for people who have no prescription insurance, don't qualify for Medicaid, and who meet the program's income guidelines. Eligibility requirements differ from company to company, and sometimes even from drug to drug. The paperwork is often complicated, but there are several websites that can help you with the process and provide you with the application forms. They may or may not charge you for the service. Basically, each prescription request requires a completed application form from that pharmaceutical company, often a written prescription for the requested medication, and both need to be signed by your physician. Increasingly, PAPs require proof of income; some also require proof of citizenship or legal residency. Not all medicines are available through the programs.
If you are seeing a private physician, or going to a clinic where they are not familiar with the PAP, there are many websites that will help you. We have listed a few of them:
www.themedicineprogram.com
www.RxAssist.org
www.RxHope.com
www.RxOutreach.com
www.medicare.gov
www.ppaRx.org
Your application form will usually be good for a three-month supply of your medication; then you will have to repeat the entire application process, or in a few cases, just submit the refill stub. Again, each pharmaceutical company has different eligibility criteria and a different application form and a different refill/reorder procedure. If you are lucky, your health care provider will process the application for you, but if you have to do it on your own you must be proactive and stay on top of the process. It can take several weeks for the medicine to arrive so be prepared to be patient!
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