FREE HEALTH CARE AND PRESCRIPTION DRUGS REPORT
If you are reading this report, the subject must be very
important to you or someone you care about. Can you wait until Congress
gets it right? Considering the various parties involved with their vested
interests (health care providers, insurance companies, drug companies, and
associations for the retired) who knows what the new health care system will be
like. But ask yourself this...If the recent prescription care program
is any indication, will the "new reformed" health care program have another "donut hole" in the middle of it?
What is most shocking is this -- some of what the politicians
are ranting about, already exists! For example, in 1946, Congress passed a law
which gave hospitals and other health care facilities money for construction and
modernization. In return, the facilities which received these funds agreed to
provide a reasonable volume of services to persons unable to pay, and to make
their services available to all persons residing in the facility's area. This
program is known as Hill-Burton. In 1997, the program stopped giving money
to institutions. However, there are still 205 health care facilities in
the lower 48 states and the District of Columbia which are still obligated to
provide free care, on an allocation basis.
ARE YOU ELIGIBLE?
Consider this example. Chip is a 22 year old male who is on his
own and rents a room in another family's home. During the last few years, he has
had difficulty finding a full time job. Instead, he has had to settle for part
time work at minimum wage. His income last year was almost $9,000 and this year
it will be about the same. Since he is a part-time employee working only twenty
hours a week, he is not covered by any employee benefit health insurance plan
and he cannot afford to buy his own individual policy.
Suppose during the weekend he fell down a flight of stairs and
broke his arm. Could he get free treatment for his injury? Yes.
If your income is less or more (but not double) the current
Poverty Income Guidelines, and you are not living with nor supported by
relatives, nor living in your family's home -- the charges for health facility services may be free
or reduced. You may be eligible for the Hill-Burton reduced charges even
if you income is as much as twice the guidelines listed below (triple for
nursing home care).
WHAT ARE THE CURRENT POVERTY INCOME GUIDELINES?
According to the Federal Registry, the Department of Health and
Human Services Poverty Guidelines are:
To find
out if income levels above the Guidelines qualify, ask the health care facility
for the "INDIVIDUAL NOTICE." This will tell you what types of Hill-Burton
services it provides. It will also tell you where in the facility you should
apply. You may be asked to fill out an application and provide a pay stub as
proof of your level of income. When you return the completed application, ask
for a "DETERMINATION OF ELIGIBILITY." This will tell you whether or not you will
receive free or reduced cost services at that facility. But,
you cannot apply for the program ahead of time. You can only apply
when you need the health care or after you have received it.
WHICH FACILITIES ARE IN THE HILL-BURTON PROGRAM?
There are now 205 health care facilities still obligated to
provide free care. Of these 205 facilities, 31 are in New York and 3 in
Washington D.C.
SO YOU OR YOUR LOVED ONE, MAY NOT HAVE TO WORRY ALL THE TIME ABOUT GETTING SICK
OR HURT. JUST CALL OR E-MAIL US TO SEE IF THERE IS A HILL-BURTON FACILITY
NEAR YOU.
Now, if you are not eligible under the Hill-Burton Program,
don't be discouraged. There is an alternate solution. It is the Health Savings
Account (HSA). Click Here for more information
on HSA's.
And for those of you on MEDICARE --
WHAT ABOUT THE LARGE DEDUCTIBLES OF MEDICARE PART A & B? !!
It could cost you $676 for each benefit period, $169 daily
coinsurance after 60 days in the hospital, we're not done yet! You will pay $338
each day after 90 days with a maximum of 60 reserve lifetime days, and that's
only for the hospital stay, you still have to come up with 20% of the physicians
fees and incidentals. Can anyone afford this on a fixed income?!!
If this gap in MEDICARE coverage is a concern of yours, you will
be interested in the information we have on the new MEDICAP coverage. We can
show you plans which pay your share of gap left in the MEDICARE coverage and has
the following features:
* No claims forms
* Quick claims payment
* Personalized service
ARE YOU READY FOR THE NEXT SHOCKER?
For most older Americans, even with MEDICARE, the biggest money
problem was paying for the expensive prescriptions to cover the common ailments
associated with old age. In fact, many times it is a matter of life and death.
MEDICARE DID NOT COVER PRESCRIPTION DRUGS
-- UNTIL PRESIDENT BUSH'S EXPANDED MEDICARE PRESCRIPTION DRUG PLAN WAS PASSED BY
CONGRESS.
In a brief summary, this plan:
*
is available to everyone with Medicare,
* helps
you pay the cost of drugs (both generic & brand),
* provides extra help for those who need it,
* like other insurance, requires you pay a premium
- which varies according plan & share of cost you pay
* costs also vary by plan you chose, and
is complex like most government programs.
I offer the following graphic from the 28
slides which is part of the "short" version of the new drug program
presentation. And it just covers the "Standard" Benefit.
Consider the following. In addition
to the Standard, there are variations in the benefits such as; "full subsidy
dual eligible", " full subsidy", and "partial subsidy" with its own sliding
scale of premium assistance.
And if your not on Medicare or Medicaid,
what do you do?
ARE YOU WORKING JUST TO SUPPORT YOUR
PRESCRIPTION DRUG NEEDS?
One couple we helped in Maryland was facing this very situation.
John, age 62, and his wife require a dozen different drugs a month to deal
with their ailments. These drugs, including Glucotrol and Leucovorin, were
costing the couple over $2,000 a year. Our client was working part time instead
of enjoying his wife and hobbies just so he could cover their medication costs.
Then we told him how he could get some of their expensive
medications for free. John is a lot happier these days. And who do you think provided these drugs for free? You'll be
amazed -- THE DRUG
COMPANIES THEMSELVES! The government did not have to mandate it.
Maybe these companies are not evil as the politicians would have us believe.
OVER 40 MAJOR DRUG COMPANIES PROVIDE FREE PRESCRIPTION DRUGS.
More than 40 drug manufacturers make their medications
available free-of-charge to patients who do not have the money to pay for them.
Unfortunately, unlike the Burton-Hill free health care program discussed
earlier, there isn't a single program with a simple set of requirements. Each
drug manufacturer has its own program with different eligibility requirements
and procedures to follow. Let's look at the two drugs or mentioned above - Glucotrol and Leucovorin, for an example.
Glucotrol is produced by Pfizer. For this medication, any
indigent patient is eligible. You cannot be covered by third party insurance or
MEDICAID. If you believe you are eligible, please consult with your physician or
contact Pfizer directly.
Lederle produces the drug Leucovorin. Again, if you believe you
are eligible, please contact your physician. Requests for Leucovorin must be
made through your physician. And, again, your doctor must state that you are
financially indigent and again, you may not have third party insurance or be
eligible for MEDICAID reimbursement.
Other drug companies have different rules, such as putting a
dollar amount on how much money you can make each year. One company will only
consider providing free prescription drugs if a person has less than $9,500 in
annual income.
If you are interested in whether or not
there is a free medical facility near you, or if your medication is
covered by the free drug program, please contact us for a consultation.
