HealthWell Foundation Now Offers Copayment Assistance To Pulmonary Fibrosis Patients

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Mar 10, 2015, 08:00 ET

GAITHERSBURG, Md., March 10, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- The HealthWell Foundation^®, an independent non-profit that provides financial assistance to underinsured Americans to help them afford life-changing medical treatments, today announced the launch of a new fund to assist people living with pulmonary fibrosis. Through the fund, the HealthWell Foundation will provide copayment assistance to eligible pulmonary fibrosis patients to help ease the burden of medical costs associated with treatment for their disease.

"We are poised to help pulmonary fibrosis patients breathe a little easier," said Krista Zodet, HealthWell Foundation President. "For many people living with pulmonary fibrosis, simply breathing represents its own challenges. Thanks to the generosity of our donors, we can help relieve the financial burden for these patients so the cost of treatments should not be a concern."

According to the American Lung Association, 140,000 Americans have been diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis and 50 to 75 year old patients are at the highest risk.

"Because of the prevalence and financial toxicity of pulmonary fibrosis, this fund provides access to treatment options for those suffering from the disease that may have been unattainable," said Nancy Carteron, MD, FACR, Associate Clinical Professor of Medicine at the University of California San Francisco and Vice Chair and Secretary, HealthWell Foundation's Board of Directors. Dr. Carteron is also a leading patient advocate for those with high-cost chronic disease. "We can help these patients reduce anxiety, and increase well-being through eliminating excess stressors associated with a chronic disease diagnosis, like cost."

To determine eligibility and apply for assistance through the HealthWell Foundation's Pulmonary Fibrosis Fund or to learn how you can support this program, visit the Foundation's website at www.HealthWellFoundation.org.

About Pulmonary Fibrosis

Pulmonary Fibrosis is a disease in which lung tissue becomes thick, stiff, and scarred. The scarring makes it harder for oxygen to pass through the walls of the air sac into the bloodstream. Once this damaging scarring occurs, it cannot be reversed, and after diagnosis, most patients only live three to five years. The current treatments aim to prevent any future damage, and may include medications, pulmonary rehabilitation, and oxygen therapy.

Patients may develop idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, which means that doctors do not know the cause of the disease. Other times, it can be due to smoking, the environment, genetics, and some autoimmune diseases such as Scleroderma. The Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation explains the different causes of the disease along with an extensive list of symptoms, tests, and a glossary with disease-related terms.

About the HealthWell Foundation
A nationally recognized independent non-profit organization founded in 2003, the HealthWell Foundation^® has served as a safety net for over 200,000 underinsured patients by providing access to life-changing medical treatments they otherwise would not be able to afford.

HealthWell provides financial assistance to adults and children facing medical hardship resulting from gaps in their insurance that cause out-of-pocket medical expenses to escalate rapidly. HealthWell assists with the treatment-related cost-sharing obligations of these patients. For more information, please visit www.HealthWellFoundation.org.

CONTACT:
Ginny Dunn
240-632-5309
[email protected]

SOURCE HealthWell Foundation