HealthWell Foundation Opens New Amyloidosis Fund to Assist Patients with Treatment Costs

Premium and Copayment Assistance Now Available

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Apr 23, 2019, 08:00 ET

GERMANTOWN, Md., April 23, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The HealthWell Foundation, an independent non-profit that provides a financial lifeline for inadequately insured Americans, has launched a new fund to provide copayment and premium assistance to patients living with amyloidosis. Through the fund, HealthWell will provide up to $8,000 in financial assistance for a 12-month grant to eligible patients who have annual household incomes up to 500 percent of the federal poverty level.

Amyloidosis represents several different disease types where an abnormal protein called amyloid is produced. Amyloid protein fibers can attach and deposit into organs, tissues, nerves and other places in the body, affecting normal function of the area. As the protein increases, health problems and organ damage may occur, according to the Amyloidosis Foundation. Amyloidosis sometimes develops when a person has certain forms of cancer, such as multiple myeloma, Hodgkin's disease or familial Mediterranean fever (an intestinal disorder). Systemic amyloidosis is slowly progressive and fatal if untreated.

"Financial assistance for amyloidosis patients has been long in coming," commented Mary O'Donnell, President, Amyloidosis Foundation. "It is comforting to know that those living with amyloidosis now have a resource to turn to. Patients will welcome this newly available assistance to help ease the financial constrictions of their medication and allow them to focus on their recovery, not the cost."

"People living with amyloidosis can suffer from a variety of painful, sometimes debilitating symptoms. While multiple options may be available to manage these, many living with amyloidosis may not have the financial resources to start or continue their treatment," said Krista Zodet, HealthWell Foundation President. "Thanks to the continued generosity of our donors, we are now able to relieve some of the financial burden associated with treating their condition through copayment and premium assistance."

To determine eligibility and apply for financial assistance, visit HealthWell's Amyloidosis Fund page. To learn how you can support this or other HealthWell programs, visit HealthWellFoundation.org.

About the HealthWell Foundation
A nationally recognized, independent non-profit organization founded in 2003, the HealthWell Foundation has served as a safety net across over 65 disease areas for more than 405,000 underinsured patients by providing approximately $1.25 billion in grant support to access 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. HealthWell ranked #41 on the 2018 Forbes list of the 100 Largest U.S. Charities and was recognized for its 100% fundraising efficiency. For more information, visit www.HealthWellFoundation.org.

About the Amyloidosis Foundation

The Amyloidosis Foundation is a non-profit organization whose purpose is to support research for all types of systemic amyloidosis, support patients and their families with accurate information, help them find knowledgeable physicians, in addition to raising awareness of the disease amongst the medical community.

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

SOURCE HealthWell Foundation