New York State Department of Health Selects HealthWell Foundation Subsidiary to Administer its Adult Cystic Fibrosis Assistance Program

HWF Direct, LLC, to Provide Grants Management Services to NY State Residents with Cystic Fibrosis

GERMANTOWN, Md., March 4, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The HealthWell Foundation^®, an independent non-profit charitable organization that provides financial assistance for underinsured Americans, is pleased to announce that its wholly-owned subsidiary, HWF Direct, LLC, has been engaged to administer New York State's Adult Cystic Fibrosis Assistance Program (ACFAP).

As administrator of the program, HWF Direct will provide grant support services to provide copayment assistance for medical care related to Cystic Fibrosis, including prescription drug and device costs, and medical and behavioral health services, and insurance premium assistance to include medical, vision, and dental premiums, to eligible New York state residents living with Cystic Fibrosis.

Grants are awarded on a 12-month cycle, and applicants must meet the following eligibility criteria for approval:

• Must be a legal New York state resident for at least twelve continuous months prior to applying
• Must be twenty-one years of age or older
• Must have a diagnosis of Cystic Fibrosis and is actively being treated for the disease
• Must have some form of primary private health insurance or Medicare and is not eligible for state Medicaid; and maintain health insurance during the grant period.

"Since opening HWF Direct in December 2018, we continue to identify and implement new initiatives to utilize our services and expand our reach to assist more patients across a variety of disease states," commented Fred Larbi, Chief Operations Officer, HealthWell Foundation.

"We are honored to be selected by the New York State Department of Health to administer its Adult Cystic Fibrosis Assistance Program through our state-of-the-art contact center, which houses more than 170 trained professionals who serve as the front-line of communication for patients, providers, and pharmacies who reach out for assistance. Assisting the Cystic Fibrosis community has been a longstanding commitment at the HealthWell Foundation and HWF Direct. We are excited to strengthen our impact on the CF community through our partnership with the New York State Department of Health."

To apply for a grant through New York State's Adult Cystic Fibrosis Assistance Program, contact HWF Direct Monday – Friday, 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. EST at 1-855-226-2295.

About HWF Direct, LLC

HWF Direct, LLC, is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the HealthWell Foundation and is located in Frederick, MD. HWF Direct, LLC provides high quality customer service paired with a state-of-the-art contact center to serve the national patient community. HWF Direct, LLC, was established in 2018 with the mission to provide exemplary customer service to the tens of thousands of patients who reach out to the HealthWell Foundation every year for financial assistance. HWF Direct's representatives take the time needed to resolve caller issues within the first contact, and focus on providing a compassionate, compliant, and completely satisfactory experience for those they serve.

About HealthWell Foundation

A nationally recognized, independent non-profit organization founded in 2003, the HealthWell Foundation has served as a safety net across over 90 disease areas for more than 930,000 underinsured patients. Since its inception, HealthWell has provided over $4 billion in financial support through more than 1.5 million grants to access life-changing medical treatments patients 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 23rd on the 2023 Forbes list of America's Top 100 Charities and was recognized for its 100 percent fundraising efficiency. For more information, visit HealthWellFoundation.org.

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

SOURCE HealthWell Foundation