Patient Advocate Foundation Receives Multi-Year Grant Donation Ensuring Direct Financial Relief to Osteoporosis Patients through the Co-Pay Relief Program

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Dec 11, 2012, 10:00 ET

The Co-Pay Relief Program Provides Support for Pharmaceutical Co-Payments to Insured Patients in Need

HAMPTON, Va., Dec. 11, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Patient Advocate Foundation (PAF) is pleased to announce the receipt of a generous six million dollar multi-year donation specifically geared to support patients suffering with Osteoporosis who contact its Co-Pay Relief Program (CPR) for financial relief. This contribution will impact thousands of patients throughout the United States by providing direct and immediate relief to counter the high cost of their prescribed pharmaceutical drugs. PAF's Co-Pay Relief Program provides direct financial support for pharmaceutical co-payments to insured patients, including Medicare Part D beneficiaries, who financially and medically qualify, significantly reducing the financial burden associated with high medication costs.

"A debilitating and chronic diagnosis like Osteoporosis may be one of the most challenging experiences a person faces in his or her lifetime. Coupled with high-cost pharmaceutical co-pay expenses, the journey can become significantly more difficult to manage," said Nancy Davenport-Ennis, founder and CEO of PAF. "Patient Advocate Foundation created the Co-Pay Relief Program in 2004 after receiving an increased number of patients seeking co-pay assistance for pharmaceutical drugs, so we are particularly pleased to be able to continue this assistance to patients diagnosed with osteoporosis all made possible by this substantial donation."

PAF is a national non-profit organization that provides sustained case management services to patients who are facing healthcare access issues as a result of their diagnosis of a chronic, life threatening or debilitating illness. Since PAF's creation of the Co-Pay Relief division in April 2004, CPR has distributed more than $180 million in assistance to more than 86,000 patients who were unable to afford their pharmaceutical co-payments, thus ensuring better access to prescribed medications. Since opening the Osteoporosis fund within CPR in late 2008, PAF has successfully provided financial support to nearly 6,500 insured patients nationwide, all who were coping with an osteoporosis diagnosis and were financially burdened with their pharmaceutical co-payments. The receipt of this multi-year donation will ensure that funds remain available for the benefit of current and future CPR patients.

In FY 2011/2012, PAF's Co-Pay Relief Program assisted a total of 36,993 patients, a dramatic 168.4 percent increase from FY 2010/2011, and provided approximately $39 million in co-payment support to patients across 19 diseases categories to help alleviate the financial burden associated with out-of-pocket pharmaceutical co-payments.

About Osteoporosis:

Osteoporosis is a debilitating disease affecting the bones in the body causing a patient's skeletal system to be significantly weakened. As osteoporosis advances the patient's bones become less dense, weak and brittle, resulting in extreme fragility, frequent broken bones and decreased mobilization. Osteoporosis, frequently referred to as the "silent disease" is often overlooked as it presents largely without symptoms before an advanced stage of the disease. It is estimated that about 10 million Americans currently have osteoporosis with about 34 million at risk for the disease.

About the Patient Advocate Foundation (PAF) Co-Pay Relief Program (CPR)
The Co-Pay Relief Program provides direct financial support for pharmaceutical co-payments to insured patients who financially and medically qualify. The program offers innovative technology tools for patients, providers and pharmacy representatives including 24 hour web based application portals, electronic signature, document upload and bar code fax routing capabilities, increasing the speed with which an approval can be granted and expenditure can be paid. Keeping with Patient Advocate Foundation's emphasis on excellent patient service, the program also offers individualized service to all patients through the use of call counselors; personally guiding them through the enrollment process. For more information or to contact the Co-Pay Relief program visit http://www.copays.org.

SOURCE Patient Advocate Foundation