Patient Services, Inc. Supports Rare Disease Day® and Joins Global Movement to Raise Important Awareness for Rare Diseases

MIDLOTHIAN, Va., Feb. 24, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Patient Services, Inc. has joined forces with rare disease patients and health care advocates in the U.S. and around the world for Rare Disease Day® on February 28.  Rare Disease Day is an annual awareness day dedicated to elevating public understanding of rare diseases and calling attention to the special challenges faced by patients and the community.

Patient Services, Inc. (PSI) is the "ground breaking" 501(c) (3) non-profit, charitable organization of its kind (www.patientservicesinc.org). For over two decades, we have recognized the importance of providing a "safety net" for patients with rare chronic illnesses who struggle to keep up with expensive premiums and co-payments.  PSI restores hope and health to persons and families living with a rare disease.

According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), a disease is rare if it affects fewer than 200,000 people.  Nearly 1 in 10 Americans live with a rare disease—affecting 30 million people—and two-thirds of these patients are children. There are more than 7,000 rare diseases and only approximately 450 FDA-approved medical treatments.

Rare Disease Day takes place every year on the last day of February (February 28 or February 29 in a leap year)—the rarest date on the calendar—to underscore the nature of rare diseases and what patients face.  It was established in Europe in 2008 by EURORDIS, the organization representing rare disease patients in Europe, and is now observed in more than 80 nations. Rare Disease Day is sponsored in the U.S. by the National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD)®, a leading independent, non-profit organization committed to the identification, treatment, and cure of rare diseases.

For more information about Rare Disease Day in the U.S., go to www.rarediseaseday.us.  For information about global activities, go to (www.rarediseaseday.org).  To search for information about rare diseases, visit NORD's website, www.rarediseases.org.

Media contacts:
Mandy Herbert, Director of Marketing and Public Relations | Patient Services, Inc. | 804-521-7916 | [email protected] |  www.patientservicesinc.org 

Jennifer Huron, NORD, 203-744-0100, [email protected]

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SOURCE Patient Services, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.patientservicesinc.org

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