Merck Expands Access To Medicines Progam, For Neediest US Patients

Today, Whitehouse Station announced that it would expand its subsidized access to medicines program in the United States, thus [earlier backgrounder]:

. . . .Merck provides its medicines and adult vaccines for free to people who do not have prescription drug or health insurance coverage and qualify for a Merck Helps^TM program. Merck Helps programs include:

•The Merck Patient Assistance Program, which helps eligible patients who earn up to 400 percent of the federal poverty level gain access to Merck medicines for chronic conditions like asthma and diabetes.

• The Merck Vaccine Patient Assistance Program, which provides free vaccines to adults over age 19 who do not have health insurance coverage for vaccines and who earn up to 400 percent of the federal poverty level.

• The ACT Program for Oncology and Hepatitis C medicines, which provides free reimbursement support services and refers appropriate patients to a patient assistance program for eligible individuals who earn up to 500 percent of the federal poverty level.

• The SUPPORT Program^® for HIV/AIDS, which provides free reimbursement support services and refers appropriate patients to a patient assistance program for eligible individuals who earn up to 500 percent of the federal poverty level.

All Merck Helps programs are confidential and patients may qualify for the Merck Patient Assistance Program and the Merck Vaccine Patient Assistance Program if they have a household income of $43,320 or less for individuals, $58,280 or less for couples, or $88,200 or less for a family of four, even if the financial situation is temporary due to unemployment or other reasons. Patients may qualify for The ACT Program and the SUPPORT Program if they have a household income of $54,150 or less for individuals, $72,800 or less for couples, or $110,250 or less for a family of four. With the Merck Helps programs, there are no application fees, no co-payments and a simple enrollment process. Many medicines can be delivered to a patient’s home or doctor’s office at no charge. Patients in need of information should visit www.MerckHelps.com or call (800) PAP-5400. . . .

Credit -- where credit is due. To be fair though, Merck's adult Hep B vaccine is still MIA (manufacturing issues), with no date for US reintroduction -- unavailable at any price.