Financial Aid for Eye Care & Prescription drugs

Many state and national resources regularly provide aid & assistance to people with low vision & vision impairment. If you are in need of financial aid to assess or treat an eye problem, you might contact one or more of the following programs.
You may also contact a social worker at a local hospital or other community agency. Social workers often are knowledgeable about community resources that can help people facing financial and medical problems.

• EyeCare America - National Eye Care Project, coordinated by the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO), provides free and low-cost eye exams for U.S. citizens 65 and older who have not had access to an ophthalmologist in the past three years. Telephone: 1-800-222-EYES. Callers will be automatically screened to determine the program that provides the most appropriate eye care services. Eligible seniors who have not seen an ophthalmologist in three or more years may be able to receive a referral for eye care at no out-of-pocket expense for up to one year. Callers who have not had an eye exam in the past 12 months and are at increased risk for glaucoma may be eligible to receive a referral for a glaucoma eye exam.
  Website: http://www.eyecareamerica.org/

• VISION USA, coordinated by the American Optometric Association (AOA), provides free eye care to uninsured, low-income workers and their families. Screening for the program takes place only during January of each year, with exams provided later in the year. Telephone: 1-800-766-4466

• Lions Clubs International provides financial assistance to individuals for eye care through local clubs. There are Lions Clubs in most localities, and services vary from club to club. Check your telephone book for the telephone number and address of your local club. The telephone number for the national office is (630) 571-5466.
  Website: http://www.lionsclubs.org/EN/index.shtml

• Mission Cataract USA, coordinated by the Volunteer Eye Surgeons' Association, is a program providing free cataract surgery to people of all ages who have no other means to pay. Surgeries are scheduled annually on one day, usually in May. Telephone: 1-800-343-7265

• Knights Templar Eye Foundation provides assistance for eye surgery for people who are unable to pay or receive adequate assistance from current government agencies or similar sources. Mailing address: 5097 North Elston Avenue, Suite 100, Chicago, IL 60630-2460. Telephone: (773) 205-3838.
  Website: http://www.knightstemplar.org/ktef/

• Sight for Students, a Vision Service Plan (VSP) program in partnership with The Entertainment Industry Foundation, provides eye exams and glasses to children 18 years and younger whose families cannot afford vision care. Telephone: 1-888-290-4964.
  Website: http://www.sightforstudents.org/

• New Eyes for the Needy provides vouchers for the purchase of new prescription eyeglasses. Mailing address: 549 Millburn Avenue, P.O. Box 332, Short Hills, NJ 07078-0332. Telephone: (973) 376-4903.

• The Medicine Program assists people to enroll in one or more of the many patient assistance programs that provide prescription medicine free-of-charge to those in need. Patients must meet the sponsor's criteria. The program is conducted in cooperation with the patient's doctor. Mailing Address: P.O. Box 4182, Poplar Bluff, MO 63902-4182. Telephone: (573) 996-7300.
  Website: http://www.themedicineprogram.com

• RxHope.com. RxHope.com is the only patient assistance Internet initiative financially supported by PhRMA (Pharmaceutical and Research Manufacturers of America) and participating pharmaceutical companies. RxHope.com began as a grassroots effort of the Patient Assistance Managers and Directors of the PhRMA-member companies and has grown into the leading Internet-based patient assistance and sampling web portal in the pharmaceutical industry.
  Patient Assistance Programs are administered differently by manufacturer and sometimes by drugs within the same manufacturer. In most cases the programs are designed around income guidelines. Most often income has to be below or just above the poverty guideline set by the federal government. There are some companies that go as high as 2-3 times the poverty guidelines. Poverty guidelines can be found on the state/federal assistance link on RxHope.com. Most companies require the physician or her/his office to call and request an application. An application is usually mailed to the physician's office to be completed by the physician and patient. The application is then mailed back to the pharmaceutical company for review. If the application is approved the product, in most cases, is shipped to the physicians office. If a product is offered on RxHope.com the application is completed on line and in most case a decision is rendered immediately and the product is shipped within days.
  Website: http://www.rxhope.com/about/main.asp

• RxAssist. Many pharmaceutical manufacturers offer a limited supply of free or low-cost medications to patients in need through their patient assistance programs. These programs are intended to serve as a "last resort" for patients who are unable to use other programs and who otherwise would not be able to afford needed medications.
  RxAssist provides physicians and other health care providers with the information they need to access these programs.
  Website: http://www.rxassist.org/default.cfm

• HelpingPatients.org. This site was designed to help find patient assistance programs for which they may qualify. HelpingPatients.org is a new interactive Web site by Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) and 48 of its member companies. In 2002, PhRMA members provided free prescription medicines to more than 5.5 million patients in the United States.
  Website: http://www.helpingpatients.org/ Telephone: 1-800-PMA-INFO.