FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
The Assistance Fund Launches New Program for Individuals with Epilepsy
ORLANDO, Fla., Sept 10, 2018 — The Assistance Fund, an independent charitable patient assistance foundation that helps patients and families facing high medical out-of-pocket costs, announced the opening of a new copay assistance program to provide eligible patients with financial support for medication copayments related to the treatment of seizures due to epilepsy.
Epilepsy, which is characterized by unpredictable seizures, is the fourth most common neurological disorder1 and impacts more than 3 million people nationwide.2 Epilepsy can cause a wide variety of seizure types.1 Some involve physical movement (motor seizure), while others only impact a person’s awareness, causing confusion, loss of consciousness or changes in mood (non-motor seizure).3
“Living with Epilepsy can take a toll on an individual’s overall health and well-being,” said Mark P. McGreevy, President and CEO, The Assistance Fund. “Our ability to help lessen some of the financial hardships associated with this disorder will hopefully give more people with Epilepsy the opportunity to focus on their well-being and improving their quality of life.”
Management of some symptoms requires lifestyle changes such as adjustments to sleep schedules.4 Different people respond best to different treatment approaches, which may include medications, surgery, devices and dietary therapy.5
“We are very pleased to add the new copay assistance program as a resource for our epilepsy community,” said Patty Osborne Shafer, Senior Director, Health Information & Resources, Epilepsy Foundation. “We often receive inquiries via our 24/7 Helpline from people who are insured, but are unable to afford their copay, coinsurance or deductible associated with their prescriptions. This program will help offset some of those costs and ensure people with epilepsy have affordable access to needed medications to treat their seizures.”
To learn more or determine eligibility for financial support from The Assistance Fund, individuals should visit tafcares.org or call 855-359-0339 to speak with a patient advocate.
A list of all the programs available at The Assistance Fund can be found on the website tafcares.org.
About The Assistance Fund
The Assistance Fund is an independent charitable patient assistance foundation that helps patients and families facing high medical out-of-pocket costs by providing financial assistance for their copayments, coinsurance, deductibles and other health-related expenses. The Assistance Fund currently manages more than 40 programs – each of which covers the FDA-approved medications that treat a specific disease. Since its founding in 2009, The Assistance Fund has helped more than 73,000 adults and children access the medicines they need to stay healthy or manage a chronic condition. To learn more about The Assistance Fund, or for information on how to donate, please visit tafcares.org.
Media Contact
Margaret Figley
Director of Communications
margaret.figley@tafcares.org
1-“What is Epilepsy?” Epilepsy Foundation. Retrieved from https://www.epilepsy.com/learn/about-epilepsy-basics/what-epilepsy.
2-“Epilepsy Data and Statistics.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/epilepsy/data/index.html.
3-“Epilepsy.” Mayo Clinic. Retrieved from mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/epilepsy/symptoms-caues/syc-20350093.
4-“Lack of Sleep and Epilepsy.” Epilepsy Foundation. Retrieved from epilepsy.com/learn/triggers/lack-sleep-and-epilepsy.
5-“Treating Seizures and Epilepsy.” Epilepsy Foundation. Retrieved from epilspesy.com/learn/treating-seizures-and-epilepsy.