FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
The Assistance Fund Opens Financial Assistance Program for Individuals with Primary Immunodeficiency Diseases
Financial assistance may apply to copayments, health insurance premiums and incidental medical expenses
ORLANDO, Fla., August 6, 2018 — The Assistance Fund, an independent charitable patient assistance foundation helping patients and families with high medical out-of-pocket costs, today launched a new program offering financial support for individuals with Primary Immunodeficiency (PI) Diseases. The program assists eligible patients with paying certain out-of-pocket medical costs resulting from their condition.
“Primary Immunodeficiencies are hereditary and often chronic. Treatments and medications can become quite costly for patients,” said Mark P. McGreevy, President and CEO, The Assistance Fund. “There are more than 350 diseases classified as a Primary Immunodeficiency. Each immune defect requires a specific treatment course, making the treatment landscape quite vast.”
PI diseases occur when part of the immune system is not present or is not functioning properly, leading to weakened immune defense. Individuals with PI are more susceptible to recurrent and longer-lasting infections, such as pneumonia, bronchitis, ear infections and sinus infections. Additional signs and symptoms of PI may include inflammation and infection of organs, blood disorders, digestive problems and autoimmune disorders.1 Primary Immunodeficiency Diseases can often go undiagnosed, making the exact prevalence unknown. However, it is thought that about 50,000 cases are diagnosed each year.2
“For a significant number of people with primary immunodeficiency diseases, there can be major financial obstacles to covering the cost of treatments they rely on to stay healthy and live their lives to the fullest,” said John G. Boyle, President & CEO of the Immune Deficiency Foundation. “We are grateful The Assistance Fund has expanded its reach to help address this challenge facing the PI community and ensure our patients will have the opportunity to receive the lifesaving, lifelong therapies they need.”
To learn more or determine eligibility for financial support, individuals should visit tafcares.org or call 855-256-4856 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 funds – 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
References
1- Primary Immunodeficiency. Mayo Clinic. 2018. Retrieved from: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/primary-immunodeficiency/symptoms-causes/syc-20376905.
2- Primary Immunodeficiency. Am Fam Physician. 2003. Retrieved from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14655810.