Patient Frequently Asked Questions

We assist people who have health insurance in the U.S. with their out-of-pocket treatment costs. TAF’s nearly 100 disease programs assist are free to apply for and help with all FDA-approved treatment for the disease named in the program (we are unable to provide assistance for the off-label use of medication). You should never pay a fee to apply for enrollment in an independent charitable patient assistance organization.

Yes. TAF does not limit the number of disease programs you may apply for so long as you meet each program’s eligibility criteria and funding is available.

Once approved, you are eligible for immediate assistance. There is no cap on how much assistance you may receive (unless otherwise specified). TAF assistance is calendar-based; your assistance will continue until Dec. 31, and you may submit eligible reimbursement expenses going back to Jan. 1 of this year or the program’s launch date (whichever is sooner). To receive assistance next year, you must apply through our reenrollment process; details including dates are announced in October each year. Assistance in any year is always subject to the availability of funds and there is no guarantee such funds will be available.

You received conditional approval because someone completed a referral application on your behalf. Conditional approval gives you 30 days of immediate assistance. To receive assistance beyond that, you must provide TAF with a completed application, including your signature and agreement to the program terms and conditions.

If you’re in a financial assistance program, yes! TAF’s financial assistance programs help with out-of-pocket costs like health insurance premiums and some incidental medical expenses. You can see what expenses are included by selecting your program here. Each expense category requires proof of treatment and payment. Click here for detailed information and sample documentation. Once you have all of the required documents, the quickest way to submit them is through TAF’s Patient Portal. In the Portal, you can submit reimbursement requests and check the status of the requests. You may also submit reimbursement documentation by electronic document upload, fax, or mail.

As long as your treatment is approved by the FDA to treat your disease, you do not need to inform TAF. If your health insurance changes, you only need to inform TAF if the new plan does not cover a portion of your FDA-approved treatment. Click on your program here to see the full list of covered treatment for your program. Your new insurance plan must cover a portion of your FDA-approved treatment to be eligible for TAF assistance.

No. While we are deeply grateful for every donation, applications are processed on a first-come, first-served basis, and donations have no impact on application status.

Our financial assistance can be used with any pharmacy/site of care that:

Contact your doctor or health insurance provider to learn which pharmacies or sites of care you can use. You will need to provide your TAF Member Card; most patients take a photo of their Member Card and carry it in their wallet. The Member Card has all the information needed for claims processing.

A Member Card is included at the bottom of every application approval letter. An example is shown below. Most patients take a photo of their Member Card and bring it to their pharmacy or site of care. If you lose your card, you can print a new one through the Patient Portal. Log in to the Portal and select “Download Member Card” on the Portal Dashboard. Select the download option to print or download a new copy.

Your Member Card number and group number will not change during the year or if you’re approved for reenrollment.

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When funding is available for a disease program, TAF will send you an invitation through your preferred communication method (voice call, text, or email) based on your position on the waitlist. When you receive the invitation, you must accept the invitation within 48 hours, or your invitation will expire. If you chose to receive a voice call, you will be able to accept your invitation by responding to the appropriate prompt. If you chose to receive a text or email, you will receive a link that will take you to the Waitlist Hub, where you can accept your invitation. Once you accept the invitation, you will be enrolled in the selected program.

You must accept the invitation within 48 hours or your invitation to enroll in a TAF disease program will expire. If you receive a voice call, you will be able to accept your invitation by responding to an automated prompt. If you receive a text or email, you will receive a link that will take you to the Waitlist Hub, where you can accept your invitation. Once you accept the invitation, you will be enrolled in the selected disease program.

If you need to update your waitlist application, please contact a TAF Patient Advocate at (855) 845-3663.

To check the status of your waitlist application, visit TAF’s Waitlist Hub. TAF’s Waitlist Hub provides real-time information on your waitlist status. Enter your last name, date of birth, and waitlist personal identification number (PIN) you received when you applied for the waitlist.

Your waitlist personal identification number (PIN) was displayed on the screen when you applied for the disease program waitlist. If you selected email or text as your preferred method of communication, your PIN was included in your waitlist enrollment confirmation. If you do not have access to your PIN, please contact a TAF Patient Advocate at (855) 845-3663.

You can remove yourself from a disease program waitlist by visiting TAF’s Waitlist Hub. Enter your last name, date of birth, and the waitlist personal identification number (PIN) you received when you applied for the waitlist. When your waitlist record is displayed, click “DECLINE.”

TAF will contact you when action is required. Otherwise, you can check your waitlist status online on TAF’s Waitlist Hub. To use the Waitlist Hub, enter your last name, date of birth, and waitlist personal identification number (PIN) you received when you applied for the waitlist.

A phone number is required to join a disease program waitlist. You then must select a method of communication (voice call, text, or email) when completing your waitlist application. TAF will use your preferred method of communication to contact you about required actions or changes to your waitlist status. It is critical that you provide accurate contact information, or you may not receive these communications.

If you join a waitlist, are invited to enroll, and accept enrollment in a TAF disease program, your coverage start date will be retroactive to the start of that calendar year. (If the disease program launched that year, the start date will be the disease program’s launch date.) You can submit covered expenses for reimbursement dating back to your coverage start date. Your provider may also submit outstanding claims dating back to your coverage start date.

If you are receiving assistance from another organization, you must decline your position on the waitlist on TAF’s Waitlist Hub. Enter your last name, date of birth, and the waitlist personal identification number (PIN) you received when you applied for the waitlist. When your waitlist record is displayed, click “DECLINE.” If you do not have access to your PIN, please contact a TAF Patient Advocate at (855) 845-3663.

No; each waitlist application is time- and date-stamped, and enrollment invitations are sent on a first-come, first-served basis when funding becomes available.

No. Once you receive and accept an enrollment invitation, you are eligible for financial assistance if you continue to meet the disease program’s eligibility criteria.

No; disease program waitlists expire at the end of each calendar year.

TAF’s waitlists are administered on a calendar-year basis, consistent with our disease programs’ calendar-year coverage periods. Patients who are on a disease program waitlist at the end of one calendar year must re-apply to join it at the beginning of the next calendar year.

No; Only patients who are active in a disease program are eligible for reenrollment. Patients on disease program waitlists will not receive an invitation to apply for reenrollment.

No. Patients must apply themselves to join a disease program waitlist in the new year if they are still seeking financial assistance.

Yes. If you select phone or text as your preferred method of communication, you will receive waitlist updates from this phone number.

Yes. When a new patient enrolls in a TAF disease program, they will receive a welcome call or text from a TAF Patient Advocate from this phone number.

TAF applies grant-based limits to prescription drug copayments in a small number of its disease programs where there is high variability in patient out-of-pocket costs. Grant-based limits allow TAF to help as many patients as possible access the treatment they need.

TAF’s grant-based programs provide copay, coinsurance, and deductible assistance to you for the calendar year or up to the specified grant amount, whichever comes first. The grant amount is determined by the disease program in which you are enrolled. The grant may be used for copays, coinsurance, and deductibles for all FDA-approved treatment for the disease named in the disease program.

Enrolled patients may also receive assistance with other eligible out-of-pocket costs, such as health insurance premiums and incidental medical expenses (as outlined in the program coverage details), which are not counted toward the specified grant amount. There is no cap on the amount of assistance you receive in a calendar year for these eligible expenses.

To learn more about which out-of-pocket medical expenses are covered in your disease program, visit enroll.tafcares.org and select your disease program.

If the value of your grant runs out and the status of the disease program for which you are enrolled is “open,” your grant will be automatically renewed and you will receive another grant. If the status of the program is “waitlist,” you may apply for the disease program waitlist. To secure a place on the waitlist, you must complete an enrollment application and meet program qualifications. When funding is available, TAF will send you an invitation using your selected method of communication.

No. TAF copay grant programs only provide assistance for copays, coinsurance, and deductibles for FDA-approved treatment for the disease named in the disease program.

In addition to copay, coinsurance, and deductible assistance on FDA-approved treatment for the disease named in the disease program, TAF financial assistance grant programs provide assistance for other eligible out-of-pocket costs, such as health insurance premiums and incidental medical expenses. Reimbursements for health insurance premiums and incidental medical expenses are not counted toward the specified grant amount. There is no cap on the amount of assistance you receive in a calendar year for these eligible expenses.

No; If you’re in a TAF grant-based disease program, you will not participate in TAF reenrollment.

Yes. When you have exhausted your grant amount and your enrollment is automatically renewed, TAF will send you a new Member Card with a new group number. You must give your provider your new Member Card.

No. If you receive a grant in the last quarter of the year, you will receive two Member Cards: one for the current year and an additional one for the upcoming year. You must give your provider your new Member Card.

Your grant amount is determined by which disease program you are enrolled in. If you are conditionally approved or you enroll in the last quarter of the year, your grant amount may be adjusted.

Patients who are conditionally approved for a grant-based disease program are eligible for 30 days of assistance or up to the specified grant amount, whichever comes first. The grant amount for a conditionally approved patient is equivalent to one month of the total grant amount. Once you have completed your application and are fully approved, you are eligible for assistance for the calendar year in which you’re enrolled or up to the full grant amount, whichever comes first.

TAF conducts annual assessments to determine which disease programs offer grants and which offer unlimited copay assistance. The Program Terms and Conditions of your disease program will not change during the year you are enrolled. If the Program Terms and Conditions of your disease program are slated to change in the upcoming year, TAF will notify you in advance.

If you are in a grant-based disease program and TAF notifies you that your copay grant has been used, you may continue to submit reimbursement requests for incidental medical expenses through the end of the calendar year.