Patient Frequently Asked Questions
General Program Information
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:
1) are in your primary insurance’s network;
2) are able to dispense your medication or provide your infusion therapy; and
3) accepts our payment methods of electronic claims submission or manual paper claim submission.
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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