Can’t Afford Your Bipolar Medications?

By Candida Fink MD
February 17, 2009

Times are tough, and if you’re uninsured with bipolar disorder, finding and paying for treatment and medication can seem like an insurmountable challenge. In Bipolar Disorder for Dummies, we offer some suggestions on how to access more affordable mental healthcare assistance, including seeking treatment at community or county mental health clinics or University medical centers. Other community resources such as churches, religious organizations, or support groups such as NAMI and DBSA can help you locate affordable care. Following are some suggestions on where to turn for help when you can’t afford your prescription medications:

Ask your doctor or pharmacist. Your doctor or pharmacist may be able to provide you with enough medication for the time you need to explore other, more permanent solutions. Of course, if you don’t have money to pay for medication, you probably don’t have money to see a doctor, either, so go to the next bullet.
Contact your state or local Mental Health America affiliate. Call 1-800-969-6642 or search the directory at www.nmha.org/go/searchMHA.
Check out available Medicare prescription drug plans. If you qualify for Medicare, use the Medicare Prescription Drug Plan Finder to search for prescription assistance programs.
Contact Partnership for Prescription Assistance (PPA). You can call 1-888-477-2669 or visit Partnership for Prescription Assistance.
Visit RxAssist. RxAssist provides a database of prescription assistance programs you can search by medication name or the pharmaceutical company that manufactures the medication. You can often access an online form for applying for assistance.

Prescription assistance programs usually require a doctor’s consent and proof of financial hardship. To be eligible, you must be without health insurance or have no prescription drug benefit through your insurance company. Carefully review the eligibility requirements before applying, so you don’t waste loads of time trying to pursue an option that’s unavailable.

If you’ve tried any of these or other prescription assistance programs or have additional suggestions to offer, please share your experiences and insights.

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Links to This Article

Treatment For Bipolar Disorder (March 14, 2009)

3 Comments to
“Can’t Afford Your Bipolar Medications?”

Amanda at 12:05 pm on February 23rd, 2009

I am glad you put some ideas and options up for those of us who can’t afford the care we need, whether that be a doctor’s care, or the medications that are necessary to control this illness.

I’m also frustrated in general because I am not insured, but I live in a state that only gives medicaid to children, pregnant women and the disabled (as designated by the Fed. gov’t). Obviously, I am glad that my state at least covers these people, but what do I do? There is no way on earth I can take money out of our food bill to pay $300-$400 a month for the medications I am on (our food bills isn’t anywhere near that high!). And the program that Glasco-Smith-Cline offers for free/reduced meds is great, but we literally make $78 too much to receive this help. What am I to do?

For my health and sanity, I need medication. But reality is that I cannot afford it, no matter what I try. This is insanely frustrating and makes me feel all the more helpless to help myself.

Andy at 2:19 pm on March 6th, 2009

Thanks for publishing these. My question is related. I earn ok money when I’m working, but not so much extra as to be able to afford both insurance (self insured emergency coverage, mostly for my children) and the $200+ a months for my medications. What kind of plans are available that fit that bill? I haven’t found any and it’s not for lack of trying.

Thanks.

Carole at 11:43 pm on March 7th, 2009

I have part D for medicine under Medicare as I am on disability. There are several things that are not good about the system. The first one is that you have to be on SSD for 24 months before you qualify for Medicare and Part D. The other is that with most Part D plans, after around $2000 is paid on medicine the next ~$4000 is your problem to pay. My medications cost between $1200 and $1400 a month so you can see that I hit the donut hole pretty quickly. This year I am lucky because I found a plan that doesn’t have the donut hole but I am saving for the next year because I don’t know that the plan will exist in 2010 as they tend to change every year. I make $200 more a month than is allowed for medicaid which would pay everything for my meds.