Getting Assistance
The links on this page are for agencies that provide hepatitis vaccinations, track hepatitis infections and coordinate statewide activities. Other links provide information, educational resources and referrals for people who are both HIV and hepatitis co-infected as well. If you have not already had hepatitis, you should get vaccinated against hepatitis A (HAV) and hepatitis B (HBV). There are programs that offer these vaccines for free, or at a very low price. They are covered by most health care plans and some government programs.
If you have had hepatitis that did not go away when you first contracted it (that's called chronic hepatitis), the good news is that the number of existing and new treatments being tested for the treatment of hepatitis and its complications (such as diabetes or cancer) has really increased in the last few years. Most treatments for hepatitis C (HCV) will include a once a week or more frequent shots of interferon and ribavirin pills taken twice a day. Hepatitis B treatments are somewhat different. Find out everything you can about your liver and hepatitis, then contact any of the excellent organizations listed here, your doctor, or The Network and start asking questions.
Accessing medications that you need can be difficult, but there are often programs such as Patient Assistance Programs or state and/or federally funded ADAPs (for HIV and some hepatitis medications) or medication assistance programs that can help. Other Drug Types are also available such as drugs for diabetes, cancers, and heart disease.
Our objective is to help you learn about these programs, as well as maximize your benefits through Medicare, Medicaid, or any type of private insurance you might have. The goal is to reduce your expenses to the smallest amount possible, and to make sure you know you do have options.
The Network is a national, non-profit community based organization that provides case management, treatment and access information, advocacy and counseling, education, and referral services for people with HIV, chronic hepatitis, and other diseases.
You can help us out by sending an e-mail to us first so we have basic information on how we can best help you. Using this form, let us know if you have any kind of insurance and what kind if you do, your state and zip code, and a way to respond to your questions. Make sure to include your e-mail address and a phone number if you like. Any information you send us is confidential. We don't share your identifying information with anyone.
Drug Companies often have programs that offer treatments to individuals
who can't afford them. They are called Patient Assistance Programs. There are all types of programs, but the main type is the kind where a drug company makes their products available for free to people with few financial resources. Typically - but not always - these programs determine your eligibility based on your household income. Often, they will provide the drug (or
possibly drugs) you need at no charge, but there are eligibility
criteria you must meet and forms to be filled out. They may also require
that you prove that you are not eligible for any public or private
insurance programs. We can help you figure all that out, if you need us to do so.
You should have
ready proof of income and medical expenses, doctor's prescription,
Medicare Part D status, and a Medicaid/Insurance denial letter. You may ask your doctor or another health care professional, a case manager, or someone who is helping you to contact us if it is easier for you.
If you
have insurance coverage, or make a certain amount of money per year, you
may be referred to a program that provides the drug at a reduced price.
In some cases, you can receive a drug although you have not met the
$2,700 donut hole required of Medicare Part D Drug Prescription Plans.
If you
are on an ADAP waiting list (for HIV and related drugs) or your ADAP does not cover the drug you
need, have documentation (such as your ADAP's formulary or a letter from
the program stating you are on a wait list) ready as well. If you have HIV or HIV/hepatitis co-infection, the people who run your state's program will be able to tell you exactly what they require. There also may be
other state programs for HIV, hepatitis, or other medications used to prevent or treat ilnesses.
There are hundreds of drugs used just for
the management of AIDS and HIV-related illnesses - which now include a lot of the ilnesses and conditions that everyone deals with - including hepatitis
treatments and vaccines. We also include listigs of drugs for other illnesses.Using The Access Project - If you need help and have no idea where to start E-mail or call us with your questions. We search for the assistance you need through many programs such as Medicaid, Medicare Part D, ADAP in your state, a pharmaceutical industry sponsored patient assistance programs, private insurance, or even a clinical trial. Call us toll-free at 1-800-734-7104, ext 16
If you would rather call us instead of contacting us by e-mail, we still need to know what state and town or city you are living in. Besides that, helpful information to provide includes a phone number where and when we can call you back at, the condition(s) for which you are looking for treatment or care, names of drugs you need, and some medical history.
We maintain very strict confidentiality for all of our members (also called clients). To request this description as a printed sheet either subscribe to our mailing list (for updates as well) at theaccessproject@atdn.org and give us your name and address, or your e-mail address for a PDF or electronic version.
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Hepatitis C Treatments
Hepatitis B Treatments
Hepatitis A and/or B Vaccines
Hepatitis Testing and Care
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State by State Drug Assistance Program toll-free phone numbers are listed to the right of the state links on the right of the page. You usually have to call from that state for the toll-free number to work. The links go to a complete listing of a state's contact people and phone numbers and services (Medicaid, Medicare, state assistance programs, ADAP formularies, Part B service providers). The 2008 Federal Poverty Guidelines often determine what you are eligible for, but there are differences in every state's guidelines for assistance.
Hepatitis and/or HIV Treatment Information
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![[The Access Project]](gifs/access.gif)