Company Increases Eligibility to Its Patient Assistance Program to 400 Percent of Federal Poverty; as Many as 75 Percent of U.S. Households May Now Qualify for This Program
GAITHERSBURG, Md., June 29 /PRNewswire/ -- MedImmune today announced the expansion of the MedImmune Assistance Program for Synagis(R) (palivizumab) designed to provide the antibody at no cost to qualifying patients who lack health insurance and whose family household income falls within a certain range of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL) guidelines established by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Synagis is a biologic medicine known as a monoclonal antibody administered monthly to high-risk infants to prevent serious lower respiratory tract infection caused by respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), a leading cause of viral respiratory infection among infants.
Effective July 1, 2009, patients with household income up to 400 percent of the FPL (e.g. a household of four with an income up to $88,200), and without healthcare coverage or medical insurance, may be eligible to receive Synagis at no cost. This marks a significant expansion over the program's previous eligibility ceiling of 250 percent of the FPL (e.g. $55,125 for that same four-member household).
'MedImmune recognizes the rising cost of healthcare and the burden those expenses can have on working families who lack insurance through no fault of their own,' said Tony Zook, MedImmune President. 'This expansion of the MedImmune Assistance Program makes it possible for as many as 75 percent of U.S. households without health insurance and with eligible infants to apply to receive the established preventive benefits of Synagis as prescribed by their doctor at no cost to the family.'
The MedImmune Assistance Program is administered as part of the Synagis Reimbursement Hotline and can be reached by calling 1-877-778-9010. A health care provider can review the patient's eligibility with a program specialist.
In addition, MedImmune supports The Patient Access Network Foundation (PANF), which is an independent, non-profit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to supporting the needs of insured patients who cannot afford the treatments they need due to out-of-pocket health care costs.
