MedAssist helps pay for drugs

The medical bills have started coming in. First one, then another, sometimes two or three on the same day.

Let's just say the beginning of the year was no fun around my house as everyone - including the dog - had one ailment after the other.

Luck is with us, because we do have health insurance. But as I write each check, I can't help but think about all of those who don't have coverage. In North Carolina, that would be about 1.4 million people.

Many of those people had decent health insurance until they lost their job. Once that happened, the only option for many was COBRA, which allows an unemployed person to continue the group coverage he or she had with an employer under certain circumstances, including a layoff or buyout, as long as the full premiums are paid.

But COBRA is not cheap and typically lasts only 18 months. Few chose that option until the federal government stepped in to provide subsidies for up to 65 percent of the cost for people who lost their jobs between Sept. 1, 2008, and March 31, 2010. Congress is considering legislation that would extend the subsidy to people who lose their jobs between March 31 and Dec. 31.

Even with the subsidies, frankly, many people still can't afford the cost. It's not just doctor bills and expensive tests. Medicine alone, as I found out, can eat a hole in your bank account just as an ulcer does to your tummy.

In North Carolina, there are options for people who can't afford even the cost of co-payments or generic drugs.

One is NC MedAssist, which provides free brand name and generic drugs to those who meet the income requirements.

The program was tested in various cities around the state last year. It went statewide at the end of January and is enrolling people daily, says Pamela Stephens, a spokeswoman for the N.C. Association of Free Clinics, a Winston-Salem based-nonprofit that joined with Attorney General Roy Cooper to create theprogram. "We would like to help as many eligible N.C. residents as possible," Stephens says. "No one should have to choose between putting food on the table or buying needed medicine to stay healthy."

Cooper's Consumer Protection and Education Fund is financing this first year with an $873,000 grant, money that comes from North Carolina's share of multistate settlements with pharmaceutical companies.

NC MedAssist is charged with getting the drugs and putting them in the hands of those who need them. The nonprofit, a member of the Association of Free Clinics, is a community pharmacy started in 1997 in Charlotte. It ran a similar program in Mecklenburg County.

The drugs are donated by pharmaceutical companies such as Eli Lilly, Novartis and the like. The pharmas ship drugs in bulk to one location, and NC MedAssist then ships the drugs to your home.

So, who qualifies?

Any North Carolina resident, adult or child, living at or below 200 percent of the federal poverty level. For an individual, the limit is $21,660 annually. For a family of four, it is $44,100 a year. For a complete chart of qualifying incomes, check the Department of Health and Human Services Web site noted below.

Adults and children who do not qualify for Medicaid, private health insurance or health insurance through Veterans Affairs.

Medicare Part D participants who fall into the infamous "doughnut hole" may also qualify.

To enroll, go to www.medassist.org or call 866-331-1348.

Another option, for children only, is N.C. Health Choice for Children, which covers everything from checkups to hospital stays as well as vision and hearing exams. Find out more about it at www.dhhs.state.nc.us/dma/healthchoice.

And don't forget the state has a high-risk pool that offers coverage for those with pre-existing conditions such as heart disease who can't get or afford private health care. Its rates are based on a variety of factors but do have a cap. Find out more about Inclusive Health at www.nchirp.org.