ORLANDO, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Assistance Fund, an independent charitable patient assistance foundation that helps patients and families facing high medical out-of-pocket costs, today announced the opening of a new fund providing financial assistance for patients living with Gaucher disease. The new fund provides eligible patients with financial assistance for copayments, coinsurance, deductibles, health insurance premiums and incidental medical expenses.
“Gaucher disease is a rare and complex genetic disease with significant and varied symptoms that often require management by a multidisciplinary team of healthcare professionals,” said Mark P. McGreevy, President, The Assistance Fund. “We are pleased to be able to provide financial assistance for adults and children with Gaucher disease with the opening of the broadest fund that we have available, covering copays, insurance premiums and incidental medical expenses for those who qualify for our programs.”
Gaucher disease is an inherited disorder that occurs in 1 in 50,000 to 100,000 people in the general population.1 There are a number of different types of Gaucher disease that may present a wide range of signs and symptoms, including some which may be life-threatening. The major signs and symptoms of the most common form, Type 1 or non-neuronopathic Gaucher disease, include enlargement of the liver and spleen, a low number of red blood cells, easy bruising caused by a decrease in blood platelets, lung disease, and bone abnormalities such as bone pain, fractures and arthritis. Other types of Gaucher disease effect the central nervous system or cardiovascular system.2
The new fund covers all FDA-approved medications for the treatment of Gaucher disease. Individuals interested in learning more or determining their eligibility for assistance should visit tafcares.org or call (844) 294-6406 to speak with a patient advocate.
A list of all the funds available at The Assistance Fund can be found on the website tafcares.org. New funds can open and close at any time as funds are allocated to patients in need of assistance and new funds become available. We encourage patients to frequently check the status of the fund for their disease area if they are seeking financial assistance.
About The Assistance Fund
The Assistance Fund is an independent charitable patient assistance foundation that helps patients and families facing high medical out-of-pocket costs by providing financial assistance for their copayments, coinsurance, deductibles and other health-related expenses. The Assistance Fund currently manages more than 30 funds – each of which covers the FDA-approved medications that treat a specific disease. Since its founding in 2009, The Assistance Fund has helped more than 43,000 adults and children access the medicines they need to stay healthy or manage a chronic condition. To learn more about The Assistance Fund, or for information on how to donate, please visit tafcares.org.
References
1. “Gaucher Disease Frequency.” National Institutes of Health Genetics
Home Reference. 2017, May. Retrieved from https://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition/gaucher-disease#statistics.
2.
“Gaucher Disease Description.” National Institutes of Health Genetics
Home Reference. 2017, May. Retrieved from https://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition/gaucher-disease.
