Looking for Financial Assistance for Diabetes Supplies? People with diabetes have a hard life indeed. In my opinion, diabetes is one of the most troublesome diseases. People living with this disease have to cope with various problems, and one of them is financial problem.
As you may have expected, treatment and management of diabetes is pretty expensive. Recent data from the American Diabetes Association conclude that the average cost required for the treatment per year is almost $14,000. That’s a lot of money.
Government Financial Aid for Diabetes Supplies and Treatments
Is there any government program that covers diabetes supplies? Can Medicare cover it? The answer to this question is both yes and no. As you know, currently there’re four sorts of Medicare plan available, which are the Medicare Part A, B, C, and D.
Depending on which plan you’re on, the Medicare may or may not fund the cost of supplies for diabetes treatment. Both Medicare Part A and Part C don’t cover the cost, however, you can rely on either Medicare Part B or Part D to cover these costs. Needless to say, the coverage is different in each plan.
The Medicare Part D covers the medications for diabetes, insulin, and some diabetes supplies such as needles also syringes. Meanwhile the Medicare Part B offers a complete option. With this plan, you can get financial assistance for screening tests, self-management training, insulin and insulin pumps, counseling, flu and pneumonia shots, medications, therapeutic devices, and even eye examinations.
It’s important to remember because Medicare programs don’t always cover the entire cost. Typically, you still have to pay for a portion of it, but, in general, the cost is reduced significantly.
Private Financial Assistance for Diabetes Supplies
There is non-government source for help too. Typically there are two financial assistance sources: the official American Diabetes Association and the Pharmaceutical companies.
Contacting the American Diabetes Association might be a good start to look for financial aid possibilities. The association has a limited budget and lots of applicants, so don’t put too much hope on it. The significant thing is to know more information about how you can apply, and what other programs available in your area that they know of that can assist you covering the diabetes supplies.
Alternatively, you can also go to the pharmaceutical companies for financial assistance. Each year these companies provide some help for people who can’t afford the diabetes medications also supplies. There’s, of course, some requirements needed to be completed before you are eligible for the assistance. It is a good idea to call them and ask about the requirements.
There are other sources of information for getting financial aid for diabetes treatment and supplies. For example, both Rx Assist and Needy Meds have an excellent database that can be used to search for assistance programs for pharmaceutical companies. You can also contact the Partnership for Prescription Assistance for a free or low-cost diabetes medications and supplies.
Check the references below to learn more about these financial assistance for diabetes supplies.
References:
- RX Assist – Patient Assistance Program Center
- NeedyMeds
- Image: travelchannel.com
