Here are prescription options and programs for low-Income and homelesspeople

Samantha Greenbaum----To be poor and homeless in the United States can be difficult. But to be sick and in need of medical care on top of being unable to pay for medicine can seem insurmountable and certainly dangerous. And, unfortunately, it’s not unusual: one in five people forfeit needed prescription medication because they can't afford to pay for it. However, there are agencies available for that can help get those in need the medical attention and prescription medications they require.

Patient Assistance Programs (PAP)
These types of services are run by pharmaceutical companies to help those who can't afford their medications. Beginning in the 1950s, these PAPs were encouraged through incentives by the United States government. They were set up to help pay for or provide low-cost prescription drugs for individuals who qualified with low income. With 250 Patient Assistance Programs set up across the United States, they have helped countless low-income citizens get the prescriptions they need. To qualify you must be a citizen, not have prescription insurance including Medicaid and have a minimum income level.

If your income is at least 200 percent below the federal poverty level, you will most likely qualify for the PAP prescription program.

Children's Health Insurance Program
This state-run program is specifically designed to help children whose parents cannot afford health insurance or prescription drug care for their children. Qualifications to receive CHIP include low-income and an absence of other health insurance.

Medicaid

Medicaid is a federal- and state-run program to help those individuals who cannot afford to pay for their medical bills. Income criteria must be met in order to qualify. A patient must lack insurance and be within the low-income guidelines in order to receive Medicaid.

Medicare

This is a federal program constructed to help people who are 65 and older meet their medical bills. To qualify for Medicare, an individual must be at least 65 or have specific disabilities or end-stage renal disease. There are different parts to Medicare that pay for different types of services. 

Health Resources and Services Administration
There are HRSA centers set up across the country that treat the sick and allow the individual to pay on a sliding scale based on what the individual can afford. These centers can provide checkups, treatment for illnesses, pre-natal care, children's immunizations, dental care, prescription drugs, mental healthcare and substance abuse care.


To find a local health center, contact the Health Resources and Services Administration or visit http://findahealthcenter.hrsa.gov/Search_HCC.aspx.

These are but a few of the agencies available that will give individuals the help they need to recover or steer them in the right direction for necessary medical treatment.

Social service agencies such as Salvation Army, local churches and charities are other excellent resources for the homeless and low-income to get the attention they need. There are even non-profit services that will help with disease prevention, providing health educational seminars and exercise facilities and programs on a scholarship rate that is based on income.

In addition to the website above, visit or call your local United Way to learn more about your local non-profit resources. Learning more about what is available could be the difference between health and sickness for you and your family.

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This article was provided by Samantha Greenbaum, health-conscious mother of two.