MedAssist milestone: relief from the high cost of life-saving drugs
When Rachel Schultz first heard about MedAssist — Santa Clara County’s first-in-the-nation program to help cover the cost of life-saving medications for diabetes, asthma, and severe allergies — she had a common reaction: “Is it for real?”
It is! After years of hearing about high out-of-pocket costs for essential prescription drugs and the struggle to address the issue at various levels of government, I led the County’s effort to create and launch MedAssist to offer real, easy-to-access relief for our residents.
For the past year, Ms. Schultz, a Campbell resident, has received $240 a month to help offset the private insurance co-pays for her diabetes medication.
“It’s so helpful. I’ve been on diabetes medication a long time, and I have to take it daily,” she said. “Costs are going up and we live in an expensive place. Everyone can use a little help.”
Amen. Diabetes, asthma, and severe allergies are chronic, lifelong, and common conditions that can be well managed with proper treatment. No one should have to break the bank in order to afford that treatment — or go without, with potentially catastrophic consequences.
MedAssist recently hit a new milestone, having enrolled 2,000 residents. The program provides real relief to offset the cost of prescriptions for anti-diabetics (including insulin), asthma inhalers, and epinephrine auto-injectors (EpiPens).
These are not ‘nice’ to have medications; they’re ‘must’ haves. As Chair of the County’s Health and Hospital Committee, I also know that they cost too much.
MedAssist was specifically designed to ensure that folks who need these life-saving medications can afford them. That includes the many folks in our community who fall into what I call the “missing middle” — those with a high enough income that they don’t qualify for health care subsidies, and must often pay high out-of-pocket costs for medications. Even when drugs are “covered” by health insurance, they may not be affordable.
One MedAssist beneficiary told of the sticker shock she experienced after moving from commercial health insurance to Medicare, the federal program for people 65 and older. Suddenly, she had to pay $50 to $90 apiece for asthma inhalers instead of $5 to $10.
Her $235 a month MedAssist grant doesn’t fully cover her increased costs, but it’s a big help. “I really appreciate it,” she said. “I use inhalers multiple times a day. They aren’t optional.”
The state and federal governments have been working for years to address the high cost of prescription drugs. I applaud the effort, and hope it continues. But people need help right here, right now. Our MedAssist program provides that help.
I was pleased to present a recent Commendation from our Board of Supervisors in recognition of the role MedAssist has played in improving the health and well-being of County residents. But we can and should do more. In our County there are nearly 120,000 adults who have been diagnosed with diabetes, more than 250,000 adults and children with asthma, and more than 20,000 individuals who are prescribed epinephrine auto-injectors for allergic reactions.
If you, or someone you know could use a little extra help with essential prescriptions for these conditions, please look into MedAssist, which will start accepting applications for the 2024-2025 fiscal year in July. Eligibility criteria are brief and straightforward:
- 18 years or older;
- Live in Santa Clara County;
- Have a valid prescription for an asthma inhaler, insulin, or epinephrine auto-injector;
- Meet annual gross income requirements, set on a sliding scale for households of 1 to 8 people (e.g., below $296,088 for a family of four).
I’m delighted that Ms. Schultz is not only a MedAssist beneficiary, but also a booster. “I’m telling everybody who might qualify,” she said. “My co-worker now gets money for her daughter’s asthma medications. The application is easy, and the MedAssist people are so helpful. It’s a great program.”
It could be great for you.
Joe Simitian
Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors