Reprinted from the Health District's quarterly publication mailed to district residents (Fall 2006)

A man in his mid-40s has a good job, one that pays well and lets him be his own boss. Then one day, business drops off. With money suddenly tight, he stops taking his blood pressure medication. But that costs him, too. He winds up in the hospital.

A single woman in her 20s works for minimum wage at a job without health insurance. Her asthma and mental-health medications add up to $1,500 a month. To get by, she skips her prescriptions on occasion.

Going without prescriptions, or even cutting the dosage, can have dangerous health consequences. Fourteen percent of northern Larimer County adults reported they had not been able to fill a prescription due to cost in the previous two years, the 2004 Community Health Survey found.

What these two working residents with diverse backgrounds and medical needs share is that they can’t afford the prescriptions they need to live a healthy life. Fortunately for both, the Health District’s Prescription Assistance program now helps them get their medications at little or no cost.

Today, the program has expanded capacity for new clients. This came as a result of some Medicare clients moving from the Health District’s program to the new federal prescription drug plan, thereby freeing up scarce resources to help others who don’t qualify for Medicare.

“We know the cost of medications has gone up and often it’s difficult to afford expensive medications,” program coordinator Deborah DeLay says. “Sometimes, you’re talking $700 a month for one medication alone.”

The Prescription Assistance program has two components: vouchers, which residents can redeem at local pharmacies along with a small copay, and patient assistance programs, through which drug manufacturers provide certain medications for free or low cost to those who qualify. Last year, the Health District’s program provided $2.9 million in free or discounted prescriptions to the community.

Finding out if someone qualifies is quick and easy. During a 10-minute phone screening, Health District staff members can determine whether a person is likely to meet eligibility criteria. If so, the person is mailed an application to fill out. A staff member can also sit down with individuals to help them complete the form. From there, getting the prescriptions filled usually doesn’t take long.

Help, while appreciated, isn’t always easy for clients to accept when they come to the Health District, DeLay says.

“Often I run into people who are embarrassed to ask for help,” she says. “We tell them we’re there to help as long as people need it.”

“That’s our purpose,” she says. “We don’t want people going without their medications.”