MEDICATION COVERAGE FOR HEP C

Hi
I am writing this on behalf of my Mom..My mom was in a life theatning car accident back in 1985 where she had to have 11 blood transfusions at Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami.In 1997 she had to have surgery to remove the plates in her legs from the car accident.The doctor asked her if she was ever tested for Hep C,her response was "Whats That"..Needless to say she came back positive.Her viral load was only 1100 which is very low.The doctor told her about interferon,but said she did not need to go through with the treatments,but if you knew my mom she wanted to do what ever needed in it's early stages.So she went ahead and did the interferon for 10 months and told no-one what was going on.Her viral load was at 220,000 when she started the interferon and after treatment it went down to 0..
Now 12 years later she hasn't been feeling well sleeping alot,no energy what so ever,and rage at times.She will go from laughing to crying to just raging out at her loved ones for no reason.
So I made her go to the doctors and get a blood test among other things to find out her weird behavor..Well two months ago we got the results of her blood work and her viral load is now at 1,900,000.00..I have done research online and she is at a medium level.
My question is does anyone know where the medication can be found at a resonable rate?? My Mom does not have Health Insurance,Disability has turned her down,Medicaid has also turned her down..When doing research online I can not believe how expensive this medication is..I have tried to get her Health Insurance but there is a 12 month waiting period for pre-existing conditions.If we can find something that is a $1,000 a month for the INTERFERON &RIBAVIRAN that is something I can afford for her.She is unable to work and only 50 years old.I want to get her started on the treatment by October 2009.I think the longer we wait the worse it will be for her..

So if anyone knows where the medication is available at a price we can afford please let me know,I am very desperate at this point..
Thanks and God Bless
Jennifer.

[Bill1954]

If your mom isn’t able to afford the meds for HCV, the manufacturers will provide them to her for no charge. Have her call whichever number applies:

Pegassist (Roche Pegasys system): 1-877-734-2797

Commitment to Care (Schering- Plough PEG-Intron system): 1-800-521-7157

They will probably ask for last years federal tax returns; this assistance is income rather than asset based. She will have to pay for any doctor’s appointments or lab costs, but the meds shouldn’t cost her anything.

Best to you both—

Bill

[Bill1954]

For that matter, here’s a whole directory of Patient Assistance Programs for over 4500 different medications in case she needs drugs besides the interferon and ribavirin:

http://www.needymeds.org/indices/pap.shtml

Bill