Adrenal Insufficiency Fund Opens at the HealthWell Foundation

Copayment and Premium Assistance Now Available

GERMANTOWN, Md. — September 14, 2020 — The HealthWell Foundation^®, an independent non-profit that provides a financial lifeline for inadequately insured Americans, has launched a new fund to provide copayment and premium assistance to patients living with adrenal insufficiency (AI). Through the fund, HealthWell will provide up to $6,600 in financial assistance for a 12-month grant period to eligible patients who have annual household incomes up to 500 percent of the federal poverty level.

About Adrenal Insufficiency

According to the National Adrenal Diseases Foundation (NADF), adrenal insufficiency is a life-threatening disorder caused by impaired secretion of vital hormones produced in the cortex of adrenal glands, small glands located just above the kidneys. This condition can be caused by primary destruction or dysfunction of the adrenal glands (Primary Adrenal Insufficiency, PAI) or impairment of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (Secondary Adrenal Insufficiency, SAI). There are several causes of PAI: autoimmunity (often referred to as Addison’s disease), adrenal infiltration or injury, congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH), adrenal hypoplasia congenital, adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) insensitivity syndromes, drug induced, or other metabolic disorders.

Secondary adrenal insufficiency occurs in people with certain conditions that affect the pituitary gland. Most people with SAI have it from use of suppressive doses of glucocorticoids for other illnesses.

Adrenal insufficiency affects the body’s ability to respond to stress and maintain other essential life functions.  Patients require daily replacement doses of glucocorticoids and in most cases also mineralocorticoid hormones. With treatment, most people with adrenal insufficiency can have a fairly normal, active life. The most serious complication of adrenal insufficiency is called adrenal crisis. If not treated immediately, adrenal crisis can lead to death.

“We are honored to work with the HealthWell Foundation to provide financial assistance for those who need it most and to raise awareness about adrenal insufficiency. The fund for adrenal insufficiency patients will support the financial needs of the community,” said Kalina Warren, NADF Board President. “Especially during a pandemic, there are many who are having great difficulty keeping up with medical expenses. Adrenal insufficiency is a chronic condition and the medications are life-preserving, so there is no option but to continue taking them. Working together, we can help patients continue lifesaving treatments that would otherwise not be attainable.”

“People living with adrenal insufficiency can experience difficulties in daily life due to fatigue, stress, and lack of energy. Proper diagnosis and treatment are essential for patients to be able to manage their condition,” said Krista Zodet, HealthWell Foundation President. “If untreated, AI can cause serious, irreversible damage and, possibly death. Thanks to the generosity of our donors, we are now able to offer people living with AI a financial lifeline so they can start or continue critical, sometimes lifesaving, treatment.”

To determine eligibility and apply for financial assistance, visit HealthWell’s Adrenal Insufficiency Fund page. To learn how you can support this or other HealthWell programs, visit HealthWellFoundation.org.

About the HealthWell Foundation
A nationally recognized, independent non-profit organization founded in 2003, the HealthWell Foundation has served as a safety net across over 70 disease areas for more than 500,000 underinsured patients. Since its inception, HealthWell has provided over $1.6 billion in grant support to access life-changing medical treatments patients otherwise would not be able to afford. HealthWell provides financial assistance to adults and children facing medical hardship resulting from gaps in their insurance that cause out-of-pocket medical expenses to escalate rapidly. HealthWell assists with the treatment-related cost-sharing obligations of these patients. HealthWell ranked 33rd on the 2019 Forbes list of the 100 Largest U.S. Charities and was recognized for its 100 percent fundraising efficiency. For more information, visit www.HealthWellFoundation.org.

About the National Adrenal Diseases Foundation (NADF)

The National Adrenal Diseases Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to the adrenal disease community. Their mission is to inform, educate, and support those with adrenal disease and their families to improve their quality of life. NADF’s goals are to stop death from undiagnosed adrenal insufficiency; improve life quality of those who suffer from adrenal disease, and to promote the study of adrenal disease to improve treatment and find cures.

As a result of the dedication of the NADF Board of Directors, staff, and volunteers, those with adrenal insufficiency have a highly respected resource to find life-preserving information and treatment guidance approved by their medical advisors, highly recognized in the endocrine medical community. The newly diagnosed can look to NADF for information from one of its “Facts You Need to Know” pamphlets in addition to a tremendous array of information provided to all adrenal disease patients. NADF is proud of their robust program of support groups led by volunteers who help share information and provide support to patients across the US. More information can be found on their website: www.nadf.us.

# # #