HealthWell Foundation Launches Fund to Assist Individuals Living with Neurocognitive Disease with Psychosis
Fund Offers Copayment and Premium Assistance to Medicare Patients
GERMANTOWN, Md. — October 4, 2021 — The HealthWell Foundation®, an independent non-profit that provides a financial lifeline for inadequately insured Americans, is pleased to announce that it has opened a new fund to assist individuals living with neurocognitive disease who have also been diagnosed with psychosis. Through the fund, HealthWell will provide up to $10,000 in medication copayment or insurance premium assistance for a 12-month grant period to eligible Medicare patients who have annual household incomes up to 500 percent of the federal poverty level.
The fund will assist individuals in need of treatment for psychosis related to a neurocognitive disease. To receive financial assistance through the new fund, individuals must have a diagnosis of a psychotic disorder with any one of the following underlying neurocognitive diseases:
- Alzheimer’s/Dementia
- Parkinson’s Disease
- Diffuse Lewy Body Disease
- Frontotemporal Lobar Degeneration
- Huntington’s Disease
- Prion/Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease
- Traumatic Brain Injury
About Neurocognitive Disease with Psychosis
Psychosis can be a common co-occurrence in association with cognitive impairments from conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, Huntington’s disease, and other neurocognitive diseases, according to the American Academy of Neurology (AAN). Symptoms can include hallucinations, delusions, depression, paranoia, or manic behavior, as well as others. The impact of these symptoms extends beyond the patient, to caregivers and family members who often struggle to cope with the impact on their loved ones’ behavior and mood.
“The challenges those living with neurocognitive diseases face are life-altering not only for them, but for their care partners, and their entire family,” said Andrea Merriam, Executive Vice President, Parkinson & Movement Disorder Alliance (PMD Alliance). “When a person is diagnosed with psychosis as a result of their disease, those challenges stack up to become overwhelming, adding stress and considerable burden to every aspect of daily life. Providing Medicare patients living with neurocognitive diseases and diagnosed with psychosis the ability to access the treatment they need, without the additional burden of worrying about how they will afford it, will provide tremendous relief to innumerable families. Bravo to HealthWell Foundation for identifying and taking action on this critical, life-changing, need. We are proud to be working with the HealthWell Foundation to spread the word about the new fund that will provide assistance and hope to these patients who may otherwise forgo care due to cost.”
“Facing a neurodegenerative disease like Huntington’s is overwhelming, but the additional diagnosis of psychosis magnifies the complexity of treatment,” said Louise Vetter, President & CEO of the Huntington’s Disease Society of America. “Financial support programs, such as this new fund from HealthWell, are vital tools for families facing the burden and cost of care.”
HealthWell Foundation President, Krista Zodet, commented on the fund, “In addition to loss of mobility and cognitive function resulting from an underlying neurocognitive disease, patients commonly experience psychosis. These symptoms can be debilitating and can compound their underlying condition. Access to proper treatment is a critical component of their overall care and to maintaining quality of life for the patient. Oftentimes, treatment may be unattainable due to cost. We applaud our donors for recognizing this critical need and for providing the financial resources that will enable us to assist Medicare patients to obtain needed treatments to manage this potentially devastating, life-altering condition.”
To determine eligibility and apply for financial assistance, visit HealthWell’s Neurocognitive Disease with Psychosis 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 80 disease areas for more than 615,000 underinsured patients. Since its inception, HealthWell has provided over $2.1 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 29th on the 2020 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 Parkinson & Movement Disorder Alliance (PMD Alliance)
Parkinson & Movement Disorder Alliance is an independent, national non-profit organization dedicated to providing opportunities for people to learn, live more fully and spark meaningful connections around them. PMD Alliance serves people diagnosed with a movement disorder, their families, and the healthcare providers and community members who care for them. Visit www.PMDAlliance.org to learn more.
About Huntington’s Disease Society of America
The Huntington’s Disease Society of America (HDSA) is the premier non-profit organization dedicated to improving the lives of everyone affected by Huntington’s disease. From community services and education to advocacy and research, HDSA is the world’s leader in providing help for today and hope for tomorrow for people with Huntington’s disease and their families. HDSA’s network of chapters, affiliates, HDSA Centers of Excellence, social workers and support groups provides a seamless connection for help, education and outreach to HD families and health care professionals across the United States. To learn more about HDSA, visit: www.hdsa.org.
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