Chronic Pain Today

Americans without health insurance, or little insurance, can really be making decisions on whether to pay the car payment or that month’s supply of medication. With skyrocketing prescription medication prices, most average low to middle class Americans have trouble paying for the very pills they need to stay healthy. No one should have to make that decision, and now there are some companies around where you can get free or very low cost prescription medications. If you are one of the many who cannot afford your medication or need a bit of help to get through a rough patch, see if one of the agencies below can help you. Most of the popular prescriptions are included in these programs.

The finest drug help site around:
https://www.pparx.org/Intro.php

The Partnership for Prescription Assistance brings together America’s pharmaceutical companies, doctors, other health care providers, patient advocacy organizations and community groups to help qualifying patients who lack prescription coverage get the medicines they need through the public or private program that’s right for them. Many will get them free or nearly free. This is often a first stop for affordable health care.

Through this site, the Partnership for Prescription Assistance offers a single point of access to more than 275 public and private patient assistance programs, including more than 150 programs offered by pharmaceutical companies. To access the Partnership for Prescription Assistance by phone, you can call toll-free, 1-888-4PPA-NOW (1-888-477-2669).
Other Health Care Options

http://www.rxassist.org
RxAssist coordinates Rx Outreach, a new Patient Assistance Program developed by Express Scripts Specialty Distribution Services, Inc. (ESSDS). The program provides qualified low-income individuals and families access to generic versions of brand name medications. A great site for affordable health care.

http://www.medicare.gov
This is for Medicare recipients and offers information on discount prescription cards and other services for Medicare.

http://www.rxhope.com
Rx Hope provides government and corporate-sponsored Patient Assistance Programs for over 1000 medications. This site has a wonderful index by state that shows assistance programs, contact information, and qualifications. Along with your health care provider this should be your best friend.

http://www.needymeds.com/
NeedyMeds is NOT a drug assistance program. We are an information provider. We are trying to make this information available to you so you will know how to get help from patient assistance programs. It’s up to you to use the information. While it is not a program itself, it does show you the health care options and affordable health care facilities out there.

http://www.rxoutreach.com/en/vih/
Rx Outreach is an easy and affordable way for people of all ages to get medicines they need. Through this program, people who qualify financially can get more than 50 generic medications that treat a wide range of conditions including diabetes, asthma, heart disease, and depression. People may take advantage of the program even if they receive medicines through another discount program. The program is available to individuals and families with incomes of up to 250 percent of the federal poverty level. For a family of four, this figure is about $47,000 per year.

Do you know someone with a chronic pain condition and are unsure how to help them? Tired of the only thing you can think of to do is say that you are sorry they hurt? Well there are some very good things that you can do to help them. These tips don’t take any time, and they will work wonders on the chronic pain sufferers.

Make sure you are supportive but let them maintain their independence. In other words, resist the urge to do things for them. As time goes by the more that you and others do for them, the less they will see their control over their own lives. They can slip into a state of depression and become self conscious on what they can and can’t do.

Go with them to their doctor appointments and act as their intermediary. Many times the frustration of retelling their symptoms over and over again can be very draining. At times they can begin to wonder “what’s the point?” For someone to be an intermediary, that takes that away from them. You put yourself in the position to give that list of symptoms and items to the doctor and the patient gets relieved of that bit of frustration. They will also see that someone else does indeed care.

Give emotional and social support to the chronic pain sufferer. Notice that they are staying in more, are they giving the same excuses for bowing out of events? Drop by to say hello and see if they want to play cards, or any time of low stress event. Keeping them social will prevent their slip into isolation, thus cutting their chances for developing depression.

Make sure you try to keep them moving. Ask to see if they want to go for a walk, or include them on some plans that will include light workouts. The more they move and the less sedentary they become, the less that they will become fatigued easy and their muscles will waste. As much as 3% of muscles can waste away in a day of just sitting. Easy tricks you can use are to remember certain things that are in other rooms and ask to see them, making them get up and walk a bit. Perhaps you can ask for a beverage, or anything to keep them active. Most with chronic pain will refrain from exercise or movement because it hurts, but this ends up hurting them more from muscle waste and additional fatigue.