Living with a rare disease can be difficult for a myriad of reasons, one of them being financial. Treatments, appointments, tests, and everything else that comes with a rare disease have the potential to cost a small fortune. Fortunately, there are programs that were created to help with this issue. The Patient Advocate Foundation has a Co-Pay Relief Program that has recently become available to patients with acromegaly.

About Acromegaly

Acromegaly is a hormonal disorder that is the result of excess growth hormone (GH). Noncancerous tumors, called adenomas, grow on the pituitary gland and produce large amounts of GH. It is estimated that 60 of every million people are affected by acromegaly. These people experience abnormal growth in the appendages, resulting in the hands and feet being disproportionate to the rest of the body. Other symptoms include a protruding lower jaw and brow, a broad nasal bone, course and oily skin, excessive sweating, and enlarged facial features and organs. There are treatment options for this disorder, although some people may not receive treatment due to misdiagnoses or no diagnosis at all. Surgery to remove the adenomas is typically the first option, but if it is unsuccessful, then doctors may prescribe somatostatin analogs (SSAs), GH receptor antagonists (GHRAs), or dopamine agonists.

About the Co-Pay Relief Program

A new disease fund has allowed for acromegaly to be added to the Co-Pay Relief Program, which means that patients can now receive direct payments for co-pays, deductibles, and co-insurance. The most that one can be awarded with is $10,000.

There are a number of criteria that patients need to meet to receive this funding. They include:

• A confirmed acromegaly diagnosis
• Patients must live and be treated in the U.S.
• Patients must have federal insurance, which must cover the medication that the patient is seeking
• Patients’ income must be below 400% of the Federal Poverty Guideline

If patients meet this criteria, then the program can aid them in paying for medications that are meant to treat or manage the disease. Applications are processed as they come in, meaning the program is first-come, first-serve basis. To apply, click here.