HealthWell Foundation Launches Fund to Assist People Living with Parkinson's Disease

Copayment or Insurance Premium Assistance Available
to Medicare Beneficiaries

GERMANTOWN, Md., April 22, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The HealthWell Foundation^®, an independent non-profit charitable organization that provides financial assistance for underinsured Americans has opened a new fund to assist individuals living with Parkinson's disease (PD). Through the fund, HealthWell will provide up to $4,000 in medication copayment or Medicare Part B premium assistance to Medicare patients for prescription drugs and biologics for the treatment of Parkinson's disease. Eligible patients must have household incomes up to 500 percent of the federal poverty level.

Parkinson's disease is a neurogenerative disease that causes progressive loss of motor control (tremor, trouble moving or walking) or non-motor symptoms (anxiety, depression, dementia). Symptoms develop slowly and the progression of symptoms can be different from person to person due to the diversity of the disease. PD is the 14^th leading cause of death in the United States and the second-most common disease after Alzheimer's. An estimated one million Americans are living with PD and nearly 90,000 new cases are diagnosed each year. There is no cure for Parkinson's disease.

"Treatment and management of Parkinson's disease is expensive, oftentimes much more than a person on Medicare can afford. Yet, the inability to stay on a treatment regimen because of cost is not a viable option for someone living with PD," commented John L. Lehr, President and CEO of the Parkinson's Foundation. "Missing even a single dose of medication can be temporarily debilitating and can drastically impact a person's quality of life. We commend the HealthWell Foundation for understanding the financial challenges PD patients encounter in managing their condition and the importance of adhering to a proper treatment regimen."

Michael S. Heimall, President & CEO, HealthWell Foundation, commented on the fund, "Previously, we were able to offer financial assistance to Medicare patients living with PD through our Movement Disorders Fund. We are excited to launch this dedicated fund to ensure that those living with PD have access to life-changing treatments and medications that enable them to maintain a better quality of life. Medications for the treatment and management of the disease are costly and beyond reach for many, especially for those on Medicare. We applaud our donors for recognizing the challenges people living with PD face and are proud to be able to provide the financial resources they need to adhere to treatment without the worry and anxiety of how to pay for it."

To determine eligibility and apply for assistance, visit HealthWell's Parkinson's Disease – Medicare Access Fund page. Note that all new fund openings and fund re-openings occur at 11:00 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time (8:00 a.m. Pacific) Monday through Friday. To learn more about HealthWell programs and our robust disease fund portfolio, visit our website at HealthWellFoundation.org.

About Parkinson's Foundation
The Parkinson's Foundation makes life better for people with Parkinson's disease by improving care and advancing research toward a cure. In everything we do, we build on the energy, experience, and passion of our global Parkinson's community. Since 1957, the Parkinson's Foundation has invested more than $474 million in Parkinson's research and clinical care. Connect with us on Parkinson.org, Facebook, X, Instagram or call 1-800-4PD-INFO (1-800-473-4636).

About the HealthWell Foundation
A nationally recognized, independent non-profit organization founded in 2003 and a resource to the White House Cancer Moonshot Initiative, the HealthWell Foundation has served as a safety net across over 90 disease areas for more than 1.1 million underinsured patients. Since its inception, HealthWell has provided over $4.8 billion in financial support through more than 1.8 million grants 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 24th on the 2024 Forbes list of America's Top 100 Charities and was recognized for its 100 percent fundraising efficiency. For more information, visit HealthWellFoundation.org.

CONTACT:
Ginny Dunn
240-632-5309
[email protected]

SOURCE HealthWell Foundation