HealthWell Foundation Opens New Financial Assistance Fund for People Diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes

Fund Helps Underinsured Americans in Need of Medication Copayment Assistance

GERMANTOWN, Md., July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The HealthWell Foundation^®, an independent non-profit that provides a financial lifeline for inadequately insured Americans, is proud to announce that it has opened a new fund to provide financial assistance to individuals living with type 2 diabetes. Through the new fund, HealthWell will provide up to $1,000 in medication copayment assistance to eligible patients with annual household incomes up to 300 percent of the federal poverty level for the management of their disease.

Type 2 diabetes is the most common form of diabetes and develops when the cells in the body do not respond well to, or make enough insulin, a hormone produced in the pancreas. If not treated, people with type 2 diabetes will have high blood glucose (blood sugar) levels which, over time, can lead to serious health problems including heart disease, stroke, blindness, and kidney failure. Over 37 million people in the U.S. have diabetes and type 2 diabetes accounts for approximately 90-95% of all diagnosed cases of diabetes in the U.S.

"Managing type 2 diabetes is life-long and can be expensive. Some people living with diabetes are required to take one or more medications, and the expense associated with proper medications is insurmountable for many people, even those with health insurance," said Charles "Chuck" Henderson, Chief Executive Officer of the American Diabetes Association^®. "Sadly, an estimated 16.5% of people in the U.S. who have been prescribed insulin to manage their disease have rationed their use of the medication in the last year due to cost. We applaud the HealthWell Foundation for recognizing this critical unmet need for people living with type 2 diabetes and for providing much needed copayment assistance so these patients can start or stay on their prescribed lifesaving treatment plans."

Krista Zodet, HealthWell's President and Chief Executive Officer, said opening the fund has been part of the Foundation's strategy to support the diabetes community for many years.

"We are pleased to offer copayment assistance to underinsured individuals living with type 2 diabetes, but we know that the funding we have available will only be enough to assist approximately 2,000 patients. We will not begin to address the greater need, but we are eager to help as many patients as possible before funding is exhausted," Zodet said. "We are thankful to our dedicated donors for recognizing this paramount need and for providing HealthWell with the financial resources to offer copayment assistance to people with type 2 diabetes. No one should go without lifesaving medications simply because they can't afford them."

Zodet urged others to help sustain the fund through donations to the HealthWell Foundation so more people with type 2 diabetes can receive copayment assistance. Those interested can visit HealthWell's donation page to learn more: https://bit.ly/3D0r62X.

To determine eligibility, visit HealthWell's Type 2 Diabetes Fund page. To apply for a grant through the Type 2 Diabetes Fund, call 800-675-8416 Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time. Online applications are not available for this fund. 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 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 85 disease areas for more than 822,000 underinsured patients. Since its inception, HealthWell has provided over $3.3 billion in financial support through more than 1.3 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 34th on the 2022 Forbes list of The 100 Largest U.S. Charities and was recognized for its 100 percent fundraising efficiency. For more information, visit HealthWellFoundation.org.

About the American Diabetes Association
The American Diabetes Association (ADA) is the nation's leading voluntary health organization fighting to bend the curve on the diabetes epidemic and help people living with diabetes thrive. For 82 years, the ADA has driven discovery and research to treat, manage, and prevent diabetes while working relentlessly for a cure. Through advocacy, program development, and education we aim to improve the quality of life for the over 133 million Americans living with diabetes or prediabetes. Diabetes has brought us together. What we do next will make us Connected for Life^®. To learn more or to get involved, visit us at diabetes.org or call 1-800-DIABETES (1-800-342-2383). Join the fight with us on Facebook (American Diabetes Association), Spanish Facebook (Asociación Americana de la Diabetes), LinkedIn (American Diabetes Association), Twitter (@AmDiabetesAssn), and Instagram (@AmDiabetesAssn).

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

SOURCE HealthWell Foundation