The Assistance Fund Adds Melanoma Assistance Program

ORLANDO, Fla., May 22, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Assistance Fund announces the addition of its Melanoma Copay Assistance Program. This program provides financial assistance for copay to individuals diagnosed with Melanoma.

"We are pleased to announce the addition of the Melanoma Copay Assistance Program to our portfolio of assistance programs," stated Mark McGreevy, executive director. "With each additional program we are closer to achieving our mission and vision of a world where no one is denied access to medications due to an inability to pay."

Melanoma is a form of cancer that begins in melanocytes (cells that make the pigment melanin). It may begin in a mole (skin melanoma), but can also begin in other pigmented tissues, such as in the eye or in the intestines.

To be eligible for the program, applicants must qualify based upon program criteria established by the Assistance Fund. Eligible patients must have a diagnosis of melanoma and be prescribed one of the specialty medications approved for the program, including Keytruda, Mekinist, Opdivo, Proleukin, Sylatron, Tafinlar, Yervoy, or Zelboraf. Additionally, the applicant must have primary health insurance coverage for the related specialty medication, be a citizen or legal resident of the United States, and meet income and household size financial criteria. Participation is subject to the availability of program funding. Individuals interested may apply for assistance.

The easiest and fastest way to apply is to complete the application on AssistFund eEnroll, its online enrollment tool, available at www.AssistFund.org. To apply for assistance by phone, applicants can call a Patient Advocate at The Assistance Fund at (855) 377-3921. Completed applications can be mailed to 4700 Millenia Blvd., Suite 310, Orlando, FL 32839 or faxed to (866) 254-9411. For more information on supporting this program or programs like it, please contact Mark A. Neidig, Vice President of Development and Communications, at (407) 641-3043 or by email at [email protected].

The Assistance Fund, a national 501(c)3 charitable organization headquartered in Orlando, Florida, provides a continuum of services and programs to children and adults with chronic and life threatening diseases in the United States and Puerto Rico. These services and programs, provided through philanthropic gifts, include access to advanced therapies, education and financial aid. Eligibility for support is based on financial status, corresponding disease state and insurance coverage. Since 2009, more than 34,000 patients across the United States and in Puerto Rico, who have been diagnosed with – Ankylosing Spondylitis, Clostridium Difficile, Cystic fibrosis, Digestive Motility and Malabsorption Disorders, Hereditary Angioedema, Juvenile Arthritis, Melanoma, Multiple Sclerosis, Neuroendocrine tumors, Parathyroid Disease, Parkinson's Disease, Psoriasis, Psoriatic arthritis, Rheumatoid arthritis or Stemic Lupus Erythematosus – have received more than $220 million in grants from the Assistance Fund. For program availability, applications and updates, please visit www.AssistFund.org for more information.

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SOURCE The Assistance Fund