August 24, 2022

When someone is uninsured or underinsured but needs to take a prescription medicine, they might get saddled with unaffordable out-of-pocket costs. Patient assistance programs (PAPs) can sometimes help. Often, PAPs are sponsored by the manufacturer of the medicine in question, but they can also be run by nonprofits or government entities. Some PAPs pay for the entire cost of the drug, while others only cover a portion.

PAPs are there to plug a hole in our healthcare system, but it’s difficult to measure and analyze their impact, because they can vary greatly in their participation requirements and in what assistance they provide. Usually - but not always - an eligible patient must be a permanent US citizen and meet various employment, income, and insurance requirements. People have also complained that PAPs are confusing and hard to use. They might also be difficult to find without the help of a healthcare provider. Even then, a 2018 study found providers don’t always know which patients would benefit from a PAP because their requirements and benefits are so opaque.

For these reasons, GoodRx, in collaboration with RA Capital, is surveying patients who have used or even just applied to a PAP. GoodRx is a free price comparison resource that helps Americans find the lowest prescription prices at their local pharmacies. We hope the results of this survey will shed some light on PAPs’ role in the healthcare ecosystem as well as elucidate their strengths and weaknesses.

In an ideal world, PAPs wouldn’t be necessary, and we’d have an affordable insurance system that worked for patients. Until then, we should help patients understand and leverage PAPs as best we are able.

The survey should take less than ten minutes for most people. Please share this link with the patients in your life. https://goodrx.iad1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_8udbLTaLqUt17hA

If you or someone you know is looking for a PAP, we suggest you consult this medicare.gov database.

Please click here for important RA Capital disclosures.

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