NeedyMeds

NeedyMeds Appreciates All Our Volunteers

Evan O'Connor

National Volunteer Month in the United States takes place in the month of April. This month is dedicated to honoring all of the volunteers in our communities as well as encouraging volunteerism throughout the month.

Our local volunteers help us print and mail lists of medications for callers seeking help with several prescriptions (our call center helps with this information over the phone, but due to the volume of calls we receive we may mail you information for long lists of medications), update information in our databases, and help mail out the NeedyMeds Drug Discount Cards. Some of our earliest volunteers were offered paid positions in the formative years of NeedyMeds, and have been everyone from high school students seeking work experience to retired people looking for light office work. Our local volunteers have unfortunately had to discontinue their work from the office during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, but we’re looking forward to when we can all work together safely.

In recent years, we launched our Volunteer

Read more
Health, NeedyMeds, Patient Assistance

NeedyMeds Resources: Camps & Scholarships

Evan O'Connor

Perhaps more than any other year, Americans are making plans for their summer and beyond. For those with chronic illness or disabilities and their families, finding appropriate and supportive environments for recreation can be a challenge. Luckily, there are camps and retreats that are available specifically for people affected by various chronic conditions.

Every camp listed on the NeedyMeds site is different — serving different people based on their medical condition. Most camps are for children and young adults with a specific diagnosis, though there are also camps available for children whose parents have a specified diagnosis or for siblings or the entire family to enjoy. Most camps are funded by private or government run organizations.

Each camp has a different set of eligibility requirements, though most require a diagnosis for the child or a member of their family. Some camps are limited to certain states, while others are available to anyone who is a legal resident of the United States. There may be financial requirements for many of the camps; recreational programs listed are not

Read more
NeedyMeds

NeedyMeds Helpline: Connecting Patients In Need to Assistance

Evan O'Connor

NeedyMeds’ mission has been to educate and empower those seeking affordable care for over 20 years. In order to reach people who don’t have access to the internet, the NeedyMeds Helpline is available to help those in need find resources for their healthcare costs. Our helpline representatives can connect you to programs and services that can help you to afford your medications and other healthcare costs.

NeedyMeds Helpline counselors will search for Patient Assistance Programs that provide prescriptions at low or no cost, nonprofit and government programs that can provide a wide variety of services based on diagnosis, and free/low-cost/sliding-scale clinics in your area. All of the resources listed on the NeedyMeds website can be referred through the helpline, as well as ordering NeedyMeds Drug Discount Cards and checking the price of prescriptions at your local pharmacy when using the card.

Last year our call center answered over 41,000 calls including 12,711 patients with Medicare Part D, 2250 uninsured patients, 350 Spanish-speaking callers, and 328 advocates calling for other patients.

Read more
Drug Discount Card, NeedyMeds

NeedyMeds Drug Discount Card and How It’s Unique

Evan O'Connor

For over 20 years NeedyMeds’ mission has been to educate and empower those seeking affordable healthcare. Starting in 2009, the NeedyMeds Drug Discount Card has been helping patients afford their medications. To date, we have saved patients over $295 million on their prescription prices. The free NeedyMeds Drug Discount Card can be used anywhere in the United States at over 65,000 participating pharmacies including all of the major chains to save up to 80% on the cash price of your prescriptions. There are no income, age, or immigration status restrictions. There is no activation or registration needed and no personal information is ever shared when using our card.

The only rule is you can’t use the NeedyMeds Drug Discount Card with insurance or any state or federal program. If you’re uninsured, you can use it any time you are purchasing a prescription. If you have health insurance, the card can fill in the gaps in your coverage. If you have any medications not covered

Read more
Awareness, NeedyMeds

Masks Make The DIfference

Evan O'Connor

Wearing a mask to protect against coronavirus has become part of daily life for Americans. COVID-19 spreads mainly from person to person through respiratory droplets that travel into the air when you cough, sneeze, talk, and breathe. These droplets can then land on others’ faces or may be inhaled by people in the area. Masks are a simple barrier to help prevent these respiratory droplets from reaching others by reducing the spray of droplets when worn over the nose and mouth.

Everyone over the age of two years old should wear a mask, even if you do not feel sick. People who contract COVID-19 who never develop symptoms (asymptomatic) and those who are not yet showing symptoms (pre-symptomatic) can still spread the virus to other people. 

The main function of wearing a mask is to protect those around you, in case you are infected and shedding the SARS-CoV-2 virus but not showing symptoms. A cloth mask does offer some protection to the wearer, how much depending on the fabrics used and how your mask is made (the type of fabric, the number of layers, how well the mask fits, etc). Medical

Read more