American Kidney Fund launches Part D grant program

ROCKVILLE, Md.—The American Kidney Fund, which provides financial assistance to kidney patients, said today that it is starting a new program to help dialysis patients pay for bone disease drugs under Medicare Part D.

“We are extremely pleased that we are able to help dialysis patients with an urgent financial need that has arisen under Medicare Part D,” said LaVarne Burton, AKF chief executive officer. “Because they take so many prescription medications, many dialysis patients have fallen into the Part D ‘doughnut hole’ coverage gap, under which they must bear the full cost of their medication until they reach a certain out-of-pocket spending level. This program will provide urgently needed assistance to eligible patients who are in that situation—as well as to patients who are in the other phases of Part D coverage.”

Medicare Part D provides pharmacy benefits to everyone who is eligible for Medicare along with a small copay. However, the coverage stops when drug costs exceed $2,250— this starts the doughnut hole. In this void, patients get no help with their costs until they reach the threshold of $5,100. At this point, nearly all prescription drug costs are covered, but the patients have already spent another $2,850 out-of-pocket.

Eligible patients in the AKF program can receive up to $2,000 each year to help obtain bone disease medications. The AKF said the program will significantly help qualified dialysis patients in the coverage gap, but will also provide grants to patients who are not in the doughnut hole.

The program covers bone disease medications, including Fosrenol, Hecterol, Phoslo, Renagel, Sensipar and Zemplar.

Burton added that the AKF hopes to add more programs to help dialysis patients with paying for other types of medications under Part D. “These other conditions, which include cardiovascular disease and anemia, require medications that can be very expensive. Kidney failure imposes a great economic hardship on many people, and through our program, we are working to ease that burden.”

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