
8 Strategies to Manage the Costs of Hepatitis C
With the right treatment, people can cure hepatitis C quite easily. However, antiviral treatment could be expensive, especially with little or no health insurance coverage.
Here are some strategies you can use that can help you manage the costs of hepatitis C.
Check your eligibility for medical benefits
It is easy to manage the treatment costs with health insurance. However, if you do not have health insurance, you might be worried that you may not afford it; you can check to see if you may qualify for help to get insured.
You might be eligible for government-sponsored medical benefits depending on your income, employment history, household composition, and health status. These include the following:
- Medicare
If you have a disability or are over 65, you might qualify for Medicare. If you want to learn if you are eligible for this federal benefits program, you can use the premium calculator and be eligible at the website.
- Subsidized insurance plans and Medicaid
You might qualify for your state’s Medicaid program if you have a low income. If you want to learn about the eligibility criteria, visit the state’s Medicaid website. You may also find out more at the website.
If you have a high income, it becomes tough to qualify for Medicaid, but if you are low enough to pay the full insurance premium costs, you may qualify for a subsidy.
- Health benefits of veterans
A veteran may be eligible for comprehensive medical benefits through the US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). If you want more information, you can visit the VA website.
If you are a dependent, spouse, or a family caregiver of a veteran, you might also be able to receive the medical benefits through the VA. To learn more, visit the VA website’s Family and Caregiver Benefits section.
Few states in the US might also have additional programs available to help people manage the costs of treating hepatitis C. You can visit your state government’s website and learn about the potential programs.
Consider applying for disability benefits
If complications of liver disease have made it tough for you to meet the responsibilities at work, you might qualify for disability benefits through the Social Security Administration. If you receive Social Security disability benefits for two years, you will also be enrolled in Medicare.
It may become challenging to navigate the disability benefits application process. You should consider visiting your area’s community legal services center and learn if the disability rights advocates. You can also look for other professionals to guide you through the process.
Look at the assistance program from drug manufacturers
Many drug manufacturers operate patient assistance programs that help underinsured and uninsured patients afford medication costs. If you consider contacting the manufacturer of your prescribed medication to learn if you qualify for the financial assistance.
Connect with a nonprofit that offers support
Some charitable foundations and nonprofit organizations offer financial support to help people cope with the costs of hepatitis C. For example, you might qualify for one or more of the following:
- Travel support to help cover the costs of traveling for treatments
- Discount on medications, without or with insurance coverage
- Premium, coinsurance, copay, or deductible assistance, if you have insurance
Other types of financial support
If you want to learn about some organizations that offer support to people with hepatitis C or liver disease, download a copy of the American Liver Foundation’s Financial Assistance Resources.
Comparison shop
Before receiving the treatment, ask your healthcare provider how much it will cost. If they do not know, discuss how you can find out and the pharmacies that will offer you the low-price options.
If you are unhappy with the prescribed medication prices, it is better to let your pharmacist or doctor know. They might be willing to negotiate a lower price. You can also try best pharmacy discount cards at pharmacies to reduce the price.
Visit a low-cost or free clinic
Few clinics offer low or free cost care to the people. However, sometimes you may need to qualify for low or free-cost services based on your income and other factors.
Enroll in the clinical trial
If you are willing to try an experimental treatment, you might make a better candidate for clinical trials. If you participate in the trial, you may receive experimental treatment for free. If you participate in a trial, you may receive experimental treatment for free.
Conclusion
The financial costs of treating hepatitis C could be high. However, there are resources and strategies that you may use to manage the costs of care. It would help if you also took some time to learn about the resources available.
If you want to get good discounts on Hepatitis C, you should download prescription discount card like the WiseRx card today!