Organizations and companies that provide financial assistance for your glaucoma care
Talk to your pharmacist and eye care provider about options for your medications.
For additional resources, visit our Vision Care Financial Assistance page.
Patient Assistant Programs from Pharmaceutical Companies
Pharmaceutical companies have established Patient Assistance Programs which provide financial support for medications to eligible patients in the United States who are unable to afford the cost of their medication. Note, qualification criteria for each of these programs may vary or change over time.
Company
Medications such as:
Website/phone number:
Alcon
Simbrinza® (brinzolamide/brimonidine)
Rocklatan® (netarsudil/latanoprost)
Rhopressa® (netarsudil)
Allergan
Lumigan® (bimatoprost)
Alphagan® P (brimonidine)
Combigan® (brimonidine tartrate/timolol)
Novartis
Travatan Z® (travoprost)
Azopt® (brinzolamide)
Thea
Betimol® (timolol)
Zioptan® (tafluprost)
Cosopt® PF (dorzalomide/timolol)
(844) 202-5909
The American Academy of Ophthalmology EyeCare America® Program
P.O. Box 429098
San Francisco, CA 94142-9098
aao.org/eyecareamerica
Phone: (877) 887-6327
Fax: (415) 561-8567
The Glaucoma Program provides a glaucoma eye exam at no cost to those who are eligible and uninsured. Those who are eligible and insured are billed and are responsible for any co-payments. (This is an awareness program to provide a baseline glaucoma eye exam to those who may not be aware they are at increased risk).
To qualify for the Glaucoma Program one must be:
- U.S. citizen or legal resident
- Not belong to an HMO or have eye care benefits through the VA
- Not had an eye exam in 12 months or more
- At increased risk for glaucoma, determined by your age, race and family history
American Glaucoma Society (AGS) Cares
655 Beach Street
San Francisco, CA 94109
americanglaucomasociety.net/
patients/ags-cares
Phone: (415) 561-8587
Fax: (415) 561-8531
Email: [email protected]
AGS Cares is a public service program of the AGS Foundation that is dedicated to providing surgical glaucoma care at no cost to uninsured patients who qualify for such care. Glaucoma care is provided by members of a national network of volunteers comprising glaucoma surgeons who are AGS active or provisional members.
BenefitsCheckUp®
BenefitsCheckUp® connects millions of older adults and people with disabilities with benefits programs that can help pay for health care, medicine, food, utilities, and more. See what’s available in your area by entering your ZIP code on the webpage.
Blink Health
blinkhealth.com
Email: [email protected]
Blink Health provides discounted prescription prices on over 15,000 medications. Pay online and pick up at any of their 35,000+ participating pharmacies nationwide, or get your Rx delivered right to your door. Online doctor visits are offered for select conditions.
GoodRX
GoodRx keeps up with changes in prescription prices across 70,000 pharmacies in the U.S., so you know you are always paying the best price either through GoodRx coupons, manufacturer copay cards, or insurance.
Medicare – Glaucoma Benefits
Medicare beneficiaries, family members, and caregivers can visit medicare.gov, the Official U.S. Government Site for People with Medicare, for the latest information on Medicare enrollment, benefits, and other helpful tools.
Medicare Part B (Medical Insurance)
Medicare Part B (Medical Insurance) covers glaucoma tests once every 12 months if you meet the high-risk criteria for glaucoma.
You are considered at high-risk for glaucoma if one or more of these applies to you:
- You have diabetes
- You have a family history of glaucoma
- You are African American and age 50 or older
- You are Hispanic and age 65 or older
You are responsible 20% of Medicare’s payment to the provider for the services or, if care is sought in a hospital outpatient setting, a standard copayment. The Part B deductible applies to these services. If your doctor recommends you receive services more often than is allowable under Medicare or recommends services that are not provided under Medicare, you may need to pay all costs.
Be sure to ask your provider about these costs before you receive treatment.
The tests to screen for glaucoma include:
- Dilated eye examination
- Intraocular pressure measurement
- Direct ophthalmoscopic examination, or a slit-lamp biomicroscopic examination
For more information, visit: medicare.gov/coverage/glaucoma-tests
Prescription Drug Benefits (Medicare Part D)
All Medicare beneficiaries should know that help is available for the costs of prescription drugs, including those taken for their eyes. It is important to follow your eye doctor’s instructions for how often to take eye medications. Missed dosages can lead to increased risk of vision loss.
Medicare prescription drug coverage is an optional benefit offered to everyone who has Medicare. This includes eye medications. You must enroll to access this benefit. Note, there are penalties for people who miss enrollment deadlines.
Medicare plans will vary depending on where you live, and each plan is different. This can be confusing, but there are resources which can help you to understand your choices.
MEDICARE: Extra Help with Medicare Prescription Drug Plan Costs
ssa.gov/benefits/medicare/prescriptionhelp
Medicare beneficiaries can qualify for Extra Help with their Medicare prescription drug plan costs. The Extra Help is estimated to be worth about $5,000 per year. To qualify for the Extra Help, a person must be receiving Medicare, have limited resources and income, and reside in one of the 50 States or the District of Columbia. For further assistance with the program, visit the PAN Foundation website: panfoundation.org/extrahelp.
Find out more about Medicare Benefits & Your Eyes
Nanodropper
Nanodropper is a volume-reducing adaptor for eyedrop bottles. The company offers the Give the Gift of Vision program where they provide free Nanodropper Adaptors for those in need through an application process.
NeedyMeds
Post Office Box 219
Gloucester, MA 01930
needymeds.org
Phone: (978) 865-4115
Fax: (206) 260-8850
NeedyMeds provides information obtained directly from the drug manufacturers regarding special programs to assist people who can’t afford to buy the drugs they need.
Patient Access Network (PAN) Foundation
PO Box 221858
Charlotte, NC 28222
Phone: (866) 316-PANF (7263)
Email: [email protected]
The Patient Access Network (PAN Foundation) is dedicated to helping people living with life-threatening, chronic and rare diseases with the out-of-pocket costs for their prescribed medications. PAN provides the underinsured population access to the healthcare treatments they need to best manage their conditions and focus on improving their quality of life.
Created by the PAN Foundation, FundFinder is a web-based app designed to help patients with life-threatening, chronic or rare diseases quickly find financial assistance. To learn more about FundFinder, visit: fundfinder.panfoundation.org.
Transportation Assistance: In addition, the PAN Foundation Transportation Assistance program provides financial support to patients with life-threatening, chronic, or rare conditions so they can access affordable and reliable transportation to and from their medical treatments and pharmacy. To learn more about the Transportation Assistance program, visit: panfoundation.org/funds/transportation.
RxHope
RxHope provides help to people in need in obtaining critical medications that they would normally have trouble affording. RxHope acts as your advocate in making the patient assistance program journey easier and faster by supplying vital information and help.
Rx Outreach
rxoutreach.org
Phone: (888) 796-1234
Rx Outreach offers more than 1,000 medications via mail order that cover most chronic diseases for 30, 60, 90, or 180 days at a time. Rx Outreach is available to qualifying individuals and families whose income is at or below 400% of the Federal Poverty Level. Patients can quickly check their Eligibility online. Patients can be on Medicare, Medicaid, or other health insurance and still qualify for Rx Outreach.
ScriptHero
go.scripthero.com/
preventblindness
Phone: (866) 747-4276
Email: [email protected]
ScriptHero works by enabling individuals to shop their prescription for the lowest cash price and the most convenient pharmacy location within our nationwide network, all from the convenience of a phone, tablet or computer.
*Disclaimer: The information provided by Prevent Blindness has been compiled from sources considered to be accurate as of the last update. Links to resources below will take you to web content outside PreventBlindness.org. Prevent Blindness is not responsible for the content on external websites. Published on 12/20/2022.
