Personal Advocacy Reflection

After Hurricane Katrina, I was unemployed.  I have had asthma for most of my life.  Asthma medications are extremely expensive.  My asthma medications consists of Advair and Ventolin.  After losing employment, I also lost my health insurance.  Without insurance, the cost of an Advair Inhaler s $150-$170.  Without insurance, the cost of a Ventolin Inhaler is $80 approximately.  I simply could not afford the cost of my medications.  This caused me to have an asthma attack, as Advair is a daily inhaler that I take twice daily in order to prevent inflammation in the lungs, therefore regulating and giving me better control over my asthma.

While in the emergency room, a nurse told me of a group of doctors and nurses that provided a free clinic for people with chronic illnesses (heart disease, high blood pressure, asthma, etc).  Although, I was skeptical, I did visit the gymnasium where the next upcoming clinic would be hosted.  I was so surprised at the friendliness and acceptance while at the clinic.  After my examination, I was given 3 month supply of Advair. Before the three months was up, I secured employment out-of-state in Omaha, Nebraska.  What impressed me the most was the clinic found me and called to check up on my progress.  After I told them I had relocated to Omaha, Nebraska; they offered to send me another 3 month supply, as this would sustain me until I got settled in my new area.  They did this in spite of me telling them that I had health insurance again.  They wanted me to have my medications and were thinking ahead of the possibility of me not being able to afford a co-pay due to the recent move and financial obligations associated with moving.  I was most grateful and it did help me tremendously.  I thanked them.

Today, whenever someone is having trouble paying for their medications, I have them to ask their medical provider about possible charitable clinics that provide free office visits/medications.  This has helped many of my friends, as well as, parents of children that are enrolled in my program.  Many pharmaceutical companies have medication assistance programs that patients can utilize.  The particular program that the nurse in the ER referred me to was through GlaxoWellcome Patience Assistance Program.