Virginia Health Care Foundation Awards $1.4 Million to Help Uninsured get Prescription Medicines

The Virginia Health Care Foundation (VHCF) has launched an expansion of its RxRelief Virginia (RxRVa) initiative with an additional $500,000 in state funds. The program funds medication assistance caseworkers (MACs) who obtain prescription medicines for sick uninsured Virginians.

“Prescription medicines are often essential to successful treatment of illnesses and diseases,” said VHCF Executive Director Deborah Oswalt. “Unfortunately, many sick uninsured Virginians are unaware that help may be available for them. We are grateful to the General Assembly and Governor for providing funding to expand the reach of RxRVa.”

Twelve new MACs were hired with this funding, which became available on July 1. They will join 39 existing RxRVa MACs who use VHCF’s software The Pharmacy Connection (TPC) to obtain free and discounted prescription medicines from the brand name pharmaceutical companies’ Patient Assistance Programs (PAPs) for uninsured Virginians with chronic illnesses.

During FY15, RxRVa MACs helped 14,796 uninsured Virginians obtain nearly $90 million (average wholesale price) in free prescription medicines using only $1.2 million in state funds. The new grantees are expected to serve an additional four thousand people in the next year.

Organizations that have received funding to hire MACs follow:

· Daily Planet
· Blue Ridge Medical Center
· Central Virginia Health Services
· Free Medical Clinic of Northern Shenandoah Valley
· Halifax Regional Development Foundation
· Martinsville/Henry County Coalition for Health and Wellness
· Orange County Free Clinic
· Shenandoah Free Clinic
· Southeastern Virginia Health System
· Western Tidewater Free Clinic

Last Updated on June 11, 2018