People Helping People (PHP) is a non-profit that has been providing free medication for infants, children, the working poor, disabled, and senior citizens for more than 31 years.
“If it were not for PHP, people would end up in the emergency room, require hospitalization, and could even die,” Roberta Kirby, a social worker at Mercy Hospital Berryville, said. “People are very grateful for the help. Many break out in tears when I tell them we will pay for their prescriptions. Some people we’ve assisted give back once they have been approved for their disability or become employed. Some have volunteered for us.”
When families move to Arkansas it takes some time to be approved for Medicaid. Kirby said they often purchase inhalers for children with asthma while waiting for Medicaid approval. Insulin can cost as much as $1,000 a month without healthcare coverage. PHP has purchased insulin for people moving here from another state.
“There are those people we help on a monthly basis,” Kirby said. “Arkansas Medicaid will only pay for six prescriptions a month. A single person on Medicaid and Supplemental Security Income has an income of $840 a month. By the time they pay for rent, utilities and food, they do not have money to buy medication.
“Most disabled people take more than six prescriptions a month. In late summer and fall, there are those people on Medicare who fall into the doughnut hole, and they have a much higher co-pay for prescriptions. We are currently helping many senior citizens in this situation. I could go on and on, but these are just some of those we help.”
PHP tries to make it very easy to get help. Generally, the individual or family member calls Kirby at Mercy Hospital Berryville, (870) 423-5145. She screens them for other assistance, then calls the pharmacy authorizing PHP to pay for prescriptions. Many times, patients may be at the pharmacy, cannot pay for their prescriptions, and the pharmacist tells them to call PHP.
“The process to access help is so easy that people sometimes think it is a scam,” Kirby said. “But it’s not. We want people in Carroll County to know that we are here to help them. We also assist in helping people apply for assistance through the Pharmaceutical Company Patient Assistance Programs and have helped individuals apply for Medicaid and disability. We don’t want people to become dependent on PHP, but there are those who are dependent on us. If it wasn’t for PHP, they would not get their prescriptions.”
While there seem to be a lot of misconceptions as far as there must be a “catch” or one must be on government assistance to qualify, it is not so. The help can be especially important now with some people still experiencing illnesses or lost income related to Covid.
While some supporters make monthly donations, PHP is primarily funded by an annual fund appeal letter that will be sent out after Thanksgiving this year.
Sue Hopkins, who has been a volunteer leader at the organization since it was formed, said donors to the PHP program have been generous during the pandemic knowing there are many people in Carroll County who could really benefit from prescription medication assistance.
“In the past we have learned that people will buy gifts for their family at Christmas before they buy medicine,” she said. “They will buy their holiday food before buying medicine. You don’t have to choose between food and medicine. You don’t have to make a choice in Carroll County; you can have both.
“We have a booth at Hobbies and Homestead that gives us a little bit of monthly income. If we didn’t get people to donate annually, we wouldn’t be able to provide these services. Our biggest thing right now is we want people to ask. We can help them with a lot of the deductibles and co-pays.
“Sometimes the co-pays are only $3 per medicine, but they might have six of them. We can also help people who want to be on alternative medicines like hormone therapy or Armour Thyroid. There are people helped every month who aren’t going to use conventional thyroid medicine.”
Hopkins suggests people who don’t have drug insurance coverage consider using the GoodRX.com program with Walmart. Another source for discounts and coupons is WebMDRx, which partners with major pharmacy chains to find the best prices. Hopkins also recommended that people with Medicare Part D double check their drug prices this time of year for the 2023 programs. Prices for different types of medications change every year and people can end up with higher prices or no coverage for what they need after it is too late to change plans.
Also, people need to be aware there have been some changes as part of the Inflation Reduction Act allowing people to apply to Social Security for a low-income subsidy for prescription drugs. That act also includes a provision for Medicare to negotiate prices with drug companies. But Hopkins said it is disappointing that they are phasing it in and then it is only ten medicines the first year—which isn’t until 2026. In 2027, they will add 15 more drugs for negotiation.
“The Veterans Administration has been negotiating forever and so has Medicaid,” Hopkins said. “When the Medicare drug care plans came into effect, the only people who really profited were the insurance companies.”
Insulin is one of the first drugs to be addressed with a prescription capped at $35 a month. However, Hopkins said some diabetics are on more than once kind of insulin medicine, and many also require other prescriptions.
For updated information, look for the PHP Facebook page.