Vision Care Financial Assistance Information
Following is a list of contact information for organizations and services that provide financial assistance for vision care.
Post Office Box 7424
San Francisco, California 94120
(415) 561-8500
FAX: (415) 561-8533
www.eyenet.org
Sponsors several public service projects in conjunction with the Knights Templar Eye Foundation, under the umbrella name of EyeCare America. See: Diabetes EyeCare,Glaucoma EyeCare, and Seniors EyeCare.
243 North Lindbergh Boulevard
St. Louis, Missouri 63141
(800) 365-2219
FAX: (314) 991-4101
www.aoa.org
www.aoa.org/visionusa
Sponsors VISION USA, a program offering free eye exams all year. Call (800) 766-4466 to request an application or to make inquiries.
6110 Executive Boulevard, Suite 510
Rockville, Maryland 20852
(301) 231-5944
FAX: (301) 770-1828
www.opted.org
Many optometry schools offer lowcost care to people willing to be treated by supervised students. They may also provide free care to people who join research studies.
7500 Security Boulevard
Baltimore, Maryland 21244
(877) 267-2323
www.cms.hhs.gov
Visit the website, call or write with questions that cannot be answered by your local Social Security office.
6900 N. Dallas Parkway, Suite 200
Plano, TX 75024
Toll-free Patient Info: (877) 968-7233
Main: (972) 608-7141
www.cdfund.org
Chronic Disease Fund® is an independent 501(c)(3) non-profit charitable organization helping patients with chronic disease, cancers or life-altering conditions obtain the expensive medications they need.
Post Office Box 7424
San Francisco, California 94120
(800) 272-3937 [24-hour hotline]
www.eyecareamerica.org
Sponsored by EyeCare America through the American Academy of Ophthalmology, they screen callers with diabetes. Those who qualify are referred to a participating ophthalmologist in their area. Patients have to be U.S. citizens or legal residents who are 65 and older, have diabetes, and not been to an ophthalmologist in the last three years.
Elected Official
Check with your state elected official.
Post Office Box 7424
San Francisco, California 94120
(800) 391-3937 [24-hour hotline]
www.eyecareamerica.org
Sponsored by EyeCare America through the American Academy of Ophthalmology, they screen callers for glaucoma risk factors. Those who qualify are referred to a participating ophthalmologist in their area. Patients have to be U.S. citizens or legal residents, and not had an eye exam in the last year.
P.O. Box 4133
Gaithersburg, MD 20878
Phone: (800) 675-8416
Fax: (800) 282-7692
www.healthwellfoundation.org
The HealthWell Foundation provides financial assistance to eligible individuals to cover coinsurance, copayments, healthcare premiums and deductibles for certain treatments.
Health Department
Call your local office.
Health Resources and
Services Administration
5600 Fishers Lane, Room 10C-16
Rockville, Maryland 20857
(800) 492-0359 (in-state only)
(800) 638-0742 [24-hour hotline]
Feel free to leave a message
after the recording.
www.hrsa.gov/osp/dfcr/
Participating hospitals and other healthcare facilities provide medical care for free, or at reducedcost, to those who meet eligibility requirements based on family size and income. Procedures covered vary from hospital to hospital. Request a list of assisting sites available in your state and apply at the hospital.
300 22nd Street
Oak Brook, Illinois 60523
(630) 571-5466
(800) 747-4448
www.lionsclubs.org
Provides financial assistance to individuals for eye care through local clubs. Check your telephone book for the telephone number and address of a local club.
PHONE: (866) 724-9394
FAX: (866) 724-9412
accesssolutionsluc-d@gene.com
www.lucentisaccesssolutions.com
Assists patients who are concerned about access to Lucentis (a drug treatment for AMD developed by Genentech) and assists them with health insurance coverage and reimbursement issues.
Post Office Box 515
Doniphan, Missouri 63935
(573) 996-7300
www.freemedicinefoundation.com
Assists people to enroll in one or more of the many patient assistance programs that provide prescription medicine free of charge to those in need. Patients must meet the sponsor’s criteria. The program is conducted in cooperation with the patient’s doctor.
6716 N. Cedar Avenue
Suite 212
Fresno, California 93710
(800) 343-7265*
* Please note – you will receive a voice message when you call this number. Leave your contact info and someone will return your call. Coordinated by the Volunteer Eye Surgeon’s Association, it is a program providing free cataract surgery to people of all ages who have no other means to pay. Surgeries are scheduled annually on one day, usually in May. National
4915 Saint Elmo Avenue
Suite 505
Bethesda, Maryland 20814
(301) 656-8565
FAX: (301) 656-4464
www.talkaboutrx.org
They provide free information on their website regarding the safe use of medicines.
1800 Johnson Street
Baltimore, Maryland 21230
(410) 659-9314
www.nfb.org
They work to improve social and economic conditions of blind persons. Provides evaluations of present programs and assistance in establishing new ones. Grants scholarships to blind persons. Has a public education programincluding speakers’ bureau. Has several special interest divisions, including those for diabetics, educators, lawyers, parents of blind children, students and public employees. Have affiliates in all states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.
Post Office Box 219
Gloucester, MA 01930
(419) 625-9609
FAX: (419) 858-7221
http://www.needymeds.com
They provide information obtained directly from the drug manufacturers regarding special programs to assist people who can’t afford to buy the drugs they need.
549 Millburn Avenue
Post Office Box 332
Short Hills, NJ 07078
(973) 376-4903
FAX: (973) 376-3807
They accept donations of used prescription eyeglasses and distribute them to persons with limited incomes. Recipients must have a letter of referral from a social services agency.
Box 277175
Dallas, Texas 75222
(972) 277-5000
(972) 277-5992
They assist low-income individuals receive eye surgery, low-vision equipment, eye exams and eyeglass assistance programs.
1100 15th Street, Northwest
Washington, DC 20005
(888) 477-2669
FAX: (202) 835-3414
www.pparx.org
HelpingPatients.org is a new interactive website by PhRMA and 48 of its member companies. This site is designed to help people find patient assistance programs for which they may qualify.
PO Box 221858
Charlotte, NC 28222
866-316-PANF (7263)
contact@patientaccessnetwork.org
www.panfoundation.org
Founded in October 2004 as a solution to help the underinsured access the health care they so desperately need to continue living a relatively normal and productive lifestyle.
Public Aid
Check with your state, county, or city office.
Qualified Medicare Beneficiary (QMB)
Contact your local Medicare office for information on qualifying.
Salvation Army
Contact your local office.
Senior Centers
Contact your local center to see if they have financial resource information in your area.
Post Office Box 429098
San Francisco, California 94142
(800) 222-3937
[24-hour hotline]
www.eyecareamerica.org
Sponsored by the AAO and Knights Templar Foundation, they provide a comprehensive medical eye examination and treatment for any condition diagnosed at the initial visit. If a disease is diagnosed and requires ongoing care, treatment will be provided through the project for one year. To qualify, patients have to be U.S. citizens or legal residents who are 65 and older, and not been to an ophthalmologist in the last three years.
(888) 290-4964
www.sightforstudents.org
Contact your local Prevent Blindness America affiliate for more details. This program is in partnership with The Entertainment Industry Foundation, and provides eye exams and glasses to children 18 years old and younger whose families cannot afford vision care.
Social Security Administration (SSA)
Call your local Social Security Administration office for information on qualifying.
Social Workers
Contact a social worker at a hospital or other community agency. Social workers are often knowledgeable about community resources that can help people facing financial and medical problems.
Specified Low Income Medicare Beneficiary (SLMB)
Call your local Medicare office for information.
United Way
Check with your local office.
(800)766-4466 (7am-7pm CST)
www.aoa.org
Coordinated by the American Optometric Association (AOA), they provide free eye care to uninsured, low-income, working Americans and their families. Patients cannot have had an eye examination in the past 24 months. Applications may be obtained on the AOA website, along with more information. Click on “Meet the AOA” on the left side of the navigator bar, then look for the VISION USA icon.