The Basics

Many conditions are treated with drugs that your doctor prescribes. These drugs can be necessary for you to stay healthy. They can also be expensive. There are a number of ways that you can get help paying for prescription drugs. If you have private or public health coverage, it may cover prescription drugs. If you don’t have coverage, or the coverage doesn’t pay for all of your costs, there are programs that may be able to assist you. The AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP) helps those with HIV/AIDS, and drug companies also have Patient Assistance Programs (PAPs) for people who meet certain requirements. Medi-Cal and Medicare both have prescription drug coverage but may require you to pay a premium, deductible, copayment, or co-insurance.

Most of the programs that offer prescription drug coverage are described in detail elsewhere on DB101. In this section, you’ll find brief descriptions of these programs, along with information on Patient Assistance Programs (PAPs), and a detailed program description of the AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP).