Medbank of Maryland Summary

Name		Medbank of Maryland - Medbank is non-profit organization that assists persons with disabilities and low-income persons of any age to apply for assistance from the manufacturers programs for free or low-cost medicines. The Maryland Medbank program is designed for any low-income person who is not enrolled in another prescription drug program.
Non-Financial Eligibility Conditions		Maryland residents or non-residents treated by a physician in Maryland who have no other prescription drug coverage, and are not eligible for Medical Assistance. However, you may still be eligible if you have a prescription discount card. Some programs require that you receive Medicare and some programs require a physician’s signature. The MedBank program requires a referral form signed by a physician.
Income Eligibility Conditions		Minimum income: must be above the poverty income guidelines must be below income guidelines determined by individual drug companies, see guideline numbers below Individual: $948.01 Couple: $1,100.01 (Depending on the company, as some companies have varying requirements) You may be referred to the Primary Adult Care Program if your income is below the Maryland poverty guidelines.
Asset Eligibility Conditions		Some drug companies will consider assets in determining eligibility
Benefit		Pharmaceutical companies participating in the program will provide a renewable 90-day supply of free medication to chronically ill, income-qualified individuals. For more information call 410-821-9262 or (TOLL-FREE) 877-435-7755. Patients receive available brand name medications at low or no cost. The MedBank Program does not provide the drugs directly. Instead it helps to complete the paperwork needed to access the pharmaceutical manufacturers’ patient assistance programs. Not all manufacturers participate and not all drugs are available. You can get a list of the available medications at the Medbank website, if you have Adobe Acrobat Reader. This service is for persons with chronic illnesses. Under most programs, the supplier will ship a ninety day (90-day) supply - delivered to your physician’s office.
Apply At		Contact the regional Maryland Medbank Program site near you. You can find a map to help you locate regional program sites on the Medbank website. Note that the process takes 2-6 weeks because of the time it takes to collect and process the paperwork.
Appeals		Medbank does not handle appeals. Decisions are made by individual pharmaceutical companies. Patients may be able to pursue an appeal with drug manufacturers, but remember that this is a public service rather than an entitlement.
Source of the Funds		Maryland state funds operate the MedBank program.
You Also May Be Eligible For		The MedBank program searches among a range of patient assistance programs, however, you may wish to compare the list of programs reviewed by Medbank with the private drug manufacturers lists found here or the on-line discount pharmacies. If you are a veteran, you may be eligible for prescription drug coverage under the Medical Benefits Package.
Source of Law		State Statue: MD Health General §§ 15-124.2
Other		There is more information at Medbank's web site. You may also wish to explore some of the on-line pharmacies that offer their own discounts. See our section on pharmaceutical company discounts.

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