FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Financial Assistance

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If you are a Medicare beneficiary at high risk for glaucoma, you are now entitled to an annual dilated glaucoma examination. This benefit, effective since January 2002, defines high-risk Medicare beneficiaries as those with diabetes, those with a family history of glaucoma, and African Americans. (Given the higher incidence of glaucoma among African Americans, the legislation includes African-American Medicare beneficiaries aged 50 and older to include the relatively small number on the Medicare rolls for other disability reasons.) If you are not eligible for this Medicare benefit, we suggest you contact a local hospital or clinic for information about the availability of free or low-cost glaucoma examinations in your community.

Unfortunately, we are unable to provide free medication, and we are not aware of any organization that can do so. Only medical facilities and pharmacists are able to disburse prescription drugs. It is our understanding that a few drug manufacturers have programs within the U.S., which provide free medications to patients in financial need. These programs require enrollment via the treating doctor, and the patient must meet eligibility criteria. We suggest that you contact your doctor’s office or medication manufacturer to determine whether there are reduced-cost or free medication programs that could be helpful to you. Drug manufacturers typically provide a toll-free hotline answered by trained staff that should be able to answer questions about available programs. If your doctor is unaware of such discount programs, and you do not have your medication insert that has the manufacturer’s toll-free number, we suggest you speak with your local pharmacist. Pharmacists are a valuable resource and should be able to provide you with the contact information for your medication manufacturer.

You might try contacting the Knights Templar Eye Foundation, which in certain situations does provide subsidies to cover surgical treatment for persons with eye diseases, which, if left untreated, might result in blindness. For more information on this Foundation, contact them directly at 773-205-3838 or by e-mail ktef@knightstemplar.org.

While we are not able to subsidize prescription glasses, we suggest you contact The Lions Club International (www.lionsclubs.org). The organization’s main phone number is 630-571-5466. We understand that a Lions Club staff member can direct you to a local chapter or affiliate that may be able to provide you with discounted prescription glasses.