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Uninsured have more access to medicines

By PAUL SWIDER
Published November 8, 2006

Help with prescription drugs is a little closer as a Texas company has added representatives to the Tampa Bay market.

MedWise has helped patients for years but this summer recruited new people to spread the service, said Dan Mondello, one representative who just started working with the Garland, Texas, company. MedWise helps the uninsured navigate the maze of requirements to receive free or discounted drugs from pharmaceutical manufacturers.

"I heard story after story about how people are suffering," said Mondello, who left a job helping the insured get pharmaceuticals because he saw greater need in helping the uninsured.

Patient assistance programs have been around for years but have become a bit more rare and complicated recently, according to the Area Agency on Aging. Still, people can work directly with these programs and can receive prescription medications for free.

MedWise simply makes it easier, Mondello said. The company takes a patient's information and submits it to all applicable programs to receive free or discounted drugs, he said.

MedWise interacts with physicians and then tracks the entire process to guarantee that the patient receives what he should.

MedWise is a for-profit company, charging $15 per month per prescription. Mondello said this still results in huge savings for most people, who typically spend $700 to $1,200 a month on drugs. Some drugs are discounted, he said, but a typical price is $20 for a three-month supply.

Other companies provide similar services, but so does the state through programs like Sunshine for Seniors, said Sharon Ayers, director for planning and evaluation with the Area Agency on Aging. The Florida Department of Elder Affairs also provides connections to services and advice on how seniors can work with such programs.

Mondello said MedWise is different because the service applies to more than just seniors. Sunshine for Seniors is aimed at those 60 and older. The average MedWise client is between 15 and 55, Mondello said.

"We're looking for the small-business owner or employee who has no benefits," he said.

Mondello said he can work with seniors and help those in the "doughnut hole" of no coverage under the Medicare prescription drug program.

MedWise has no offices in the Tampa Bay area and works on a national basis, Mondello said. The Better Business Bureau in Dallas near its headquarters shows that the company has a satisfactory rating there, meaning it has "properly addressed matters referred by the bureau," according the BBB Web site.

The Pinellas County Department of Consumer Protection has no record of complaints against MedWise, but investigator Victor Routenberg said it may be too new for any difficulties to show up.

Mondello said he checked out the company himself before he joined. He said he feels comfortable that the service is legitimate and is happy to be able to help people who have few or no alternatives.

"These medications are often free," Mondello said. "You just have to be able to figure out the paperwork."

Paul Swider can be reached at 892-2271 or pswider@sptimes.com or by participating in itsyourtimes.com.

[Last modified November 7, 2006, 21:29:59]