Require govt. funded insurance like Medicare allow use of RX co-pay assist programs permitted by commercial insurers

Specialty medications for conditions like cancer and multiple sclerosis are no longer covered by standard prescription co-pays and costs can be exorbitant. Government funded insurance (including Medicare, Medicaid, VA, DOD or Tricare) does not allow its members to participate in prescription co-pay assistance programs offered by manufacturers. This leaves some of our neediest patients with monthly co-pays as high as $5,000 to $10,000. Many patients choose to forgo first line oral chemotherapy treatments or other equally important treatments in favor of paying for food or shelter. This petition would require that all government funded insurance must allow their subscribers to utilize the same copay assistance programs available to subscribers of commercial insurance.