Despite the success of various health care agencies, hospitals and online resources in making health insurance available to everyone through open markets or the Affordable Care Act, there are still over a million uninsured people in Illinois. They can best be described as the uninsured or underinsured because many of them cannot afford adequate health insurance. A new health guide has been created to assist them in receiving much needed services to fill the gaps.
Chicago representatives of national health organizations, the United Way and Pfizer, launched the new Chicago Health Guide: Resources for the Uninsured and Underinsured on July 27, 2016 at a special briefing for community health and social service providers during the 41st Annual Conference of the National Association of Hispanic Nurses (NAHN) held at the Hyatt Regency Chicago. The Guide is a resource for residents of Chicago who are uninsured or underinsured that helps to connect them to affordable health care resources throughout the area. The publication was made possible through a collaboration between NAHN, United Way of Metropolitan Chicago, the National Black Nurses Association (NBNA), and Pfizer RxPathways – Pfizer’s patient assistance program that helps eligible patients get access to their Pfizer medicines.
“We are thrilled to launch the Chicago Health Guide as we kick off our national conference here in Chicago,” said Susana Gonzalez, President of the Illinois Hispanic Nurses Association. “The National Association of Hispanic Nurses has worked with Pfizer over the last decade to help bring similar resources to six other cities and states across the country. This initiative is a true example of collaboration among partners that have the common goal to help improve the health of our communities and I hope that my fellow Chicagoans will take advantage of the resources and information that fills this guide and can help them access the health care they may need.”
The Chicago Health Guide: Resources for the Uninsured and Underinsured is a comprehensive listing of health care resources, pro- viding contact information and health tips in an easy-to-use and easy-to-read format in English and Spanish. The free Guide will be available to the public via the United Way of Metropolitan Chicago office, community health centers, other community-based service providers, and by calling 1-888-720-1337 toll-free.
“We are proud to sponsor the new Chicago Health Guide,” said Kate Walsh, Regional Business Director at Pfizer. “Pfizer has been helping patients gain access to the Pfizer medicines they need for more than 25 years, and recently the company has stepped up that effort by doubling the allowable income level for its patient assistance program. Unfortunately, patients still face many ongoing challenges in paying their medical out-of-pocket costs or accessing medical care. We hope that this guide can facilitate that access for those in need.”
In the last 5 years alone (2011-2015), Pfizer helped more than 2 million uninsured and underinsured patients across the United States receive over 25 million Pfizer prescriptions for free or at a savings, making it the most comprehensive program of its kind. More than 6,600 of those patients were from Illinois, receiving over 48,500 Pfizer prescriptions for free or at a savings.
Information about the Pfizer RxPathways program, as well as other similar valuable resources is an example of the support services that are contained in the guide.
50,000 copies of the Chicago Health Guide are available for free distribution to the community. To receive a copy or place an order for the Guide call 1-888-720-1337.
