I recently made an appointment with my dermatologist which I haven't seen since before I got pregnant and want to talk to him about Enbrel. I do not have insurance and have found a program called The ENcourage foundation which will help pay for the meds. My question is to those who have used Encourage, what do you need to qualify? And if you are on Enbrel how well is it working for you? Thanks for your help!!

Enbrel has saved me! P is gone and PA is under control most of the time! I hope it never stops working!

I don't know about the Encourage Foundation, but the makers of enbrel have their own financial aide program that you may want to look into.
There is also a program that people have been successful with called Patient Services Incorporated (PSI), and you can look into their program at www.uneedpsi.org/about.cfm.

If you call the Enbrel hotline there are options to speak to someone about Encourage. 1-800-4ENBREL.

They make it SO easy! Encourage foundation has saved me!! I wouldn't be on Enbrel if it wasn't for this foundation. They are so friendly and kind. They call me when it is time for a refill... and they mail it to my front door. I'm considered uninsurable - so I don't have coverage. You have to fill out a little paperwork and I think send a copy of your income taxes. I hope you have success... they have helped me tremendously. Just call 1-888-4-Enbrel and they will get you started :)

I spoke with them yesterday. They were quite helpful - however the woman told me that they had been inundated with requests and that they were running out of funds. It used to be unlimited, but now there is a max of $1400 per patient. With my Blue Cross deductibe ($791 per month), that would only cover two months for me. Even if I did qualify financially, which I doubt that I would.

Enbrel was a life saver for my psoriasis. Since I have lost my job and my employee insurance coverage, I am now forced to go without the drug.
I contacted the Encourage Foundation this past week. They have two different programs people can get assistance to receive Enbrel. One is the Encourage Foundation, the second is a Co-pay assistance program to help people with insurance coverage pay their portion of the co-pay. Before contacting them though, save yourself some time and get a denial letter for Medicaid from your state, because if your state has a program they will refer you there first.
Unfortunately, I fall into the cracks as I have a major medical insurance plan I pay for which excludes me from the Encourage Program; and since my medical insurance does not cover Enbrel I am excluded from assistance in the co-pay reimbursement program. Needless to say I was very unEncouraged by the outcome. (It would be nice if they would open their criteria to include people who's insurance doesn't cover the drug.)
Anyway, if you can get access to this drug, you will be very pleased with results in the treatment of plaque psoriasis. I had 85-90% body coverage of plaque psoriasis when I began treatment with Enbrel. I noticed a marked improvement within 2 months. By the end of the first year of use, I had less than 2% of body coverage and that was primarily focused on my ankle areas. It was as good as 100% to me as I literally had my life back. I was ready to be their poster child if they need one!
Prior to taking Enbrel, I soaked in a bath for at least 1 hour a day to remove any build up of plaque. I would apply lotion 2-3 times a day and spend time tanning 20-30 minutes a day to try a slow the regeneration rate down. I spent 2-3 hours a day treating my psoriasis just so I could move with minimal pain with the 85-90% coverage and somedays it didn't even help. I know I'll be heading back to this condition until I get better health insurance, but it is nice to know that if I can afford the $32,000 a year the drug costs, I'll be able to get clear again.
Kudos to all who can get assistance!

Hi klmiller. I'm sorry to hear things are so rough for you right now. I also lost my job about a year and a half ago, so I know what a struggle that can be. A couple questions for you: first, you mention having lost insurance coverage through your employer. Were you offered the opportunity to continue that coverage at your own cost through COBRA? Legally, an employer must offer this option.
Second, you mention that you do have major medical coverage. Another option that you might look into if you're not able to find a way to stay on Enbrel is to consider and discuss with your doctor the possibility of that insurance covering Remicade. The reason is that some insurance companies will cover Remicade since it is an infusion given in a hospital like setting. For that reason, some companies cover it as major medical.
Hopefully others will come along with more suggestions for you. Another option, if you're willing to take a bit more risk than usual, is to look for clinical trials in your area. These studies usually provide the medication free, and even pay you a small reimbursement for your time and travel. Good luck, and I hope you find a way to continue getting treatment so that you don't lose the ground that you have gained.

Hi Klmiller,
I don't think that we've met, so let me take this opportunity to welcome you to the Board. :cool: Nice to meet you.
I'm sorry to hear that you lost both you job and your insurance and that you don't qualify for help from the ENcourage Foundation. :( You might want to see if you qualify for one of the assistance programs that are discussed in a that that was started by Leslie (Momtotwogirls). She took the time to post the links and information about some assistance programs that she came across. I added the links and information to programs that people have either told me about or that have been discussed here on the board. There's even a link to a very helpful post from NPF staffer Alyssa Brown that gives the links to the assistance programs that the NPF knows about. We don't know very much about most of these programs, but I can tell you that Miranda (LadyFraser) got get Enbrel for free thanks to a program called www.needymeds.com while her husband was transitioning from being self employed (with no insurance) to working for the government (with excellent benefits). Links to her story can be found Leslie's thread. Here's a link to it: .
I hope this helps.
Good luck. Keep us posted and please don't be a stranger.
Mike

Enbrel has worked wonders for me. I've gone from 90% covered (& darned near crippled) to 90% clear.
I haven't heard of the Encourage program (although I'll certainly be researching it now!) but my dr. office put me on the Enliven/EasyStep program, which I think is also . It's $75 month deductable & covers $4800 a year, and it's renewable once that amount is used up (dependant on income). The phone # is 877-777-6703.

Enbrel was a life saver for my psoriasis. Since I have lost my job and my employee insurance coverage, I am now forced to go without the drug.
I contacted the Encourage Foundation this past week. They have two different programs people can get assistance to receive Enbrel. One is the Encourage Foundation, the second is a Co-pay assistance program to help people with insurance coverage pay their portion of the co-pay. Before contacting them though, save yourself some time and get a denial letter for Medicaid from your state, because if your state has a program they will refer you there first.
Unfortunately, I fall into the cracks as I have a major medical insurance plan I pay for which excludes me from the Encourage Program; and since my medical insurance does not cover Enbrel I am excluded from assistance in the co-pay reimbursement program. Needless to say I was very unEncouraged by the outcome. (It would be nice if they would open their criteria to include people who's insurance doesn't cover the drug.)
Anyway, if you can get access to this drug, you will be very pleased with results in the treatment of plaque psoriasis. I had 85-90% body coverage of plaque psoriasis when I began treatment with Enbrel. I noticed a marked improvement within 2 months. By the end of the first year of use, I had less than 2% of body coverage and that was primarily focused on my ankle areas. It was as good as 100% to me as I literally had my life back. I was ready to be their poster child if they need one!
Prior to taking Enbrel, I soaked in a bath for at least 1 hour a day to remove any build up of plaque. I would apply lotion 2-3 times a day and spend time tanning 20-30 minutes a day to try a slow the regeneration rate down. I spent 2-3 hours a day treating my psoriasis just so I could move with minimal pain with the 85-90% coverage and somedays it didn't even help. I know I'll be heading back to this condition until I get better health insurance, but it is nice to know that if I can afford the $32,000 a year the drug costs, I'll be able to get clear again.
Kudos to all who can get assistance!
hi klmiller,
welcome to the p family. you have met some of the wonderful people on here and will find alot of great info. welcome and nice to meet you.
have a good night all
richard

Does anyone know if the military, in particular the U.S. Army would approve of Enbrel for one of their soldiers to use? I have written before of my son, who is stationed in S. Korea and who will be coming back to the U.S. this coming May to Fort Carson, Colorado. My fear is that if he goes to the Army doc on post, and, if his p is severe enough, they might just want to cut him loose. I know that he loves the Army and might be afraid of this happening. My question is: Would the military highly disapprove of him going to a civilian doc and possibly getting Enbrel through an Encourage-type program, since he doesn't have any personnel medical insurance on the outside of military life? Even 'ole dad' might even try helping out financially, knowing the high cost of this drug. I guess I am still feeling a whole lot of guilt over this, and I know that I should not. I need your thoughts on this. Thank you, Steve

Steve,
your son won't be discharged for P. When he goes to his doc he is going to have to ask for a referral if he wants the army to pay for it. It will take a while to get to a real derm tho. I have been waiting about a month for the referral to come back. The Doc should give him something until he can get to a derm tho. if you have questions, feel free to PM me and I'll let you know my story. Gotta get out the door and hit the tanning bed.
-Rick

Thanks to everyone for your support! :) I have spent the last 17 years trying to deal with this on my own so I'm glad I took the time to visit this site. Its great to hear from others that know the problems of psoriasis.
As my quest continues...I've received positive vibes regarding Enbrel assistance from a site called Chronic Disease Fund: www.cdfund.org or 877-968-7233.
I called them today and they indicated that I could have Enbrel in my hands within 2 weeks following their review. This organization will assist people who have insurance with a limit to the prescription costs per year. Plus, if you use one of their pharmacies, they will pay the pharmacy directly. So anyone who is still looking for assistance, you might want to give them a jingle as well!
Happy Holidays to Everyone!!!
Karen