Dec 09 2022
NORD Financial Assistance for Patients With Narcolepsy

By: Tana Bao MSN, NP-C, RN

The National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD) has recently recognized Wake Up Narcolepsy (WUN) as a platinum member! This designation is reserved only for organizations that have met the highest level of patient advocacy efforts for their respective rare disorders causes. WUN is therefore thrilled to have achieved this honor!

NORD is a patient advocacy center dedicated to improving the lives of people living with rare disorders, narcolepsy included. While NORD provides a multitude of resources, chief among them is financial assistance for patients struggling to afford care, especially since most patients with rare disorders need specialty medications that are not always covered by medical insurance. High prescription drug costs, which have only worsened in today’s inflated economy, is something that many people living with narcolepsy are all too familiar with. This is where NORD may be able to come in and help!

NORD operates what they call a “RareCare” program, in which they accept applications for financial assistance from people living with rare disorders like narcolepsy. They offer copay and premium assistance – yay! The eligibility criteria, at minimum, include having an applicable diagnosis, being a United States resident, and meeting the financial need criteria. The amount of assistance potentially awarded to each individual varies as well. If you are interested in applying for financial assistance, you can either visit the NORD website or call the NORD Patient Services Representatives for guidance regarding the application process. It is recommended to apply as soon as possible as sometimes there can be a waitlist. Luckily, NORD is currently taking applications for financial assistance for narcolepsy patients – so you could even apply today!

While NORD is truly an amazing resource for patients with rare disorders like narcolepsy, it is also worth mentioning that many specialty drug companies offer some level of patient financial assistance as well. Heading to those individual pharma websites and looking for the wording of “patient assistance” or “financial assistance” can also be another great place to start if you are looking for help with coverage. In addition, if you are seeing a specialist for narcolepsy, oftentimes these providers will have some insight into each specialty drug’s patient assistance programs, so it may be worth asking about this at your next appointment!

You can find information as referenced above regarding NORD’s RareCare Program here.

If you would like to donate to Wake Up Narcolepsy or would like more information on how you can get involved, please follow this link.