Free Rx, free medical equipment and help with your power bills

Free Prescription Drugs, Free medical Equipment, Power bills paid too.

Ok Here is the resource skinny before we get in to the application processes involved.

1) http://www.needymeds.org

2) http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/ocs/liheap/grantees/states.html

Ok, Let's review needymeds.org. For over 6 years, I have been helping underprivileged Americans find help for their prescription drugs and medical equipment with info from this site. First off... Prescription drugs. When you get to the site there is a menu on the left hand side in which you will see Brand Name and Generic Name in the listing. Pick which ever your drug is then click on the proper letter and find your prescription drug on the list. Read the requirements and by the way, the Federal Poverty Level guidelines are also on this site. I'm not talking medicaid spend down levels for support either, A family of 4 can make A LOT OF MONEY and still get their medicines for free. If you have a group, don't bother looking up your medicines, you can't qualify, but there may be other assistance on the page available to help you. The prescription drug help is mainly for people who can't get coverage, are on medicare or have no prescription drug help what so ever. Just because you have a Group does not mean this site will not help though. There are many other things I will cover in a moment.

Once you have read the guidelines for qualification and more importantly, re-application, click on the link after you clicked on the name of your drug to print out the application. The link may guide you to the manufacturer's website where it can be printed from as well. Have your Doctor fill out the application placing their DEA number on there. MAIL OR FAX THE INFO YOURSELF. Don't let it remain in your Doctor's responsibility because he or she is not getting paid to help you get your medicines for free. Some financial documentation may be required. Do not get confused with the discount programs listed for the prescriptions either. Just scroll down the page until you find the correct program.

Now a word on generics. If your drug does not fall on the cheap 4 dollar list at Wal Mart or who ever is following this trend these days, this will be the cheapest place to get them. For Name Brand drugs that have not lost their patent and are extremely expensive this site is a wonderful help. Some companies allow you to make 200 300 and 400 percent more than the Federal Poverty Level and have your medicines mailed to your house for free in 90 day, 6 month and annual supplies depending on what your Doctor feels comfortable with. Be sure your Doctor is not uselessly making you come back to pay Doctor's visits you can't afford just to write you the same prescription as well. Doctors at private practices are definitely concerned about your health, but not particularly your personal checkbook since they are running a business.

Pretty easy so far, huh. Now onto the menu item entitled 'Illness Based Assistance'. Click on this and the letter of the alphabet of your illness, then your particular medical problem(s) to bring an entire list of charities local and nationwide that can help you through your hard times. This is where I have found free diabetic supplies including the pump, syringes, lancets, strips, as well as equipment for other needs such as breathing machines for people with COPD.

As you will see on this website, there are listings for legitimate discount programs, decent ones I believe at the time of this article to be the Merck program, the Phizer Friends program and the TogetherRX card. The rest of them do not seem so appealing in my view. NEVER pay for a discount card. It is legal fraud in my opinion. There are also listings for Government supported programs but I would check with the manufacturers before EVER considering Government based assistance.

Awesome... So far so good right... Are you overloaded with info, probably so. Take time to comb the www.needymeds.org site and find the programs that will help you. The information on this site can also help local charities better allocate funds for other purposes to help underprivileged Americans. When you see how much money you can make and still get your name brand drugs for free, you will see what the REAL poverty level is in this country and why the Federal Poverty Levels are kept so low. The US Government does not want the rest of the world to see us as a country full of poor people forced into socialism from the likes of trickle down economics, or should I say, trickle down delegation with no pay an no REAL opportunity, that is... the kind the mega rich are born with. I digress... Now on to power bills.

LIHEAP stands for Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program. Go to Google and type LIHEAP and the name of your state or just go here and find your state info and link.

http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/ocs/liheap/grantees/states.html.

Now find your state and link. Once you find the community action agency listing for your county, call it and schedule an appointment. Here is a basic run down of you will need, but please ask to make sure I didn't miss anything

1) birth certificates and social security cards for everyone living in the house.

2) power bills (over due or currently due that you cannot pay)

3) Sixth months bank statements

4) All bills will need to be in one person's name, that being the breadwinner of the house just like with food stamps, welfare and medicaid.

5) Bring a copy of your lease or mortgage statement defining you as the owner of the mortgage on the house.

This should be it, but like I said, call to make sure first. While number 5) is still bouncing around in my brain, what about help with getting house. Check this out. Here is a bonus for reading my column.

https://www.naca.com/index_main.jsp

Sign up for this program and get in on grant money that can help buy your interest rate on your house down to less than 1 percent. That's right. You heard me. 1 percent! Financial Limitations do apply but differ depending on the area you live in. This is an amazing program. I myself, went to the workshop and learned how this program works. There is a free seminar with a free workbook, just be sure you sign up online for the seminar you choose to attend so there are enough workbooks produced to hand out. Walk ins at these meeting are less likely to get help if you don't reserve a spot so be sure to if this looks interesting to you. There is a C-Span pop up that comes up, but just close the small window and check the program out.

That's about it folks. I hoped this information helped. I've helped a ton of people with this program all over the state of Mississippi. It's like the old saying goes though, "You can lead a horse to water but you can't make him (or her) drink." Some will, some won't, so what, who's next. These organizations are not going to come find you and hold your hand for you, but if you take the initiative to do something for yourself instead of looking out the window everyday praying for God to bring you handout, these people can and will help you, but you have to make the effort. Good Luck and Godspeed. For you religious fanatics who are still just going to wait on God to take care of things... God doesn't need money, people do.