Natick Visiting Nurse Association receives $285,510 from MetroWest Health Foundation
Funds to support MetroWest Meds Prescription Drug Assistance Program

Natick, Mass. - (February 4, 2013) – The Natick Visiting Nurse Association (Natick VNA) today announced that it has been awarded a $285,510 grant from MetroWest Health Foundation to help eligible uninsured and underinsured individuals improve their access to prescription medication. 

According to The Commonwealth Fund, 34% of low-income Americans do not fill their prescriptions or skip dosages. Healthcare NOW reported that in 2011, 48.6 million people in America were uninsured. In Massachusetts, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation, there are 290,800 people who are uninsured.

Martin Cohen, president of the MetroWest Health Foundation, said that the impact of Natick VNA’s MetroWest Meds program is immeasurable. “For people who do not have access to medications due to their income, lack of insurance or lack of prescription drug coverage, MetroWest Meds enables them manage their illness, get better and remain healthy at home. This program has provided ease of access to prescription medications for many individuals who otherwise would not be able to navigate the complicated health care system.”

MetroWest Meds assists people in accessing Pharmaceutical Company Free Medication Programs and other discount options; provides the MetroWest Meds Pharmacy Card; and gives community education presentations. Since its inception in 2004, MetroWest Meds has helped more than 3,100 individuals.

The Pharmaceutical Company Free Medication Program has saved clients over $3.3 million on 8,850 medications. Other discount assistance has helped to save clients nearly $660,000 on prescription medications.

The Program’s Pharmacy Card, which was established in 2006, helps clients cut costs when purchasing their medications. Natick VNA has spent nearly $820,000 on 12,055 medications on behalf of those clients. Natick VNA’s community education has reached more than 650 people through 37 events.

“Through MetroWest Meds, our clients are more than twice as likely to fill prescriptions, and nearly 100% of our clients report better access to medications. Additionally, 94% of referral partners believe that MetroWest Meds has had a positive impact on prescription drug access in the region,” said Judith Boyko, MBA, MS, RN, CEO of Natick VNA and its parent company, Century Health Systems.

“We are so grateful to the MetroWest Health Foundation for enabling us to continue providing a much-needed service throughout the MetroWest community,” Boyko added.

The Natick VNA is located at 209 West Central Street, Suite 313, Natick, Mass., 01760. For additional information, call 508-653-3081 or visit www.natickvna.org.

About The Natick Visiting Nurse Association: The Natick VNA, which serves more than 20 towns in MetroWest, is the area’s premier free-standing, not-for-profit home health care agency. The Natick VNA helps patients of all ages live with the fullest degree of independence in their own homes, while benefiting from the agency’s state-of-the-art home telemonitoring technology, ComfortCare palliative care program, cold laser therapy, and other advanced services.

Media contact: Lauren B. Schiffman
Century Health Systems/Natick VNA
lschiffman@centuryhealth.org
508-651-1786