Financial assistance for supplements?

[nayma]

yes, i know this question may be laughable, but i thought i'd ask. have any of you ever found any financial assistance for the coverage of supplements -via a foundation, medicaid, etc? my dd is on the spectrum, and while she isn't on any medications, she takes probiotics, melatonin, enzymes, etc. i have literally almost no money right now, and although i qualify for food stamps, they do nothing to cover the costs of viatmins, etc. thanks for your help!

[SpottedFoxx]

I would contact the manufacturer of the vitamins your child requires. I know that many drug companies will provide free drugs for those in need. Maybe the vitamin companies offer something similar. If not - maybe you can lobby for them to do so.

It never hurts to ask - what's the worse thing that could happen?

[KatWrangler]

Do you have a complex case manager with your insurance? We have Molina which is a Missouri Medicaid provider. We are fortunate to have a case manager for Gabrielle.

Oh, wait if it's supplements/meds/drugs/vitamins/drugs then its probably paid thru your state medicaid, right? At least in MO, Missouri Medicaid pays the prescriptions.

What I was going to suggest is see if your HCP would write scripts for what you need. It doesn't always work. However, we were able to get a script for Zyrtec for my son. Eventhough it's available over the counter.

[sbgrace]

I'd certainly contact the companies. I contacted our enzyme company (contacted the president directly) and he arranged a discount for us. We use Klaire labs and got a discount w/Dr. McCandless's name (it's in her book that you an do that). Our coq10 via epic4heatlh gives a discount for those with mitochondrial issues. All that said, this stuff is still not inexpensive and it's really difficult for us. We have to prioritize. What I would do is pick the things that are must haves and figure out how to do those or how to compensate the best I could. Say with homemade kefirs in place of probiotics for example. I'd do "cheap" melatonin from discount stores and then cut/crush the pills to small doses for her. I can get 3 mg. pills at walmart and my son only takes .25 to .5 mg. per night so that averages out to relatively inexpensive. Maybe you could do pineapple/pineapple juice to aid at least the protein part of break down instead of enzymes.
Can family help with one of those that would be most important maybe?

[~cassie]

Some groups that will help with cost of equipment/medical needs---Shriners, free masons, do you belong to a church? Sometimes they have funds set aside for things like this. The Free Masons were going to fund my son's 2nd surgery had insurance not come through and covered it, so it is worth looking into.

[BookGoddess]

You could apply for a Helping Hand grant from the National Autism
Association. They will pay a vendor, doctor, provider directly.

The application period is between June 1, 2010 -August 31, 2010.

http://www.nationalautismassociation...elpinghand.php

You could also get supplements for a lot less at the following...

•EcoLife
http://www.ecolifeus.com/

•OurKidsASD (free shipping on orders over $40)
http://www.ourkidsasd.com/


•Autism For Sale Yahoogroup

There is a wonderful woman named Jenny Culver Hill in Arizona who runs
Angel’s Purse Supplements, a nonprofit group that gifts supplements to parents of ASD kids. I know someone locally who benefitted from that group's generosity. You can contact her at 520-287-8808

[BookGoddess]

Here's another possible grant.

http://generationrescue.org/about/grants

[Lindsay1234]

Can your doc prescribe them? Dd2 gets her vitamins rx so we dont have to pay for them.

[nayma]

i love you, ladies! i don't remember how i found this forum, but i kid you not when i say, i will forever be grateful for this place. i will definitely call my ped, see if he can prescribe them, see if that is covered, etc. book goddess, thank you SO much for the links!!! i will certainly look into the parameters for the grants )).

[BookGoddess]

You're welcome! I hope things work out. Keep us updated.