New Fund Launches to Provide Financial Assistance to People with Sickle Cell Disease
Copayment and Premium Assistance Now Available
(April 15, 2020 – Hanover, MD)  –   The Sickle Cell Disease Association of America is proud to announce its partnership with the HealthWell Foundation^®, an independent non-profit that provides a financial lifeline for inadequately insured Americans.  To support the sickle cell community, HealthWell has launched a new fund to provide copayment and premium assistance. Through the fund, HealthWell will provide up to $10,000 in financial assistance for a 12-month grant period to eligible patients who have annual household incomes up to 500 percent of the federal poverty level.
“We are excited that the HealthWell Foundation will provide much needed resources to individuals living with sickle cell disease during this difficult time. I am pleased that they are partnering with SCDAA to support the sickle cell community and reach as many individuals as possible,” says SCDAA President, Beverley Francis-Gibson.
“The HealthWell Foundation is proud to partner with the SCDAA to spread the word about this exciting new fund and to assist people living Sickle Cell Disease in accessing life-changing, sometimes lifesaving, medical treatments they otherwise would not be able to afford,” commented Krista Zodet, HealthWell Foundation President. “Thank you to our dedicated donors for recognizing this critical need and for helping us serve this patient community.”
To determine eligibility and apply for financial assistance, visit HealthWell’s Sickle Cell Disease Fund page. To learn how you can support this or other HealthWell programs, visit HealthWellFoundation.org
About the HealthWell Foundation
A nationally recognized, independent non-profit organization founded in 2003, the HealthWell Foundation has served as a safety net across over 70 disease areas for more than 500,000 underinsured patients. Since its inception, HealthWell has provided over $1.6 billion in grant support to access life-changing medical treatments patients otherwise would not be able to afford. HealthWell provides financial assistance to adults and children facing medical hardship resulting from gaps in their insurance that cause out-of-pocket medical expenses to escalate rapidly. HealthWell assists with the treatment-related cost-sharing obligations of these patients. HealthWell ranked 33rd on the 2019 Forbes list of the 100 Largest U.S. Charities and was recognized for its 100 percent fundraising efficiency. For more information, visit www.HealthWellFoundation.org.
 
About SCDAA
SCDAA’s mission is: To advocate for people affected by sickle cell conditions and empower community-based organizations to maximize quality of life and raise public consciousness while advancing the search for a universal cure. Visit www.sicklecelldisease.org.
About SCD
SCD, an inherited blood disease, causes red blood cells to have a sickle shape. Because of their stiffness and unusual form, blood flow is blocked to different tissues, ultimately damaging them. These sickle-shaped red blood cells contain an abnormal type of hemoglobin, hemoglobin S; normal red blood cells have hemoglobin A. Hemoglobin is important because it helps carry oxygen throughout the body. There is currently no universal cure for SCD.
 
CONTACT:
Jacqueline Burrell
Director of Communications
JBurrell@sicklecelldisease.org