Home - About Us -  Member Areas - Local Support Groups
     Support  | Services  |  library |  Products  |  Sponsors   
" With Friends with MS online you're never alone!"  
 
Links
All of our links
What is MS?
Diagnosis
MS Symptoms
Treatments
 
Sponsors


 
Questions and Answers

Commonly asked Questions

  1. Where can I find help getting a good Neurologist or finding financial help for testing?
  2. Where can I find help paying for my meds if I don't have insurance?
  3. Where can I get a low cost electric wheelchair or scooter?
  4. Who do I contact for help with financing a home if I'm disabled?
  5. I have insurance but how do I get reimbursed for medical equipment?
  6. I have Medicare and want to know what is covered under Part A and Part B for my state.
  7. Grants Available for Computer Equipment
  8. Need help with bills?

Where can I find help getting a good Neurologist or finding financial help for testing ?

For a listing of Neurologists in your area contact the NMSS at 1800-344-4867

For help getting tested for MS contact the MSAA at 1-800- Learn MS (1-800-532-7667)

Back to Top


Where can I find help paying for my medications if I don't have insurance ?

Medicare gov-Prescription Drug Assistant Program

Helping Patients Org

The Medicine Program   This organization was established by volunteers dedicated to alleviating the plight of an ever increasing number of patients who cannot afford their prescription medication. Warning!!! This company charges a processing fee and all they do is send in your application information to all the companies we have listed here.  You would be much better off if you contacted the pharmaceutical companies yourself and applied with them.  They do not charge a fee.

Sign up for a Clinical Trial. Clinical trials provide all your meds and testing at no charge to you.

National MS Society sometimes has grant programs and can instruct you on how to apply 1800-344-4867

Here are a few phone numbers to call to get on there low cost drug
programs:   (thanks Swaprat for providing this list for us)

1) bupropion (Wellbutrin, Zyban) 1-800-722-9294

2) buspirone (Buspar) 1-800-437-0994

3) fluoxetine (Prozac) 1-800-545-6962

4) fluvoxamine (Luvox) 1-800-788-9277

5) nefazodone (Serzone) 1-800-838-4443

6) paroxetine (Paxil) 1-800-729-4544

7) sertraline (Zoloft) 1-800-646-4455

8) venlafaxine (Effexor) 1-800-568-9938

Back to Top


Where can I find a low cost electric wheelchair or scooter?

Equipment - Bruno, per Mike Krisch (715) 344-6001
$250 for a power chair or scooter Hank Mon Tues. only
half price batteries, etc. 8-1/11-12 is lunch hour  (thanks cichlid for passing this information on to us)

 

Back to Top


Who do I contact for help financing a home if I'm disabled?

State Housing and Finance Authorities

Alabama Housing Finance Authority
P.O. Box 230909 Montgomery, AL 36123-0909
(205) 242-4310

Alaska Housing Finance Corp.
P.O. Box 101020 235 East 8th Avenue Anchorage, AK 99510
(907) 561-1900

Arizona Department of Commerce Office of Housing Development
1700 West Washington Phoenix, AZ 85007
(602) 280-1365

Arkansas Development Finance Authority
P.O. Box 8023 100 Main Street / Suite 200 Little Rock, AR
(501) 682-5900

California Housing Finance Agency
1121 L Street / 7th Floor Sacramento, CA 95815
(916) 322-3991

California Department of Housing & Community Development
P.O. Box 952050 Sacramento, CA 94252-2050
(916) 322-1560

Colorado Housing and Finance Authority
1981 Blake Street Denver, CO 80202
(303) 297-2432
(800) 877-2432

Connecticut Housing Finance Authority
40 Cold Spring Road Rocky Hill, CT 06067
(203) 721-9501

Delaware State Housing Authority Division of Housing and Community Development
18 the Green P.O. Box 1401 Dover, DE 19901
(302) 739-4263

DC Housing Finance Agency
1401 New York Avenue NW Suite 540 Washington, DC 20005
(202) 535-1353

Florida Housing Finance Agency
2571 Executive Center Circle East Tallahassee, FL 32399
(904) 488-4197

Georgia Residential Finance Authority
60 Executive Parkway South / Suite 250 Atlanta, GA 30329
(404) 679-4840

Hawaii Housing Authority
1002 North School Street P.O. Box 17907 Honolulu, HI 96817
(808) 848-3277

Idaho Housing Agency
760 W. Myrtle Boise, ID 83702
(208) 336-0161

Illinois Housing Development Authority
401 N. Michigan Avenue / Suite 900 Chicago, IL 60611
(800) 942-8439 or
(312) 836-5200

Indiana Housing Finance Authority
One North Capitol / Suite 515 Indianapolis, IN 46204
(317) 232-7777

Iowa Finance Authority
100 East Grand Avenue / Suite 250 Des Moines, IA 50309
(515) 281-4058

Kansas Office of Housing Department of Commerce
400 S.W. 8th / 5th Floor Topeka, KS 66603
(913) 296-3481

Kentucky Housing Corporation
1231 Louisville Road Frankfort, KY 40601
(800) 633-8896
(502) 564-7630

Louisiana Housing Finance Agency
5615 Corporate / Suite 6A Baton Rouge, LA 70808-2515
(504) 925-3675

Maine State Housing Authority
P.O. Box 2669 295 Water Street Augusta, ME 04330
(800) 452-4668
(207) 626-4600

Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development
45 Calvert Street Annapolis, MD 21401
(301) 974-2176

Massachusetts Housing Financing Agency
50 Milk Street Boston, MA 02190
(617) 451-3480

Michigan State Housing Development Authority
Plaza One / Fourth Floor 401 South Washington Square P.O. Box 48909
(800) 327-9158
(517) 373-8370

Minnesota Housing Finance Agency
400 Sibley Street St. Paul, MN 55101
(800) 652-9747
(612) 296-9951

Mississippi Home Corporation
510 George Street / Suite 107 Dickson Building Jackson, MS 39201
(601) 359-6700

Missouri Housing Development Commission
3770 Broadway Kansas City, MO 64111
(816) 756-3790

Montana Board of Housing
2001 Eleventh Avenue Helena, MT 59620
(406) 444-3040

Nebraska Investment Finance Authority
1033 O Street / Suite 218 Lincoln, NE 68508
(402) 434-3900

Nevada Department of Commerce Housing Division
1802 N. Carson Street / Suite 154 Carson City, NV 89710
(702) 687-4258

New Hampshire Housing Finance Authority
P.O. Box 5087 Manchester, NH 03108
(603) 472-8623

New Jersey Housing Agency
3625 Quakerbridge Road Trenton, NJ 08650-2085
(800) NJ-HOUSE
(609) 890-1300

Mortgage Finance Authority
P.O. Box 2047 Albuquerque, NM 87103
(800) 444-6880
(505) 843-6880

State of New York Division of Housing and Community Renewel
One Fordham Plaza Bronx, NY 10458
(718) 519-5700

New York State Housing Authority
250 Broadway New York, NY 10007
(212) 306-3000

North Carolina Housing Finance Agency
3300 Drake Circle / Suite 200 Raleigh, NC 27611
(919) 781-6115

North Dakota Housing Finance Agency
P.O. Box 1535 Bismarck, ND 58502
(701) 224-3434

Ohio Housing Finance Agency
775 High Street / 26th Floor Columbus, OH 43266
(614) 466-7970

Oklahoma Housing Finance Agency
P.O. Box 26720 Oklahoma City, OK 73126-0720
(800) 256-1489
(405) 848-1144

Oregon Housing Agency Housing Division
1600 State Street / Suite 100 Salem, OR 97310
(503) 378-4343

Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency
2101 North Front Street Harrisburg, PA 17105
(717) 780-3800

Rhode Island Housing and Mortgage Finance Corp.
60 Eddy Street Providence, RI 02903
(401) 751-5566

South Carolina State Housing Financing and Development Authority
1710 Gervais Street / Suite 300 Columbia, SC 29201
(803) 734-8836

South Dakota Housing Development Authority
P.O. Box 1237 Pierre, SD 57501
(605) 773-3181

Tennessee Housing Development Agency
700 Landmark Center 401 Church Street Nashville, TN 37219
(615) 741-4979

Texas Housing Agency
P.O. Box 13941 Capitol Station Austin, TX 78711
(512) 472-7500

Utah Housing Finance Agency
177 East 100 South Salt Lake City, UT 84111
(801) 521-6950

Vermont Housing Finance Agency
One Burlington Square
P.O. Box 408 Burlington, VT 05402
(800) 222-VFHA
(802) 864-5743

Vermont State Housing Authority
P.O. Box 397 Montpelier, VT 05601-0397
(802) 828-3295

Virginia Housing Development Authority
601 S. Belvedere Street Richmond, VA 23220
(804) 782-1986

Washington State Housing Finance Commission
111 Third Avenue / Suite 2240 Seattle, WA 98101-3202
(206) 464-7139

West Virginia Housing Development Fund
814 Virginia Street East Charleston, WV 25301
(304) 345-6475

Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority
P.O. Box 1728 Madison, WI 53701
(800) 362-2767

Wyoming Community Development Authority
123 S. Durbin Street P.O. Box 634
Casper, WY 82602
(307) 265-0603

Back to Top


I have insurance but how do I get reimbursed for medical equipment?

Insurance Reimbursement
With all the different insurance programs, purchasing medical equipment can be very confusing. Let us help you with these few basic facts and suggestions.

Many times the person who decides that a cane or walker is needed is the patient or a family member

Contact your caregiver and let him/her know you need more security

Choose the product that gives you the comfort and security that you need; Don't worry about the cost ( sometimes a less expensive product will cost you more, out of pocket, than the deluxe product - due to differences in reimbursement)

Call Medicare 1-800-270-2313 or your insurance company and ask what conditions must be met to purchase a cane, walker, rollator, or other products

Ask what amount is reimbursed on the product

Then ask your doctor to write a prescription for the product, clearly stating the reason it is needed

Example: Medicare reimburses 80% of $300 for a rollator (rolling walker with seat) if you have one of the following conditions, Obesity. If your prescription states "Rollator for ambulation due to Obesity " it will save a great deal of time getting through the reimbursement process.

For reimbursement, you will need your prescription; an insurance form and your paid receipt.

Make copies of all these documents before you send them to the insurance company. Never send your only copy of a document to the insurance company - it may get lost!

 

Back to Top


I have Medicare and want to know what is covered under Part A and Part B in my state.

Believe it or not, each state is different with regards to coverage under Medicare.  This link will help you find out what is covered in your state and under which plan. Some people may only have Part A.  You can also find information about appeals prescription plans and much much more.  Please keep this link in your favorites. 

Medicare The Official U.S. Government Site for People with Medicare

Back to Top


Grants Available for Computer Equipment



The Beaumont Foundation is giving out almost $400 million in computer equipment. Persons with disabilities and those who are homebound because of disability or illness are especially encouraged to apply for these individual grants. Information on individual grants is online at http://www.bmtfoundation.com/grants/ or call 1-866-505-COMP(2667). Application deadline is March 31, 2003.

 

Back to Top


Where do I go to get help with paying my bills?

LIHEAP is a federally-funded program to help eligible low income households meet their home heating and/or cooling needs. The U.S. Administration of Children and Families' Division of Energy Assistance in the Office of Community Services administers LIHEAP at the federal level. The Federal Government began providing energy assistance beginning in Federal Fiscal Year (FFY) 1974.

Back to Top


 
 
Disclaimer  |   Contact  |   Search
Copyright 2010 Friends with MS - Serving the MS community since 1998