3rd May 2006 07:00
Pfizer Announces Support of Cover the Uninsured Week 'We Believe That Everyone Should Have Access to Health Care Coverage' Events from May 1-7 Will Raise Awareness of Programs That Bring Medicines Within Reach for Uninsured Americans NEW YORK, May 3 -- As part of its support for Cover the Uninsured Week, Pfizer is participating in education and training events across the country to raise awareness and encourage participation in Pfizer Helpful Answers, a family of patient assistance programs. Last year, Pfizer helped more than two million Americans without prescription coverage receive nearly 15 million Pfizer prescriptions. Pfizer programs are available to anyone without prescription coverage -- no matter their age or income. People with limited incomes may even qualify to get their Pfizer medicines for free. Cover the Uninsured Week is an annual non-partisan campaign managed by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to draw national attention to the challenges faced by the uninsured. Held the first week of May, it provides an opportunity for America's policymakers, patient advocates and health care providers to discuss solutions for making quality health coverage and health care available to the 46 million Americans who are uninsured. "At Pfizer, we believe that everyone should have access to health care coverage, regardless of their age, income or employment status," said Pat Kelly, president of Pfizer U.S. Pharmaceuticals. "It will take all committed stakeholders working together to successfully address the needs of the uninsured in a form that is sustainable. In the meantime, making Pfizer medicines more easily accessible to the uninsured is one way we can help Americans who are without coverage better manage their health." Pfizer will participate in a number of activities to raise awareness of patient assistance programs like Pfizer Helpful Answers during Cover the Uninsured Week, including: * The continuation of a series of training events scheduled for 2006, beginning in Albuquerque, that will inform community health care providers about programs like Pfizer Helpful Answers and how to help patients apply; * An educational tour targeting the Hispanic community, during which a representative of Pfizer Helpful Answers will travel with an information kiosk, from California to Texas to Florida, to educate Hispanic-American consumers about Pfizer Helpful Answers; * The distribution of thousands of Pfizer Helpful Answers informational materials to community organizations that are sponsoring events during Cover the Uninsured Week. "The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation is delighted to once again have Pfizer's support during Cover the Uninsured Week. For the past two years Pfizer has offered information on Pfizer Helpful Answers to Cover the Uninsured Week event planners who organize thousands of events during the Week. Until we have adequate coverage solutions, support from companies like Pfizer helps us to extend our outreach efforts to more of the nearly 46 million Americans who are uninsured and who can't get the care they need," said David Morse, Vice President for Communications at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. In addition to Pfizer Helpful Answers, there are hundreds of programs that can help uninsured Americans get access to potentially life-saving medicines. To make it easy for people to find programs that may help, pharmaceutical companies, including Pfizer, joined together last year to create the Partnership for Prescription Assistance (PPA). The PPA -- which helped more than two million people in its first year -- offers a single point of access to more than 475 public and private patient assistance programs, including Pfizer Helpful Answers. For more information about Pfizer Helpful Answers, uninsured consumers can call 1-866-706-2400 or visit http://www.PfizerHelpfulAnswers.com. The PPA is accessible via the Web at http://www.PPARx.org, or by calling 1-888-4PPA-NOW. About Pfizer Pfizer is committed to helping people improve their health by discovering and developing medicines, as well as informing consumers and health care providers about our medicines and the medical conditions they treat. Through multiple initiatives, Pfizer aims to enhance access to treatments and educate, empower and motivate consumers to take the necessary steps to lead longer, healthier, happier lives. Pfizer Helpful Answers: Patient Perspective Doloris Smith tells everyone she can about Pfizer Helpful Answers, a family of programs that helps people without prescription coverage save on many Pfizer medicines, no matter their age or income. People with limited incomes may even qualify to get their Pfizer medicines for free through the program. Like nearly 46 million Americans, Ms. Smith is uninsured, and patient assistance programs like Pfizer Helpful Answers can mean the difference between whether or not she gets the medicine for her medical condition. "Every month that I get my prescription through Pfizer Helpful Answers is a gift," said Ms. Smith. "Before I found this program, I didn't know if I was going to be able to afford the medicines that my doctor prescribed for me. Now I am less stressed and my mother and children don't have to worry as much about my health. Pfizer's program makes it easy for me to get the medicines I need and think it could make a big difference for other people who are uninsured." SOURCE Pfizer Inc 05/03/2006 /CONTACT: Darlene Taylor of Pfizer Inc, +1-212-733-0475/ /Company News On-Call: Pfizer's press releases are available through PR Newswire's Company News On-Call service on PRN's Web Site: http://www.prnewswire.com/comp/688250.html/ /Photo: A free corporate logo to accompany this story is available immediately via Wieck Photo Database to any media with telephoto receiver or electronic darkroom, PC or Macintosh, that can accept overhead transmissions. To retrieve a logo, please call 972-392-0888./ /Company News On-Call: http://www.prnewswire.com/comp/688250.html/ /Web site: http://www.pfizer.com http://www.PfizerHelpfulAnswers.com http://www.PPARx.org / (PFE) ENDPFIZER INCRelated Shares:
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