HealthWell-Sponsored Fund Now Provides
Financial Assistance to
Emergency and Medical Workers for Behavioral Health
Services
GERMANTOWN, Md. ,
Feb. 21,
2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The HealthWell
Foundation®, an independent non-profit that provides a
financial lifeline for inadequately insured Americans, is pleased
to announce that it has broadened the parameters of its flagship
COVID-19 Frontline Health Care Workers Behavioral Health Fund to
include emergency workers and first responders. In addition,
guidelines for fund eligibility no longer include a COVID-19
provision. Through the newly restructured Emergency/Medical Workers
Behavioral Health Fund, HealthWell will provide up to $2,000 in financial assistance for a 12-month
grant period to eligible emergency and medical workers who have
annual household incomes up to 500 percent of the federal poverty
level.
In February of 2021, the HealthWell Foundation launched the
COVID-19 Frontline Health Care Workers Behavioral Health Fund to
assist frontline health care workers who were coping with their own
behavioral health issues that treating pandemic numbers of COVID-19
patients had on them. Through the fund, HealthWell has provided
financial assistance to over 150 frontline health care workers
through more than 175 grants. As the COVID-19 health care crisis
will have its status changed from a national health care emergency
on May 11, 2023, we recognize that
emergency workers (police officers, firefighters, and first
responders) also suffer immense trauma and anxiety while carrying
out their respective roles. To address the unmet needs of the
dedicated men and women who place the safety of those they serve
above all else, we have broadened the fund to ensure they have
access to the critical behavioral health services they need without
worrying about how to afford them.
Through the fund, HealthWell will assist emergency and medical
workers in covering their out-of-pocket treatment-related
copayments for prescription drugs, counseling services,
psychotherapy, and transportation needed to manage behavioral
health issues.
"Traumatic events can leave a lasting impact on our mental
well-being and each individual processes their experiences in
different ways. For emergency and medical personnel, witnessing
uncontrollable and often devastating events can be a daily
occurrence associated with their professions. These events can have
long-term effects including depression, anxiety, and sometimes
post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)," said Suzanne M. Miller, PhD, Director, Patient
Empowerment and Health Decision Making Department, Fox Chase Cancer
Center/Temple Health, and HealthWell Foundation Vice Chair &
Secretary. "If left undiagnosed and untreated, those living with
these conditions may resort to drastic, potentially irreversible
measures. Recognizing the daily trauma our emergency and medical
personnel endure and the unmet need to provide access to mental
health services is a tremendous step forward in securing their
well-being."
HealthWell Foundation President & Chief Executive Officer,
Krista Zodet, commented on the fund,
"When we originally opened this behavioral health fund in 2021, we
were in the depths of the COVID-19 pandemic and wanted to assist
those who were serving infected patients with their mental health
needs. While we were honored to have been able to provide
assistance to more than 150 health care workers through the
original fund, we needed to do more. Following the United States government's determination
that we are now in a post-pandemic phase of COVID-19, broadening
the fund to omit COVID-19 from the equation and including emergency
personnel was the logical next step." Ms. Zodet continued, "Through
the expanded fund, we are excited to be able to assist a greater
portion of the men and women who go to heroic measures every day to
keep us safe. We are proud to be able to provide the financial
resources these individuals need to enable them to access and
adhere to behavioral health treatments they otherwise would not be
able to afford."
To determine eligibility and apply for financial assistance,
visit HealthWell's Emergency/Medical Workers Behavioral Health 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 85 disease areas for more than 822,000 underinsured
patients. Since its inception, HealthWell has provided over
$3.3 billion in financial support
through more than 1.3 million grants 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 34th on the
2022 Forbes list of The 100 Largest U.S. Charities
and was recognized for its 100 percent fundraising efficiency. For
more information, visit HealthWellFoundation.org.
CONTACT:
Ginny Dunn
240-632-5309
Ginny.Dunn@HealthWellFoundation.org
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SOURCE HealthWell Foundation
