Amy Elgin: connecting patients with the help they need
We recently spoke with Amy Elgin, a patient resource coordinator at AnMed Health in South Carolina.
What is most rewarding about your job?
The most rewarding part of my job is helping patients alleviate financial burdens so they can focus on getting better.
Describe your role and what your day-to-day looks like?
On a day-to-day basis, I:
- Identify uninsured and underinsured patients and assess for needed/available medical coverage, gaps in current coverage, and other financial/insurance assistance needed.
- Assist patients with social security disability, state Medicaid and charity applications when needed.
- Complete all applications for free drug procurement from drug manufactures for self-pay patients if qualifications are met and medication is available.
- Assist commercial insured patients by enrolling them into manufacturer copay assistance programs if available.
- Assist Medicare and Medicaid patients with grant enrollments if funds are available.
What sacrifices are patients making when they can’t afford their medications?
I have seen patients forego treatment altogether when the cost of medications becomes too burdensome.
Tell us how a PAN grant helped one of your patients (anonymous, of course).
PAN has helped many of my patients. One was a Medicare recipient who was on a fixed income and couldn’t afford to pay their out-of-pocket responsibility for chemotherapy. But with the grant from PAN, it was much easier for them and allowed them focus on getting better instead of how to pay for treatment.
What else would you like others to know?
PAN is a great foundation that helps many patients afford treatment and I am grateful for the help they have provided to my patients!
We would love to hear from you!
Do you have a story about the impact that financial assistance has had on your patients?
Share your story