Patient Access Network Foundation and American Lung Association Announce New Alliance to Provide Holistic Support for Patients

Washington, D.C. (July 15, 2015)—

The Patient Access Network (PAN) Foundation and the American Lung Association today announced that they are aligning forces to provide comprehensive support for people living with asthma, non-small cell lung cancer and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). The alliance will enable the organizations to leverage the PAN Foundation's lung disease-related financial assistance programs and the American Lung Association's patient education tools to ensure patients have access to the full range of resources they need to best manage the three lung conditions, which collectively affect millions of Americans each year.

"Our fundamental goal at the PAN Foundation is to ensure patients who are underinsured are able to access the critical treatments they need to improve their health and quality of life, and that doesn't stop at just helping with their deductibles and co-pays," said PAN President and CEO Daniel Klein. "Working closely with the American Lung Association will allow us to connect patients with experts who can help them better understand their conditions, adhere to their treatment regimens and link them to patient support communities."

Through this new partnership, patients will have access to the registered nurses, respiratory therapists and counselors who work at the Lung HelpLine (1-800-LUNGUSA), offering support and health education services, physician searches, help with understanding treatment options for lung cancer, connections to Better Breathers Clubs (support groups for people living with lung disease), and education resources such as Asthma Basics.

Combining the Lung Association's education tools with PAN's financial assistance programs will allow access to care and improved quality of life for patients suffering from lung disease. "As the nation's leading organization working to save lives by improving lung health, a strategic imperative of the American Lung Association is to reduce the burden of lung diseases on individuals and their families," said American Lung Association National President and CEO Harold P. Wimmer. "Through this new partnership with the PAN Foundation, we hope to connect patients with lung health resources and support and improve their quality of life."

Patients who qualify for the PAN Foundation's lung-specific assistance programs must reside and receive treatment in the United States, must have health insurance and the medication for which they seek assistance must be covered by their insurance and treat the disease directly. See below for specific program information:

Assistance Program	Maximum Award Level	Eligibility Criteria
Asthma	$3,000 per year	Patient's income must fall at or below 500% of the Federal Poverty Level.
Non-small cell lung cancer*	$7,500 per year	Patient's income must fall at or below 500% of the Federal Poverty Level.
Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)	$1,500 per year	Patient's income must fall at or below 400% of the Federal Poverty Level.

*Patients must have Medicare insurance.

Patients, or advocates and caregivers applying on their behalf, can apply for assistance using the PAN Foundation's online patient portal (www.panapply.org), or by calling 1-866-316-PANF(7263), 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, Monday through Friday. To learn more about PAN's more than 50 disease-specific programs, visit panfoundation.org.

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About the American Lung Association The American Lung Association is the leading organization working to save lives by improving lung health and preventing lung disease, through research, education and advocacy. The work of the American Lung Association is focused on four strategic imperatives: to defeat lung cancer; to improve the air we breathe; to reduce the burden of lung disease on individuals and their families; and to eliminate tobacco use and tobacco-related diseases.  For more information about the American Lung Association, a holder of the Better Business Bureau Wise Giving Guide Seal, or to support the work it does, call 1-800-LUNGUSA (1-800-586-4872) or visit: Lung.org.