Anticipating Better Days Ahead
Jeannette worked at a Michigan-based furniture company for almost 20 years. Her career brought her financial security and quality health benefits — benefits that meant her rheumatoid arthritis (RA) treatment was always covered.
“I’m a Michigander,” Jeannette said. “I’ve lived other places over the years, but Michigan is home. I was a stay-at-home mom for many years.”
Jeannette has continued to live in Grand Rapids after retiring from her career. Although she’s in the same state as her son and daughter, Jeanette said she’s ready to move — to Traverse City — and be closer to her daughter.
“It would be wonderful to be really close to family,” she said.
Since retiring, Jeannette has relied on financial assistance to pay for the out-of-pocket costs of her rheumatoid arthritis treatment. After another organization stopped providing financial assistance for her disease program in 2017, she searched online and found The Assistance Fund’s (TAF’s) Rheumatoid Arthritis Copay Assistance Program. The program provides financial assistance for out-of-pocket costs for all prescribed FDA-approved treatment for RA, such as copays, deductibles, and coinsurance.
“I contacted TAF and I was immediately approved,” Jeanette said. “It was as if a ton had been lifted off my shoulders.”
Her need for assistance became even more important in 2019 when Jeannette’s treatment regimen changed. Unexpected side effects forced her to abandon her treatment for months. That’s when the disease began to attack her internal organs.
“Being off treatment for that amount of time caused the attack on my heart and lungs,” Jeannette said. “I knew I could never go without treatment again.”
Jeannette was in the hospital for two weeks. Through it all, she said she had peace of mind knowing her new treatment was covered by TAF’s program.
“I had no idea it could attack my organs,” she said. “Most of us who have RA don’t realize that it can be that serious. That time was so stressful.”
Now that her health is improving and she has access to the treatment she needs, Jeannette’s looking forward to better days ahead.
“TAF has been wonderful to work with,” she said. “If I didn’t have TAF, I don’t know what I would do.”
