About us

We believe everyone deserves equitable access to affordable healthcare.

Founded in 2004, the Patient Access Network Foundation™ is one of the nation’s largest charitable organizations, providing financial assistance that helps people afford their prescription medications. We serve as a critical safety net for people who are living with chronic and rare diseases and who, despite their insurance coverage, need more help.

We help our patients improve their quality of life while we also advocate for long-term policies that help improve healthcare access, affordability, and equity for all.

Our mission

As an independent, national 501(c)(3) organization, the PAN Foundation’s mission is to help underinsured people with life-threatening, chronic, and rare diseases get the medications and treatments they need by assisting with their out-of-pocket costs and advocating for improved access and affordability.

Since 2004, we have provided more than 1 million underinsured patients with $4 billion in financial assistance.

Partnering with generous donors, healthcare providers, and pharmacies, we provide patients who are underinsured access to the healthcare treatments they need to best manage their conditions and focus on improving their quality of life. We also work to educate policymakers about the long-term solutions needed to improve healthcare access, affordability, and equity for all.

Our values

Dignity. Excellence. Integrity. Intention.

At the PAN Foundation, we recognize that who we are and how we operate is fundamental to our ability to provide compliant, life-saving support to the patients we serve. Our goal as an organization is to ensure our organizational values are at the core of everything we do.

Our impact on patients

Nearly half of adults say that it’s difficult to afford their healthcare costs and half say they would be unable to pay a $500 unexpected medical bill without borrowing money1. For people living on a fixed income, like Mary-Ellen, rising out-of-pocket medication costs mean making difficult financial decisions.

Seniors and people with disabilities really do have to choose between medicine and groceries. It’s a very real thing.

Mary-Ellen, PAN grant recipient

“Seniors and people with disabilities really do have to choose between medicine and groceries,” she said. “It’s a very real thing. It’s not just hyperbole to make a point.”

Our assistance funds mean that Mary-Ellen and the hundreds of thousands of people we serve every year don’t have to choose. Instead, they can focus on receiving the treatment they need and improving their quality of life. On average, our patients report an approximately 75 percent increase in medication adherence after receiving assistance from PAN.

1 Kaiser Family Foundation, 2022: Americans’ Challenges with Health Care Costs

Our patients are our passion.

Get to know some of them through our stories hub.

Read our stories

PAN’s assistance allowed me to fully participate in life.”

Scott Matsuda, PAN Foundation grant recipient and member of our Patient and Family Advisory Council

Leading the way

Tackling a challenge as great as healthcare access, affordability, and equity for all requires a best-in-class team. We’re grateful to have some of the most talented leaders guiding our organization, staff who are committed to the mission, and patients who volunteer their time to provide important insights to help us shape our work.

Board of Directors

The PAN Foundation is governed by a Board of Directors, comprised of experts and seasoned leaders from the healthcare, financial, legal, and policy communities. The Board is responsible for establishing long-term strategy, ensuring compliance with legal and regulatory obligations, and monitoring organizational effectiveness.

Leadership and staff

The day-to-day work of PAN Foundation is made possible by a devoted, highly qualified, diverse executive leadership team and staff. With expertise in everything from clinical affairs, compliance, operations, health equity, advocacy, marketing and communications, patient support services, and more, our team is passionate and ready to meet the needs of our patients.

Patient and Family Advisory Council

As a patient-centered organization, PAN Foundation is dedicated to hearing directly from our patients and their families and using those insights to inform what we do. That’s why we established our Patient and Family Advisory Council to serve as key advisors to and ambassadors of our work.