The New York Times: The medicine is a miracle, but only if you can afford it
Information about this website: Following the March 2026 merger of Patient Advocate Foundation and the PAN Foundation, this website is now a part of Patient Advocate Foundation and remains active during our website transition.
Where to find information during our transition:
- About the merged organization: uniting.patientadvocate.org
- Financial assistance: totalassist.org
- Additional direct patient services and resources: patientadvocate.org
- Education: panfoundation.org and education.patientadvocate.org
- Clinical trials education: clinicaltrials.panfoundation.org
- Advocacy: npaf.org
- Research: patientinsightinstitute.org
The challenges of expensive specialty medications and high out-of-pocket costs were the focus of a recent New York Times article, which featured two PAN Foundation grant recipients and quoted PAN’s Chief Advocacy and Engagement Officer Amy Niles.
In the article, authors Gina Kolata and Francesca Paris describe the barriers many patients across the country face as they seek care, particularly those who need specialty medications. The authors also highlight research that shows many with Medicare insurance will not be able to afford their prescriptions, even after the $2,000 Medicare Part D annual cap takes effect in 2025.
Though PAN’s charitable assistance helps many—one patient in the article said that PAN saved him—Niles shared that the need for financial help is so great “that we are just scratching the surface.”