Super Bowl Winning Running Back Jerome "The Bus" Bettis and "Help Is Here Express" Bus Tour Coming to Harrisburg to Help Patients in Need Access Prescription Medicines
After visiting more than 3,000 cities in all 50 states, the Partnership for Prescription Assistance (PPA) has reached a historic milestone today by helping the six millionth person at an event in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. The PPA is a nationwide effort sponsored by America's pharmaceutical research and biotechnology companies that links uninsured and financially struggling Americans to programs that provide prescription medicine for free or nearly free. The help provided by the PPA is particularly important in these troubling economic times, when Pennsylvania's unemployment rate is 8.6% and residents are increasingly facing layoffs and the loss of health benefits.
The PPA "Help is Here Express" bus tour stopped at the Capitol Building Complex on Commonwealth Avenue, joined by Super Bowl-winning running back, likely Hall-of-Famer and asthma patient Jerome Bettis.
Bettis had a stellar career - first during four years at the University of Notre Dame and then 12 years in the National Football League (NFL) with the St. Louis Rams and the Pittsburgh Steelers. The tenacity that he displayed on the field and in dealing with his asthma paid off, and in 2005 -- his final season in the NFL -- he helped lead the Pittsburgh Steelers to a Super Bowl victory. However, despite his success in football, the chronic disease that Bettis calls his "toughest linebacker" still managed to knock him down occasionally.
In 1997, while playing with the Steelers, Bettis had a severe asthma attack during a nationally televised game. "Up until I had that asthma attack, I always felt that asthma was a situation that I would deal with as needed," he says. However, that frightening incident altered his view of the disease: "I realized that I was in a life-threatening situation, and I needed to do everything I could do, in my power, to understand what I was dealing with and what I was stricken with." For the rest of his career, Bettis says he made a stronger effort to "manage and monitor myself to make sure that I was in the right condition in order to be able to play."
Bettis now works hard as a patient advocate, helping to assure patients with asthma and other chronic diseases that they, too, can pursue their dreams. "I tell kids with asthma to not let their situation become a liability. Understand what you have. Learn how to manage it and learn how to deal with it on a daily basis and you can be successful."
His advocacy for chronic disease management strikes a chord with financially-struggling patients who may need help managing their own chronic conditions and stand to benefit from the PPA. "The Partnership for Prescription Assistance - for millions of patients - is an important resource for patients managing their chronic disease," Bettis says. "As someone who has suffered from asthma for years, I think it's important for patients to know all the resources available so they can manage their conditions and stay healthy."
The PPA provides a single point of access to more than 475 patient assistance programs that help Americans who are uninsured or struggling financially. Nearly 200 of the programs are provided by pharmaceutical companies.
"The PPA, so far, has helped more than 297,300 Pennsylvanians find out if they qualify for free or discounted medicines - and this vital assistance is still available," said Ken Johnson, senior vice president of the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA). "That's good news for Pennsylvania, where there are 543,000 people now out of work."
Patients who are eligible for help from the PPA's participating patient assistance programs have access to more than 2,500 brand-name and generic prescription medicines. In addition, the PPA provides information on more than 10,000 free health care clinics in America and has connected more than 287,000 patients with clinics and health care providers in their communities.
Patients seeking help from PPA can call a toll-free number (1-888-4-PPA-NOW) to talk to a trained operator or access the PPA Web site (www.pparx.org). It only takes 10-15 minutes to find out if someone may qualify for free or discounted medications.