Program includes nearly 150 financial assistance funds

HAMPTON, Va., July 1, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Patient Advocate Foundation, following the March 3 announcement of a strategic merger with PAN Foundation, has launched TotalAssist, combining the strengths of both organizations to create a single, unified financial assistance program. TotalAssist is designed to remove barriers for underinsured patients to help them start treatment and remain compliant with their prescribed treatment regimen.

Throughout their collective history, the organizations have granted over $7 billion in financial assistance to 3.8 million patients for their critical treatment costs. At a time when healthcare costs continue to rise and more people are struggling to afford care, joining forces to launch TotalAssist is a major step forward in how patient assistance works—offering simple, flexible help that's centered on real-world patient needs.

With nearly 150 disease-specific and health equity financial assistance funds, TotalAssist supports eligible patients across a wide range of conditions—from cancer and rare diseases to chronic and complex illnesses. Through these disease-specific funds, TotalAssist helps patients pay for their eligible out-of-pocket healthcare costs, including:

• Medication, copays, coinsurance, and deductibles
• Health insurance premiums
• Office visit charges the day of treatment
• Administration charges related to treatment

"The launch of TotalAssist reinforces our ongoing commitment to supporting underinsured patients as they navigate, access, and afford their care at every step of their journey, while we also work to improve the healthcare system for those who need it most," said Kevin L. Hagan, CEO of Patient Advocate Foundation. "By simplifying the patient experience and creating the nation's largest and most comprehensive charitable patient assistance program, we are ensuring even more patients start and stay on the treatments they need."

How TotalAssist works

As a patient financial assistance program, individuals who meet TotalAssist's eligibility criteria can receive grants to help cover their eligible out-of-pocket healthcare expenses, if funding is available. TotalAssist grants are charitable funding awarded to individuals, not a loan or discount program, and are offered on an individual 12-month rolling grant cycle.

TotalAssist provides help to individuals based on a patient's diagnosis, income level, insurance status, and other fund-specific eligibility criteria—not based on medications. After confirming that a disease fund offered through TotalAssist is open and eligibility criteria is met, individuals can apply for a grant online through a secure portal or by phone with a TotalAssist specialist. Once approved, a TotalAssist grant can be used right away for covered expenses, including expenses incurred during the previous six months (dependent on diagnosis date).

TotalAssist funds and eligibility criteria

As of launch, TotalAssist offers nearly 150 disease-specific, health equity, and non-disease support services funds, ranging from chronic and rare diseases to cancer and complex illnesses. Assistance amounts vary by fund, but TotalAssist's guaranteed grant model is designed to cover 100% of out-of-pocket costs for most patients within each covered disease. Funds are determined based on an independent, rigorous research process, including the demonstrated patient need evidenced in Patient Advocate Foundation's case management data—the only program in the space that can do so. TotalAssist disease funds are defined in accordance with widely recognized clinical standards, specifically using ICD-10 codes to specify the clinical scope and to support the definition of a widely recognized disease state.

Health equity funds

TotalAssist's more than 20 health equity funds were developed to direct assistance to specific populations and places experiencing intense social and financial needs. Patient Advocate Foundation developed a methodology using the ATSDR's Social Vulnerability Index and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Disease Incidence Data, which identified 226 counties across 36 states with the highest rates of social vulnerability and high rates of multiple chronic diseases.

Patients are automatically screened for eligibility for a health equity fund during the application process, using the zip code of the patient's home address. All other eligibility requirements and fund operations, including grant amounts, are the same as our general funds.

Non-disease and support services funds

In addition to disease-specific and health equity funds, TotalAssist also offers four non-disease and support services funds. These funds include cancer genetic and genomic testing, social needs assessment and intervention, transportation, and virology testing health equity. Patients can enroll in disease fund(s) and non-disease and support services funds concurrently.

TotalAssist eligibility criteria

Although specific eligibility criteria vary by fund, general eligibility requirements include:

• Have a confirmed diagnosis of the disease or condition supported by the fund. (Diagnosis is verified for all applications.)
• Be in treatment (including active surveillance), planning to begin treatment in the next 60 days, or have been in treatment within the past 6 months.
• Have the specified health insurance that covers qualifying expenses.
• Have an income that falls at or below the indicated level of the Federal Poverty Level. (500% or less for most funds. Adjusted for Cost of Living Index [COLI] and number of people in the household.)
• Be a legal resident of and receive treatment in the U.S. or a U.S. territory.
• Be prescribed a medication or product that is listed on the approved medication list for that disease. (If using your grant for medication copays, coinsurance, or deductibles.)

What this means for patients

In addition to providing more comprehensive coverage, TotalAssist also offers patients more flexibility and a simplified patient experience. Some key benefits for patients, and their stakeholders, include:

• Comprehensive coverage. TotalAssist is designed to provide broad, consistent support across all funds.
• Flexible use of funds. Those who receive a TotalAssist grant may use it for any combination of eligible expenses, not limited to just one category.
• First-come, first-served enrollments. No waitlists, with instant eligibility decisions made at the time of application, in most cases.
• TotalAssist Fund Notification System. Anyone can sign up for free at TotalAssist.org/notify to receive notifications via email, text (SMS), and/or automated phone call when a TotalAssist fund opens for applications.
• Seamless and secure self-service portals. TotalAssist offers separate online portals for patients, providers, pharmacies, and nonprofits that are available 24/7.
• Six-month lookback coverage. Financial assistance can be applied to expenses incurred up to six months prior to enrollment and dependent on diagnosis date.
• Approved disease-specific medication lists. Includes all products that are FDA-approved, listed in official compendia, or included in published evidence-based or clinical guidelines.
• Simple diagnosis verification. Providers and pharmacies verify diagnosis during the application process. TotalAssist handles this process for patients, faxing the required verification form to the physician office.
• Guaranteed grant amounts. Anyone who is approved for a TotalAssist grant will receive a minimum guaranteed award amount per fund. Patients who need additional funding during their original 12-month grant cycle may receive more automatically, based on availability of funding.
• Enrollment in multiple funds. Patients can enroll in more than one TotalAssist grant, as long as they meet each fund's eligibility guidelines.

"We designed TotalAssist with the needs of real-world patients in mind," said Fran Castellow, MSEd, President of Operations at Patient Advocate Foundation. "By allowing patients to apply their TotalAssist grant toward multiple healthcare expenses—and empowering them to decide how they use their grant—we're helping to reduce gaps in care and meeting patients where they are. Because at the end of the day, when someone is facing a serious or life-threatening diagnosis, they shouldn't be faced with the added stress of how they're going to afford their care."

To learn more about TotalAssist and to see which funds may be accepting applications, visit TotalAssist.org.

About Patient Advocate Foundation

Patient Advocate Foundation is the nation's most comprehensive nonprofit dedicated to helping patients navigate, access, and afford their care while improving the healthcare system for all. We provide financial assistance to help patients afford treatment and cost of living needs, personalized case management to navigate complex healthcare and social needs challenges, and a wide array of resources to empower people to take charge of their health.

Since our founding in 1996—and joining forces with the PAN Foundation in 2026—we have helped more than 3.8 million people access and navigate care, granted over $7 billion in financial assistance, provided personalized case management support to over 350,000 patients, and elevated the patient's voice to drive improvements in the healthcare system.

Learn more at Uniting.PatientAdvocate.org.

Media contact: Liz Eckert, communications@patientadvocate.org

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SOURCE Patient Advocate Foundation