MedicationsMedications or other preparations that are taken to maintain health and treat illness must be used carefully with an understanding about what they are supposed to do. Cough preparations, laxatives, upset stomach preparations and other things you buy in the store, known as over-the-counter (OTC) items, are included in what we refer to as medications.

You, as a kidney disease consumer, must be extra careful about all the medications that you take. Your body's response to medications will not be the same as another person's who does not have kidney disease. Discuss all the medications you take with your doctor.

All of the doctors you see must know that you have kidney disease and what kind of dialysis treatment you get or if you have a transplanted kidney. The dentist is included as a person who must know.

Herbal and other alternative medical choices should be discussed with your doctor before you start to use any of these because they may contain things that would not be good for you.

Several Web sites have important information about the use of medications; some of these are:

Drug Interactions

Consumer Publications

 PAAD ProgramThe Pharmaceutical Assistance to the Aged and Disabled program helps eligible New Jersey residents pay for prescription drugs, insulin, insulin needles and syringes and needles for injectable medicines used for the treatment of multiple sclerosis. Only drugs approved by the Food and Drug Administration are covered. Drugs purchased outside the State of New Jersey are not covered, nor is any pharmaceutical product whose manufacturer has not agreed to provide rebates to the State of New Jersey.

Effective January 2006, all PAAD participants, if they are eligible for Medicare Part A or enrolled in Medicare Part B, must enroll in a Medicare Part Prescription Drug Plan. All PAAD applicants must also submit information to PAAD to help determine if they may be eligible for a Federal Subsidy to help pay for Medicare Part D. Medicare eligible PAAD participants will use PAAD benefits together with Medicare Part D benefits. If a Medicare Part D plan is the primary payer for a medication covered on its formulary, PAAD will provide coverage as secondary payer if needed for that drug, and the PAAD beneficiary will pay the regular PAAD copayment for PAAD covered drugs. However, if a Medicare Part D plan does not pay for a medication because the drug is not on its formulary, PAAD beneficiaries will have to switch to a drug on the Part D plan's formulary, or their doctor will have to request an exception due to medical necessity directly to their Part D plan.

The PAAD application is available in Adobe Acrobat PDF. (Click here to learn more about Adobe Acrobat or download the latest version of the Adobe Acrobat viewer.)

Program Summary

  • PAAD provides coverage for prescribed legend drugs, insulin and insulin supplies.
  • The PAAD co-payment will be $6 for each PAAD covered generic drug prescription and $7 for each PAAD covered brand name drug prescription. PAAD beneficiaries may pay less for generic drugs if their Medicare prescription drug plan charges them less than the $6 PAAD copayment for generics.
  • PAAD does not pay for diabetic testing supplies (e.g., test strips and lancets) and Medicare Part D excluded drugs except benzodiazepines and barbiturates. If PAAD beneficiaries have health insurance coverage, such as Medicare Part B that pays for diabetic testing supplies a pharmacy must bill that insurance plan. PAAD will not pay for them.
  • A PAAD beneficiary must be a New Jersey resident;
  • A PAAD beneficiary must be 65 years of age or older, or at least 18 years of age and receiving Social Security Title II Disability benefits; and
  • A PAAD beneficiary must have annual income for 2010 of less than $24,432 if single or less than $29,956 if married;
  • PAAD beneficiaries are also required to enroll in a Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Plan. State and/or federal governments will pay Medicare Part D premiums for standard Medicare Part D plans with a monthly premium below the regional benchmark. Medicare Advantage(MA) participants must add a prescription benefit to their coverage, and PAAD will contribute up to the regional benchmark amount towards the prescription portion of the total premium for New Jersey plans unless the MA plan is paid for by a former employer or union.
  • For additional information call the toll free Hotline 1-800-792-9745. 
     
Mail and Internet

There are many pharmaceutical companies that provide both prescription and non-prescription medications and supplements at a reduced rate. You can order these by mail or you can order them on the Internet.

You can locate the companies that have Web sites by doing a search in your Web browser. Be careful to access only known, reputable companies that have protected ordering pages. These companies have pharmacists with whom you can discuss your questions.

Pharmacies and mail order drug companies advertise their sites on the radio and in magazines and newspapers. Compare prices and save where you can.

 

Medicine