NORD Patient Assistance Programs have helped low income Americans afford their treatments since 1987. This organization specifically helps people afford life-saving or life-sustaining medications that they couldn’t afford on their own.
There are many different funds available within the NORD Patient Assistance Program. These funds can help you pay for medication, insurance premiums, diagnostic testing and so much more. In fact, this organization is very similar to The PAN Foundation, so make sure you check out our recent post on that organization as well.
In this article, we will review what NORD is, how their patient assistance programs work, and what you need to do to get assistance.
What is NORD?
The National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD) was America’s first nonprofit dedicated to helping individuals and families deal with rare disease diagnoses. This organization was founded in 1983 with the goal of promoting research, awareness, and patient support.
One of their most important services is the NORD Patient Assistance Program, which helps patients afford their medical treatments. The funds from this organization can be used to pay for medication, copays, testing and treatment-related travel costs.
What does NORD cover?
There are many different types of grants available from NORD but each one is designed to support patients who have been diagnosed with rare diseases.
Some of the most common types of grants are Copay Assistance, Travel Assistance, Emergency Relief, Medical Assistance and more.
Caregiver Aid
The Caregiver Aid program can help pay for another caregiver to step in so that the patient’s primary caregiver can have a break. This break could be used to attend a conference or event, or just to enjoy an afternoon away from caregiving without worrying about their loved one.
In order to be eligible for this program, caregivers must meet the following criteria:
- You must provide care for someone who has been diagnosed with a rare disease.
- The caregiver must be a US citizen or permanent resident with at least 6 months of residency.
- You must meet income guidelines.
Copay Assistance
Copay assistance grants are designed to help you afford the cost of your treatments.
These grants can be used to help you pay for:
- Coinsurance
- Copays
- Deductibles
- Health insurance premiums
- Prescription medications
Emergency Relief
Emergency Relief programs can be used to offset the cost of your non-medical expenses. You can use Emergency Relief funds to pay for things like:
- Housing (rent or mortgage)
- Appliance repair
- Car repair
- Home repair
- Lodging
- Phone bills
- Utilities
According to NORD, other emergency fund requests can be considered on a case-by-case basis. However, these funds can never be used to pay for tax payments, child support, legal fines, or luxury goods.
Travel Assistance
Travel assistance grants are used to help you get to your appointments, consultations or treatments.
Generally, the following expenses are considered valid travel costs:
- Airfare (including baggage fees)
- Car insurance
- Car rental
- Car repair
- Gas
- Lodging
- Tolls
- and more
Medical Assistance
The Medical Assist Programs help those who are uninsured or underinsured afford the cost of their treatment. This goes beyond the typical copay assistance and can be used to pay for medical visits, laboratory and diagnostic testing, medications and more.
MedicAlert Assistance
Eligible patients who have been diagnosed with a rare disease may be able to get a free MedicAlert product and three years of membership for free through the NORD Patient Assistance program.
In order to be eligible for this program, you must meet these requirements:
- You must be a US citizen or a US resident with at least 6 months of residency.
- You must meet income limits.
- You must adhere to application requirements.
If you apply over the phone, you can receive approval in as little as five minutes! Other applications will be processed within three business days.
Who is eligible?
Because the NORD Patient Assistance program is divided into many separate funds for different diagnoses and purposes, the eligibility requirements may vary.
However, it appears that you generally must meet these requirements:
- You must be a US citizen or US resident with at least 6 months of residency.
- You must have a diagnosis that matches one of the NORD Patient Assistance funds.
- You must meet financial guidelines.
- You must agree to the application requirements.
Since NORD specializes in helping people with rare diagnoses, there are a lot of unusual conditions on their treatment list.
| CONDITION | Fund Type(s) |
| Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia | Premium Copay |
| Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency | Premium Copay |
| Amyloidosis | Travel |
| atypical Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome (aHUS) | Multiple |
| Bardet-Biedl Syndrome (BBS) | Premium Copay |
| Barth Syndrome | Emergency Relief |
| Batten Disease | Mutliple |
| Bile Acid Synthesis and Zellweger Spectrum Disorders | Multiple |
| Blastic Plasmacytoid Dendritic Cell Neoplasm (BPDCN) | Multiple |
| Cerebrotendinous Xanthomatosis (CTX) | Premium Copay |
| Chronic Granulomatous Disease | Multiple |
| Classical Homocystinuria (HCU) | Medical |
| Soft Tissue Sarcoma | Travel |
| Cushings Syndrome | Multiple |
| Cystinosis | Multiple |
| Cystinuria | Multiple |
| Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy | Multiple |
| Floxuridine | Copay |
| Gaucher Disease | Premium Copay |
| Guillain-Barré Syndrome | Emergency Relief |
| Hemophilia | Emergency Relief |
| Hunter Syndrome | Multiple |
| ZC4H2-Associated Rare Disorders (ZARD) | Emergency Relief |
| Hypophosphatasia (HPP) | Multiple |
| IgA Nephropathy | Multiple |
| Waldenström Macroglobulinemia | Travel |
| Lambert-Eaton Myasthenic Syndrome | Premium Copay |
| Lennox-Gastaut syndrome (LGS) | Premium Copay |
| Mucopolysaccharidoses | Multiple |
| MPS-VI-PAP | Multiple |
| Myasthenia Gravis | Multiple |
| Narcolepsy | Premium Copay |
| Neurofibromatosis Type 1 (NF1) | Premium Copay |
| Neuromyelitis Optica Spectrum Disorder (NMOSD) | Multiple |
| Neurotrophic Keratitis | Copay |
| Paroxysmal Nocturnal Hemoglobinuria (PNH) | Multiple |
| Tumor Necrosis Factor Receptor-Associated Periodic Syndrome | Multiple |
| Phenylketonuria (PKU) | Multiple |
| Progeria & Progeroid Laminopathies | Multiple |
| Congenital Muscular Dystrophy | Multiple |
| Friedreich’s Ataxia | Travel |
| Rare Pediatric GI | Medical |
| Rett Syndrome | Emergency Relief |
| Pyruvate Dehydrogenase Complex Deficiency | Travel |
| Short Bowel Syndrome | Premium Copay |
| Thyroid Eye Disease | Emergency Relief |
| Tuberous Sclerosis | Travel |
| Undiagnosed Disease | Multiple |
| Urea Cycle Disorder | Multiple |
Some conditions are eligible for multiple types of grants (such as copay and travel, or copay and emergency relief). In the above chart, those marked “multiple” are eligible for more than one type of fund.
How to Apply for NORD Patient Assistance
Applying for NORD patient assistance is easy! You just need to visit their website and select your diagnosis.
As you scroll through the available funds, you will notice that each fund has a different phone number, email address and fax number. Each one also has a link to apply online. Sometimes, you’ll also be able to access more information by clicking on the link after Resources. This usually downloads a printable PDF flyer.
Here’s an example from my recent visit to their website.
Summary
NORD patient assistance has grants that can help patients with rare disorders pay for their medication copays, premium copays, medical costs, and emergency living expenses. This service is similar to The PAN Foundation. If you have an eligible condition, you may be able to get financial assistance. Follow the guidance in this post to get help.
Nicole Thelin
Nicole is the founder and lead researcher of Low Income Relief. After a personal experience with poverty and homelessness following her husband's sudden medical discharge from the U.S. Army, Nicole discovered the life-changing impact of community resources. This experience ignited her passion for empowering others to navigate similar crises. Nicole launched her writing career at age 16, working for various newspapers and publications. Her commitment to in-depth research and accessible content has been recognized by Google for Publishers and other industry leaders. For over 20 years, she has applied her investigative skills to uncover the most helpful, up-to-date information on benefits programs and community resources, ensuring Low Income Relief maintains the most extensive resource databases available.