For many patients, the biggest barrier to staying healthy can be the cost of medications.<\/p>\n
That reality is driving a new copay assistance program, powered by donors, that\u2019s designed to help patients in MultiCare\u2019s outpatient clinics afford treatments essential to their care.<\/p>\n
Across MultiCare Health System, 15 retail pharmacies play a pivotal role in healing, filling more than 1.1 million prescriptions in 2025.<\/p>\n
While eight of MultiCare\u2019s hospital-based pharmacies provide copay support at discharge, no similar program exists for those seen in outpatient settings like MultiCare Indigo Urgent Care, MultiCare Cancer Institute or MultiCare\u2019s Pulse Heart Institute.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf patients can\u2019t afford their medication, the best treatment plan in the world doesn\u2019t work,\u201d explains Teresa Harberg, assistant vice president of Ambulatory Pharmacy Services for MultiCare.<\/p>\n
Even with insurance, many people face copays they simply can\u2019t manage. A 2025 Patient Advocate Network Foundation poll found that 37 percent of patients with a chronic condition needed financial assistance in the past year to help cover out-of-pocket expenses.<\/p>\n
Pharmacy teams work to secure additional financial help from drug manufacturers, but when that isn\u2019t possible, patients may go without critical medications.<\/p>\n
To help bridge this gap, several MultiCare foundations joined together in support, guided by volunteer board committees that review requests from MultiCare staff and recommend funding solutions to address our communities\u2019 greatest health needs.<\/p>\n
\u201cA copay assistance program prevents hospitalizations and readmissions, especially for those with chronic or complex medical conditions,\u201d Harberg says. \u201cWe\u2019re deeply grateful to our community donors whose generosity makes this program possible.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is compassion in action,\u201d she continues. \u201cIt makes a meaningful, impactful difference for the patients and families we serve.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false,"gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"rendered","format":"html"}]},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
For many patients, the biggest barrier to staying healthy can be the cost of medications. That reality is driving a new copay assistance program, powered by donors, that\u2019s designed to help patients in MultiCare\u2019s outpatient clinics afford treatments essential to their care. Across MultiCare Health System, 15 retail pharmacies play a pivotal role in healing, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false,"gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"rendered","format":"html"}]},"author":627,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[155,75],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-39518","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-health-equity","category-foundations"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n