Affordable Health: Navigating Charitable Aid for Medical Costs

On this Living to 100 Club podcast, our guests introduce us to The Assistance Fund. TAF is one of a handful of Independent Charitable Assistance Funds. Danielle Vizcaino, President and CEO of The Assistance Fund (TAF), and Margaret Figley, Director of Communications, are the guests. They describe how TAF provides financial assistance to patients facing high co-payments, deductibles, and other health-related expenses. We learn how manufacturers support this non-profit program through donations and make affordable health more accessible. In turn, these donations get passed on to the underinsured patients across the country. What are the eligibility criteria, what types of financial assistance are there, and what resources are available for people who have health insurance but can’t afford their out-of-pocket costs for treatment? Tune in to learn about these relatively little-known programs that may help you. Mini Bios Danielle leads a diverse organization of more than 80 employees in Orlando, Florida, and Washington, DC. TAF has consistently been named by Forbes as a top 100 charity and The NonProfit Times as one of the 50 best nonprofits to work for. She oversees TAF’s nearly 90 disease programs, which since 2009 have helped nearly 190,000 people access the critical treatment they need to manage a life-threatening, chronic, or rare disease. Danielle is a member of the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE). Danielle earned an MBA and MPH from the University of North Florida. She also earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Molecular Biology and Microbiology from the University of Central Florida. Margaret (Meg) Figley is a seasoned communications leader with nearly two decades of experience shaping communication strategies for impactful health care nonprofit organizations, hospital trade associations, and the federal government agencies. As the Senior Director of Communications at The Assistance Fund, Meg is the driving force behind the organization's communications and branding initiatives, ensuring that its mission and message resonate across all key audiences. In addition to her work at The Assistance Fund, Meg has held senior communications positions at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Innovation Center, the Patient Access Network Foundation, the American Hospital Association, the New York State Health Foundation, and the Greater New York Hospital Association. Meg has an MPA in Health Policy and Management from New York University’s Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service and a BA in Government and Politics from George Mason University. For Our Listeners The Assistance Fund website: TAFCares.org