Try your local assistance (welfare) office. They have special coverage for those of us that are "disabled". It cannot hurt to look into it and see what you can find. They are a lot of local agencies that will help you. I do not live in a big city or town and we have a lot of local help. I will take a bit of investigating, but there is help out there.

I just want to add that a diagnosis of MS does not qualify as disability. For instance, SSDI disability requires proof of inability to work & a condition thatr would cause those disabilities....

So MS alone does not qualify as disabled. Being unable to hold gainful employmet, alone does not qualify as disability. Although the later can be appealed in court. On big disease that was finaly contested in court until it was added to a list of disabling conditions, was Post Polio Syndrome.

Everyone thought that a person had polio & if they survived they were cured of polio. What was found with time in the medical community & had to be acknowledge in court cases was that pol;io caused permenant damage to the nerves & in after a whilre the damaged done to the nerves resumed, in something very much resembiling primary progressive MS.

I worked with a woman who had survived polio as a child, likeat 6 or 7, went through life fine until around 50.Had a family & kids energetic. Walked a lot, camping ect. Then the polio resumed in nerve weakness & such. Not much success with walking anymore.

She was soon to apply for disability hadn't done it yet. Post Polio Syndrome is listed as a disabling condition by SS. She has the condition, she will soon have the disability to go with it. I predict she will be award disabilty quickly.

MS alone is not a disabilty.

NORD helps with co-pays too. National Organization for Rare Disease.
Copaxone will give you all the possibilities & talk to your doc about ways to pay for it. I used Betaseron Patient Assistance Program for 3 years. Stuff like that is available & out there.

Good Luck. Insurance sure does suck!

I agree with you on the "disability" definition as far as SSI or SSD, but as far as the insurance through the local assistance office, a disability is anything that requires ongoing medication or treatment, which MS definitely fits.

You can look up "MAWD" on the internet and see what you find. This may only be available in Pennsylvania, but I do not know.

Also, I wanted to add that through the local assistance office, if approved, it will cover everything from any medications, doctors, tests needed.....ANYTHING!!! It is great. The only thing is, you need to work 10 hours a month. Even if you have to, get a friend to say that you let their dog out or something. There is a small fee per month, but it is usually only about $10 a month.

Call your local chapter of the National MS Society. They can direct you toward assistance. I really hope they can help you. Insurance is the biggest, scariest part of MS, after the fear of being disabled. This type of situation has always been my nightmare. And here it is, stalking us all like a specter. The laws really need to be changed to protect us.

I've thought about writing my senators, but in Kansas we have Pat Roberts and Sam Brownback, two right wing nut jobs who think health care assistance is a bad thing. They do the whole "get off your ass and work" thing.

if you financially qualify...Shared Solutions will provide your Copaxone for free...or help with the rest. they provided mine for free.

shared solutions is copaxone's support.

You might try the Chronic Disease Fund (www.cdfund.org). Also, I was once told that people found Copaxone works if taken every other day (I'd only do this if all else fails).