Santa Clara County looks to expand low-cost drug program

The county’s $1 million MedAssist initiative, which launched last March, offers monthly grants to pay for asthma inhalers, epinephrine auto-injectors (EPI pens), insulin and other diabetes medications. The program serves county residents 18 and up with valid prescriptions and proof of out-of-pocket expenses for health care. It helps residents who make too much to qualify for state or federal support programs, but still need help covering high prescription drug costs. “A lot of folks don’t get the health care or the health care coverage they need because the system is so damn cumbersome,” Simitian said. “The American health care system is tough for almost anyone to navigate, but particularly tough for folks who are perhaps using English as a second language.”