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Emergency Assistance Fund

Emergency Assistance Fund

Epilepsy Alliance Ohio (EAO) offers an Emergency Assistance Fund, funded through a grant from the Epilepsy Wellness Advocates, which provides financial assistance for medication, travel expenses, and other related costs associated with epilepsy and seizures. This fund is designed to help individuals and families facing unexpected financial burdens due to epilepsy-related needs, providing a bridge until other funding sources or assistance programs can be accessed.

 

Epilepsy Alliance Ohio (EAO) offers an Emergency Assistance Fund, which provides financial assistance for medication, travel expenses, and other related costs associated with epilepsy and seizures.  This fund is designed to help individuals and families facing unexpected financial burdens due to epilepsy-related needs, providing a bridge until other funding sources or assistance programs can be accessed.

Key aspects of EAO Emergency Assistance Fund:

  • Financial Assistance: The fund offers financial assistance for:
    • Medication: Covering the cost of one month supply of medication, especially when insurance coverage is limited or unavailable.
    • Travel: Covering expenses for travel to medical appointments related to epilepsy and other short-term travel needs.
    • Other related costs: Housing related expenses.  This may include on month’s rent, rent deposit, and utility costs.  Also covering costs like co-payments, deductibles, and other health-related expenses.
  • Eligibility: The funds are generally available to individuals with an epilepsy diagnosis experiencing financial difficulties due to epilepsy-related needs.  The funds are disbursed once per client, per year.  The amount of the funds provided is based on funds available in the emergency assistance fund and may be capped by fund availability and at the discretion of EAO.
  • Fund Guidelines: The fund may have specific criteria for eligibility such as:
    • Epilepsy diagnosis
    • Must Live in Ohio or Northern Kentucky.
    • Once per year/per client/$3,000 max capped amount.
    • The need for the requested assistance must be urgent or in an emergency situation.
    • Requests are typically considered when other sources of funding are unavailable.
  • Application Process: The process typically involves speaking with a counselor from EAO to determine eligibility, need and plan of action.  This typically begins with providing supporting documentation of epilepsy diagnosis (e.g. doctor’s letter on letterhead) and outlining the specific expenses for which assistance is being requested.

 

  • How to prepare for Financial Request: Gather necessary documentation: Obtain letter from your neurologist providing your epilepsy diagnosis, proof from landlord of good tenant status along with the amount of rent due, utility bill/statements, receipts for expenses, and any other required supporting documents.  You may need to provide further documentation at the request of EAO.

Supporting information may include rent statements, including contact information of their landlord so we may contact to verify rent costs, if tenant is in good standing and pays rent on time.  For medical bills, a copy of the bill must be provided and EOB (explanation of benefit).  For medication requests, medication cost along with pharmacy contact information must be provided.  EAO will pay the pharmacy directly.  For all other requests, supporting information to be provided will be determined by EAO staff on a case-by-case basis.