RareCare®
Since 1987, NORD has provided assistance programs to help patients obtain life-saving or life-sustaining medication they could not otherwise afford. These programs provide medication, financial assistance with insurance premiums and co-pays, diagnostic testing assistance, and travel assistance for clinical trials or consultation with disease specialists.
Read NORD’s Coronavirus: Business Continuity Response for RareCare® patient assistance programs.
Other Resources
If NORD does not have a program for your disease, you may find one through another provider. View More>
Assistance Programs
Get Started
To apply for assistance you first need to locate the program below by disease state. Then follow the related contact information. If you do not see a patient assistance program listed that meets your specific need, please contact us for more information at: 1-800-999-6673.
NORD’s Patient Services Representatives are available during the following hours:
Patients can contact NORD’s Patient Services Representatives at 1-800-999-6673 during the following hours:
Si deseas hablar con alguien en espanol por favor llame al (844) 259-7178 para asistencia.
Are you eligible?
Eligibility criteria can vary by program but most of NORD’s patient assistance programs require the following:
- Does the patient have an applicable diagnosis or physician referral?
- Does the patient currently live in the United States?
- Does the patient meet NORD’s financial need criteria?
Maximum award levels vary by program. Awards are made for a calendar year, and patients may reapply for subsequent years. NORD is able to offer same day approval for programs.
MedicAlert Assistance Program
NORD and MedicAlert Foundation have teamed up on a new program to provide protection to rare disease patients in emergency situations.
NORD’s MedicAlert® Assistance Program provides eligible individuals with a MedicAlert product and three years of membership. Additionally, when someone purchases a new MedicAlert membership using the tracking code: NORD, MedicAlert will donate 20% of the membership fees to NORD to further our mission of providing care and resources for those living with rare disorders.
We look forward to helping eligible rare patients participate in this supportive program. For more information and to apply, please contact: [email protected] or 203.616.4325.
Rare Disease Educational Support Program
Ensuring that patients and caregivers are armed with the tools they need to live their best lives while managing their rare condition is a vital part of NORD’s mission. Thanks to the generous support of Horizon Therapeutics, NORD is able to empower even more patients and caregivers through the Rare Disease Educational Support Program.
This program provides reimbursement for registration costs for rare disease-specific educational offerings, as well as programs that support patients’ health and well-being, such as workshops, nutrition classes and conferences. In addition to assisting with registration fees, the Rare Disease Educational Support Program provides limited financial assistance to patients and caregivers for travel and lodging costs.
We look forward to helping patients and families participate in a broad spectrum of rare educational programs. For more information and to apply, please contact: [email protected] or 860.556.2208.
NORD COVID-19 Relief Programs
The NORD COVID-19 Critical Relief Program is designed to provide eligible rare disease patients with assistance for non-medical essential expenses, and the NORD COVID-19 Premium & Medical Relief Program is designed to provide eligible rare disease patients assistance with insurance premiums and limited medical expenses. Both programs are specifically for rare disease patients who have been directly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic through job loss, reduced work hours, quarantine, etc. These programs are unable to assist with financial needs that are not a result of direct impact from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Eligibility criteria for NORD COVID-19 Relief Programs include:
- The individual and/or immediate family within the household must have a confirmed rare disease diagnosis.
- There must be a direct COVID-19 impact on the rare disease diagnosed individual or his/her immediate family within the household. Examples of direct impact include job loss, wage reduction, lay-off, physician order to cease working, etc.
- The individual must be a US citizen or permanent resident of the United States for at least 6 months.
- Applicants must meet financial eligibility criteria (at or below 400% of the Federal Poverty Level guidelines (FPL) or demonstrate financial impact/mitigating circumstances due to the COVID-19 pandemic (examples of mitigating factors impacting financial eligibility may include: loss of job/layoff; diminished work hours; inability to work due to risk of exposure, or due to caring for family member diagnosed with coronavirus (documentation will be requested)
Those who meet these criteria and wish to be considered for eligibility please email [email protected] or call 203.242.0497 for consideration.
We request your patience and understanding in delayed response times given the vastness of the COVID-19 impact. We are responding to inquiries in the order in which they are received.
Rare Caregiver Respite Program
This first-of-its-kind assistance program is designed for caregivers of a child or adult diagnosed with a rare disorder. NORD understands that caring for a loved one is a generous gift that demands significant amounts of time, attention, patience and dedication.
The Respite Program provides financial assistance to enable the caregiver a break to attend a conference, event or simply have an afternoon or evening away from caregiving. Financial assistance will be granted up to $800 annually for those who qualify.
What care may be covered?
- Registered Nurse (RN)
- Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN)
- Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA)
- Home Health Aide (HHA)
- Non-professional caregiver
Who is eligible?
The caregiver must be a US citizen or permanent resident of the United States for at least six months with evidence of residency, and be willing to undergo a financial evaluation of need to determine if they fall within the program’s financial eligibility guidelines. Additionally, the patient for whom care is being provided must have a confirmed rare disease diagnosis.
How do you apply?
Awards are granted on a first come, first served basis to eligible individuals. There is no fee to apply. Contact a Patient Services Representative at 203.616.4328 or email [email protected].
Read stories from grantees
Support this program and make a positive impact on families throughout the rare community. Contact us at [email protected] to make a donation to sustain the Rare Caregiver Respite Program.