Prescription Assistance Programs: Income Limit by Drug

If you cannot afford a prescription, the company that makes it may supply it at no charge. Every program sets its own income limit. Here is the threshold for 405 medications.

Patient assistance programs are the least-known part of the prescription system. They are run by drug manufacturers, they are free to apply to, and the income limits are far higher than most people assume — the most common threshold on this list is 300% of the federal poverty level, which is $47,880 for one person and $99,000 for a family of four.

What These Programs Are — and Are Not

A patient assistance program is run by the company that makes the drug, not by an insurer and not by the government. If you qualify, the manufacturer supplies the medication directly. It is not insurance, it does not count toward your deductible or out-of-pocket maximum, and it can be changed or ended by the manufacturer at any time.

Eligibility almost always turns on three things beyond income: you are a US resident, you have a prescription from a licensed prescriber, and you have no other way to pay for the drug — meaning you are uninsured, or your insurance does not cover it. Many programs specifically exclude people enrolled in Medicare or Medicaid, because other assistance routes exist for them.

That last condition is the one that catches people out. If you have a plan that covers the medication, you generally will not qualify, even if your share of the cost feels unaffordable.

Where These Income Figures Come From

The limits above use the 2026 federal poverty guidelines: $15,960 for a household of one, plus $5,680 for each additional person. A program set at 300% of poverty multiplies that figure by three.

One caution if you are also shopping marketplace coverage. Premium tax credits for the 2026 plan year run on the prior year's poverty guidelines, so the numbers you see on a subsidy page will not match the numbers here. Both are correct; they are simply different tables. Do not use one to estimate the other.

Thresholds and income limits change, and each manufacturer sets its own. Confirm the current figure with the program before you rely on it.

Look Up Your Medication

The percentage is the income threshold that manufacturer sets. The dollar figure is what that works out to for a household of one — add $5,680 of allowance for each additional person at 100%, scaled by the threshold. Household-by-household figures are on the income limits page.

Whether a manufacturer program or a plan that actually covers the drug is the better route depends on what else you need covered. If you want that worked through, call (713) 575-9904.