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We Can Help. 914-345-5900 • help@mhawestchester.org |
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Medication Grant ProgramIn August 1999, as part of Kendra’s Law legislation, a Medication Grant Program (MGP) was established by New York State to provide funding to counties to pay for an individual’s mental health medications while they are waiting for Medicaid eligibility determination. Westchester County Department of Community Mental Health is participating in the Medication Grant Program. Is It For Me?You will qualify for this resource if you are being discharged from a hospital or released from the Westchester County jail or a state prison and are in need of mental health medication. Although the high-risk, high-need individuals are targeted, you can be enrolled into the MGP if you have been diagnosed with a mental illness, are eligible for Medicaid, are 18 years or older and are a Westchester County resident. A Medicaid application must be filed, preferably seven days prior to discharge from the hospital or release from jail or prison. What Is The Benefit?If you qualify, you will receive a Medication Grant card from the Westchester County Department of Community Mental Health (DCMH) that will entitle you to mental health medication at participating pharmacies (3,700 statewide) until you receive your Medicaid card. When Does the Benefit Apply?As soon as a Medicaid application has been completed and submitted to DCMH, you can, on your own or with a case manager, go to the Westchester County DCMH and become enrolled in the MGP if you qualify and receive your Medication Grant card. (See below for how to contact DCMH.) Once Medicaid eligibility is determined by the Department of Social Services (DSS), you will no longer be able to use your Medication Grant card and will be disenrolled from the MGP. If you are deemed eligible for Medicaid you will use your Medicaid card for your medication. If you are deemed ineligible for Medicaid, you can apply to a Co-Payment fund through the New York Presbyterian Hospital that will provide short-term mental health medication support until you can be transitioned to another funding stream that will assist in payment for medication. This fund is also for the working poor who have a psychiatric illness. Your cost to access the fund is based on a sliding scale determined by what you can afford to pay. For further information call: Marla Marshall The address of New York Presbyterian Hospital is: 21 Bloomingdale Road Another resource is a list of drug manufactures that have special services to help people
who cannot afford to buy the medications they need.
If you were leaving the hospital, you would work with a deputized worker before
your discharge date to fill out a Medicaid application that will be sent to DCMH and
forwarded to the local Department of Social Services (DSS). If the applicant appears to
be eligible for Medicaid, DCMH will complete a Medication Grant Enrollment form.
You will then receive a Medication Grant Card to be used for psychiatric medications
at participating pharmacies. DSS will determine if a applicant is eligible for Mediciad.
If you were leaving prison or jail, you would likely have a transition manager
to assist you in completing a Medicaid application preferably seven days prior to
your release. Again, the Medicaid application must be forwarded to DCMH. If the
application is complete and it appears that in all likelihood the applicant will be
determined eligible for Medicaid, you will be enrolled in the Medication Grant Program.
Once enrolled you will receive your Medication Grant Card from Westchester County DCMH.
The contact person at the Westchester County Department of Community Mental
Health is Jodi Prisco, Medication Grant Program Specialist. She can be reached at:
Once you have your Medication Grant card, there will be no cost for medications
related directly to your mental illness. There are also no co-payments for the medications.
The Medication Grant Program is a New York State Office of Mental Health funding
source that provides funds to the counties to administer the program.
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