Contents:
What Is The National MS Society’s Financial Assistance Program?
What Assistance is Available?
- Children’s Fund
- Emergency Financial Assistance
- Equipment/Home and Vehicle Modifications
- Physical Health & Wellness
- Respite and Independent Living
- Transportation
How Do I Apply?
How Does The Financial Assistance Program Work?
Who Can Be Served?
What Are The Program Goals?
What Is The Financial Assistance Program NOT Designed To Do?
What is The National MS Society’s Financial Assistance Program?
Multiple sclerosis creates a range of challenges that can result in short-term financial crises, difficulty obtaining critical equipment and home or auto modifications, and diminished capacity to pay for MS-generated needs.
The National MS Society’s Financial Assistance Program offers guidance, leverage and resources to help contain the financial impact of MS.
The National Capital Chapter offers a wide variety of financial assistance. We work to customize our response to meet each individuals needs. Please note that funds are only available as long as our budgets remain healthy. Some of the areas where we offer financial assistance include:
- Children’s Fund
- Emergency Financial Assistance
- Equipment/Home and Vehicle Modifications
- Physical Health & Wellness
- Respite and Independent Living
- Transportation
- Available to dependent children, 18 years old or younger (unless they are in college, then approximately 21 years old or younger), of a parent living with MS
- Offers assistance with age-appropriate activities, such as summer camp, music lessons, or college books
Emergency Financial Assistance
- Offers limited one-time assistance to help with life necessities, including rent or mortgage, utilities, or phone bill
- Applicant must demonstrate that financial need is short-term and caused by MS (such as loss of wages or high out-of-pocket medical expenses)
Equipment/Home and Vehicle Modifications
Offers limited funding to help meet equipment, home modification, or auto modification needs that are not covered adequately by insurance or other community programs, such as:
- New purchases of durable medical equipment, including insurance deductibles or co-payments
- Repairs to previously purchased medical equipment
- Home modifications for accessibility, such as ramps or grab bars
- Auto modifications, such as hand controls or trunk lifts
- Durable medical equipment items, including wheelchairs, scooters, hospital beds, and Hoyer lifts, are also available for loan through the chapter’s equipment closet
- Offers funding for physical health and wellness classes sponsored by the National MS Society. Click here for a list of classes.
Respite and Independent Living
Offers limited funding for services not covered by insurance or other community programs that will enhance the safety and independence of people with MS and/or provide relief to family caregivers, such as:
- House cleaning or other chore services
- Emergency response system
- Incontinence supplies
- Short-term home health aide or companion care
- Respite stay in assisted living or nursing home facility
- Adult day center participation
- Meals on Wheels or nutrition supplements (Boost or Ensure)
- Provides reimbursement for one trip per month to MS-related medical appointments and support group meetings provided by public transportation, MetroAccess, other local paratransit, or Medicaid.
- For trips not covered by other transportation options, provides round-trip transportation one time per month, budget permitting, to MS-related medical appointments and support group meetings, in taxis or wheelchair accessible vans.
- When chapter schedules transportation, trips must be arranged at least seven days in advance.
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To request a trip, or for more information about transportation assistance, please leave a message on the chapter’s transportation line at 202-375-5624.
A common application and process provides access to all of the Financial Assistance Program’s initiatives in a community. Download the application here, or contact the National MS Society at 1-800-344-4867 to have an application mailed to you. If you have difficulty filling out the application, please call and ask to complete the application by phone.
All requests are reviewed on a case-by-case basis in accordance with Society-wide principles, standards and chapter policies. As we work with you on your request, we may also seek other funding options for you. If community resources are available, we will help you access those resources first. If you need referrals to community resources, please call 1-800-344-4867.
How Does The Financial Assistance Program Work?
This nationwide program is comprised of a range of initiatives that support independence, safety, health and quality of life for people living with MS, as well as their families. Program initiatives address areas of special importance to the MS community and leverage knowledge and resources that can have a significant, lasting impact.
Who Can Be Served?
Anyone with a confirmed diagnosis of MS (or related disorder*) who can demonstrate true financial need associated with the effects of the disorder is eligible for consideration.
Since resources are limited, the National MS Society may not be able to fulfill all requests or cover all expenses related to a needed service or item. However, a consistent application process and the thorough evaluation of each application will help ensure support for those whose needs are the greatest and where support can be most effectively leveraged.
When we are not able to fund specific needs through our own program resources, a National MS Society staff member can provide information and resources to help identify alternative solutions.
* Related disorders include: Clinically isolated syndrome, e.g. optic neuritis; Diffuse cerebral sclerosis (including Schilder’s Disease); Acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (post-infectious Encephalomyelitis or ADEM); Balo’s disease; Neuromyelitis optica (Devic’s disease or Devic’s syndrome); HTLV I associated myelopathy (HAM), also known as Tropical spastic paraparesis (TSP); Transverse myelitis.
What Are The Program Goals?
The Society’s Financial Assistance Program was developed to bring meaningful financial assistance to as many people living with MS as possible, with emphasis on helping people maintain their independence, safety, health and quality of life.
What Is The Financial Assistance Program NOT Designed To Do?
This program is not intended to support ongoing services in a role similar to that of an insurer, or to cover credit card bills, insurance premiums or previously incurred expenses. Nor will the Society provide financial assistance in instances where such support can be obtained elsewhere; in these cases the Society will provide information and support to help obtain those resources from other sources.