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DeLauro Secures Emergency Prescription Assistance Program Extension for Puerto Ricans

January 18, 2018

WASHINGTON, DC (January 18, 2018) Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (CT-03) today released the following statement announcing an extension of the Emergency Prescription Assistance Program (EPAP) for Puerto Ricans after the program lapsed on January 3, 2018.

"After several conversations with the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response within the Department of Health and Human Services, I am proud to announce that EPAP has been reactivated," said Congresswoman DeLauro. "EPAP is a vital lifeline that provides our most vulnerable citizens access to medicines and vaccines they need. This program has already helped over 400 Puerto Rican evacuees, including over 180 children, in our Third District of Connecticut alone. As we continue to welcome displaced persons to Connecticut and around the country with open arms, they can feel secure knowing that their immediate health care needs will be met."

"EPAP has been a critical lifeline for the hundreds of patients we are seeing who are displaced from Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria," said Suzanne Lagarde, CEO of Fair Haven Community Health Center (FHCHC). "At our health center, we are seeing patients every day who have been without essential meds and who are without the means for obtaining these meds. EPAP, by providing 30 days of free medication coverage, is crucial in avoiding emergency room visits and most importantly in improving health and saving lives. We were devastated on January 3 when we learned that the program had been deactivated. Thanks to the tireless efforts of Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro, the program has been reactivated. Thank you, Congresswoman, for your persistence and success in making such a difference in the lives of our patients and our staff."

DeLauro is the Ranking Member on the Appropriations subcommittee responsible for funding the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

Issues:Health Care