If you cannot afford a Merck prescription, here is how the MerckHelps patient assistance program works and who qualifies.
Merck & Co. operates a set of patient assistance programs under the name MerckHelps. The programs provide certain Merck medicines and adult vaccines free of charge to people who do not have insurance coverage for those products and who cannot afford to pay for them out of pocket. There is no cost to apply and no cost to receive medications through these programs.
This page covers what the MerckHelps programs provide, who is eligible, and how to apply. For a general explanation of how pharmaceutical company patient assistance programs work across multiple drug makers, see the patient assistance programs guide.
- SCAM ALERT: Merck states that no third party or outside organization is authorized to charge patients a fee to help them apply — anyone asking for money to assist with a MerckHelps application is not affiliated with the program.
- NOTE: The information on this page describes Merck's patient assistance programs as published by Merck. Program eligibility rules, covered products, and income limits can change. Confirm current details directly with Merck before submitting an application.
What MerckHelps provides
MerckHelps includes several programs, each with its own eligibility rules and application process.
- The Merck Patient Assistance Program covers prescription medicines. It provides certain Merck drugs free of charge for a period of up to twelve months from enrollment. Patients can reapply when enrollment ends if they still need assistance, and there is no limit on the number of times a patient can reapply. Medications are delivered to the prescribing physician's office or, in some cases, directly to the patient's home.
- The Merck Vaccine Patient Assistance Program covers adult vaccines. It operates as a separate program from the medicine program, with its own enrollment form and a separate phone line. Enrollment covers a single vaccine use per application, so a patient who needs more than one Merck vaccine must submit a separate form for each.
- A Hospital Product Replacement Program exists for certain facility settings, providing product to eligible nonprofit and safety-net clinical facilities that serve high proportions of uninsured, low-income patients. This program is facility-based, not individual patient-based, and requires the facility to apply directly.
The full list of Merck products covered under each program is on the MerckHelps Products page at https://merckhelps.com/. Not every Merck drug is included, so checking whether a specific medication is covered before starting an application is the right first step.
Who qualifies for the Merck Patient Assistance Program
The core eligibility criteria for the medicine program have three parts, all of which must apply:
- The patient must be a U.S. resident.
- Must have a prescription for a covered Merck medicine from a U.S.-licensed physician.
- The patient must have no insurance or other coverage for that prescription, and be unable to afford to pay for it.
Merck also offers an exception pathway for patients who do not fully meet the insurance criteria. If a patient's income falls below a set upper limit and they can document special circumstances of financial and medical hardship, they and their doctor can request an exception. Eligibility decisions are made by the Merck Patient Assistance Program, Inc., which operates as a separate nonprofit entity from Merck's commercial operations.
Income limits and other specific eligibility thresholds are listed by product on the MerckHelps website. Because these can change, the most reliable approach is to check the specific product page or call the program directly.
How to apply
A patient's prescribing physician plays a required role in the application — the enrollment form must be signed by both the patient and the physician before it is submitted. Merck does not accept online applications; the completed form must be mailed or faxed.
- For the medicine program, the enrollment form is mailed to: Merck Patient Assistance Program, PO Box 1206, Wilkes-Barre, PA 18703-1206.
- For the vaccine program, the completed form is faxed to 800-528-2551.
Enrollment forms are available from the prescribing physician's office, by calling the program, or by downloading them from the Products section of merckhelps.com. If the application is complete and the patient is eligible, Merck states that medications may arrive in fewer than ten business days after approval. Patients can provide an email address on the form to receive confirmation that the application was received.
Contact information
Merck Patient Assistance Program (medicines): 800-727-5400, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET.
Merck Vaccine Patient Assistance Program: 800-293-3881, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET.
The MerckHelps website is https://merckhelps.com/.
A note on the Merck Access Program
Patients with insurance that covers Merck products but who face high out-of-pocket costs may be referred to the Merck Access Program, which provides reimbursement support services and insurance navigation assistance. This is a separate program from MerckHelps and does not provide free medications — it helps patients with coverage questions and prior authorization issues. Patients without insurance who need medications at no cost should apply through MerckHelps, not the Access Program.
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