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County plans to expand program to help people afford prescription drugs
A Santa Clara County program that helps residents afford the cost of prescription medications for diabetes, asthma and severe allergies is set to expand this year, with a streamlined application process and a goal to increase enrollment.
MedAssist provides direct monthly payments to county residents who meet income and other requirements, and who have a valid prescription for diabetes medications, asthma inhalers or epinephrine auto-injectors (known as EpiPens).
The program, which launched in 2022, is meant to help those who fall into the “missing middle” of health care, meaning that they earn too much to qualify for most government programs, but still struggle to afford out-of-pocket health care costs, according to a recent press release from county Supervisor Joe Simitian’s office.
In 2024, MedAssist distributed grants to 2,000 residents; the goal is to increase that number to 2,500 this year. The county plans to launch an updated website and forms available in eight languages, the press release states.
MedAssist offers monthly grants of up to $200 per month, a representative from Simitian’s office said. Recipients can earn up to 650% of the federal poverty line, which equates to $97,890 for an individual and $167,830 for a family of three.
For more information, visit getmedassist.com.
Cool Block Mountain View hosts info session
Cool Block Mountain View is planning to host a virtual information session about the community sustainability program on Jan. 15.
Cool Block Mountain View brings groups of neighbors together to build connections and make environmental improvements to their homes and community. Groups can be made up of renters, homeowners, or “mixed groups,” which can be based on existing friend groups, book clubs or activity groups, according to Cool Block Mountain View.
The 30-minute, online information session will start at 6 p.m. and cover what is involved in being a Cool Block leader.
For more information and to sign up, visit the session’s EventBrite page.
Mountain View library offers free tax prep help
With the new year comes another tax season and the Mountain View library plans to have resources available to assist low-income tax filers.
Every Tuesday and Saturday from Feb. 1 through April 12, IRS-certified volunteers will be available in the library’s first floor program room to offer free tax preparation help to households with income of $66,000 or less in 2024.
Appointments are not required, with walk-ins accepted until 3 p.m. on Tuesdays and 2 p.m. on Saturdays, or until capacity is reached.
Participants must bring either a social security card or individual taxpayer identification number (ITIN) letter for each person on the tax return, as well as a photo ID for themself and their spouse, if applicable. Participants should also bring W-2s from all jobs, as well as other tax documents.
For more information, visit library.mountainview.gov/learn/tax-preparation-resources.
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