Novartis produces some of the most expensive specialty drugs in America, including Entresto for heart failure, Cosentyx for psoriasis, Gilenya for multiple sclerosis, and Kisqali for breast cancer, and the Novartis patient assistance program exists to provide those medications free of charge to patients who cannot afford them. The Novartis patient assistance program, operated through the Novartis Patient Assistance Foundation (NPAF), is income-based and separate from Novartis’s commercial copay assistance cards. Understanding which track you qualify for can save you $10,000 or more per year on specialty drugs. Our healthcare costs guide covers more strategies.
What the Novartis Patient Assistance Foundation Actually Provides
The Novartis Patient Assistance Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit funded by Novartis to distribute free medication to qualifying patients. Unlike commercial copay cards, NPAF ships actual medication at no cost, either to the prescribing physician’s office or to participating specialty pharmacies that dispense to approved patients. The program covers most Novartis branded products that do not have generic equivalents.
Covered drugs include Entresto (heart failure), Cosentyx (psoriatic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, plaque psoriasis), Gilenya (relapsing MS), Kisqali (metastatic breast cancer), Tasigna (chronic myeloid leukemia), Promacta (thrombocytopenia), Jakavi (myelofibrosis), Lucentis (wet AMD), and several oncology and rare disease drugs. The NPAF website maintains the current list with enrollment forms for each.
Who Qualifies for the Novartis Patient Assistance Program
NPAF applies four main eligibility criteria, and applicants must meet all of them. You must be a US resident with a valid prescription from a licensed US physician. Your total household income must be at or below 500% of the federal poverty level for most products, which in 2026 is roughly $78,300 for a single-person household and $162,000 for a family of four based on HHS poverty guidelines. Some oncology drugs use a higher threshold (up to 600% FPL).
You must be uninsured or underinsured, meaning your current insurance does not cover the specific Novartis medication or leaves you with a copay you cannot afford. Commercially insured patients who have exhausted their copay assistance card and still face hardship can apply. Patients enrolled in Medicaid or full Extra Help through Medicare are generally directed to their government coverage, not NPAF. Medicare Part D patients can qualify if they have significant out-of-pocket exposure and are not eligible for Extra Help.
How to Apply for the Novartis Patient Assistance Program
The application process takes two to four weeks from submission to first medication shipment. Start at PatientAssistanceNow.com/en/pan/home (Novartis’s patient support hub) or call 1-800-277-2254 to request a paper application. Select your specific medication, because each drug has its own enrollment form tailored to its indication and dosing.
Complete the patient section with demographic and insurance information, household income, and contact details. Your prescribing physician completes the prescriber section with diagnosis, treatment plan, and dosing. Both signatures are mandatory. You also submit proof of income, typically your most recent IRS Form 1040 or three recent pay stubs. Patients with no documentable income can submit a signed attestation letter.
Fax the completed application (fax numbers vary by drug; check the form) or mail it to the address listed on the enrollment form. NPAF reviews the application and notifies both the patient and prescriber of the decision. Approved applicants receive their first shipment of medication within roughly three weeks.
What You Receive After Approval
Approved patients typically receive a 90-day supply of medication, shipped to the prescriber’s office, a designated specialty pharmacy, or in some cases directly to the patient’s home. Shipment frequency depends on the drug’s storage requirements; biologics like Cosentyx ship in temperature-controlled packaging with shorter intervals, while oral drugs like Entresto or Gilenya can ship in larger quantities.
Approval typically lasts 12 months, after which you must reapply with updated income documentation and a current prescription. NPAF sends reminder notices approximately 60 days before your current enrollment expires. Medication is provided at no cost throughout the enrollment period, and there are no shipping or administrative fees.
Alternatives If You Don’t Qualify for NPAF
Commercially insured patients excluded from NPAF should use Novartis’s commercial copay cards. Entresto Central offers eligible patients $10 per month copays. The Cosentyx Connect Personal Support Program provides $0 copays for eligible commercially insured patients. Similar programs exist for Kisqali, Gilenya, and other Novartis branded drugs. These cards are not available to patients on Medicare, Medicaid, Tricare, or VA benefits.
Medicare Part D patients facing high out-of-pocket costs should apply for Medicare Extra Help through the Social Security Administration and enroll in the new Medicare Prescription Payment Plan (M3P), which caps annual OOP at $2,100 in 2026 and spreads that total over 12 monthly installments. Nonprofit copay foundations like the PAN Foundation, HealthWell, and Good Days also maintain disease-specific funds for psoriasis, multiple sclerosis, heart failure, and cancer that can cover Novartis drug copays. Our AbbVie PAP guide and NovoCare PAP guide cover parallel programs.
How Novartis PAP Differs From Commercial Copay Cards
The key distinction: NPAF ships free medication, while commercial copay cards reduce your copay on a prescription you still run through insurance. NPAF is for people who cannot afford the drug at all (or whose insurance does not cover it). Copay cards are for people with commercial insurance who can afford the list price in theory but want to reduce their monthly copay burden.
If you have commercial insurance that covers Entresto, Cosentyx, or another Novartis drug, start with the copay card because it is faster and requires no income verification. If you are uninsured or your insurance excludes the drug, apply to NPAF. If you are on Medicare, neither option works at full strength, so explore Extra Help, M3P, and copay foundations.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Novartis patient assistance program free?
Yes. Qualifying patients receive their medication at no cost, with no application fees or shipping charges. The Novartis Patient Assistance Foundation is funded by Novartis and operated as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit.
How long does Novartis PAP approval take?
Most complete applications are processed within two to four weeks. Incomplete applications or missing income documentation extend the timeline. Call 1-800-277-2254 if you have not heard back within 30 days.
Can I get Entresto through the Novartis patient assistance program?
Yes. Entresto is covered by NPAF for qualifying uninsured and underinsured patients earning up to 500% of the federal poverty level. Commercially insured patients should first try the Entresto Central copay card before applying to NPAF.
Does the Novartis PAP accept Medicare patients?
Medicare Part D patients can apply if they are not enrolled in Extra Help and face significant out-of-pocket exposure. Many Medicare patients have better results with nonprofit copay foundations and the new Medicare Prescription Payment Plan instead.
Do I need a doctor to apply for the Novartis patient assistance program?
Yes. Your prescribing physician must complete the prescriber section of the enrollment form and sign it. Ongoing coordination with your doctor is required because medication typically ships to the prescriber’s office.
The Bottom Line
The Novartis patient assistance program, operated through the Novartis Patient Assistance Foundation, provides free specialty medications like Entresto, Cosentyx, Gilenya, and Kisqali to uninsured and underinsured patients earning up to 500% of the federal poverty level (higher for some oncology drugs). Apply at PatientAssistanceNow.com or call 1-800-277-2254, coordinate with your prescribing physician, and submit proof of income. Commercial insurance holders should use Novartis copay cards first, and Medicare patients should explore Extra Help and the 2026 M3P payment plan.