By Lauren McKinnon
People from all over the Mountain West receive care at University of Utah Hospital. For some, filling a prescription is easy. A wait in a well-worn chair and the crinkle of a white bag with a red logo is routine at best.
For others, the high cost of some prescriptions means making hard decisions: spend money on life-saving medications such as insulin or pay for rent, utilities, and food?
“Spending $150 on insulin is not uncommon,” says Christopher Hansen, PharmD, an outpatient pharmacy manager at University of Utah Health. “That’s someone’s food budget, right? You have a lot of patients who make the choice, ‘If I can’t afford it, I will just go without it,’ which is so dangerous.”
Going without medications can be fatal for the one in three Utahns who need insulin to stay alive. People with type 1 diabetes require multiple vials a month. In 2022, Utah enacted a state law that caps insulin copays at $30 a month for a 30-day supply.
But this leaves out the more than 275,000 Utahns who don’t have health insurance.
The Program at a Glance
In 2018, pharmacists at U of U Health noticed uninsured and under-resourced patients leaving their appointments without prescriptions. As a response, the Medication Support Services (MSS) program launched, using 340B Drug Pricing Program savings to provide more than 18,000 prescriptions to patients each year at U of U Health’s five main hospitals and 12 multi-specialty community clinics.
Originally, only patients without insurance qualified for Medication Support Services. However, U of U Health pharmacists noticed patients falling through the cracks—many couldn’t afford medications, even though they fit the criteria for certain insurance plans. “The program aimed to serve any individuals unable to afford their medications,” Hansen says. “MSS ensures they have access to necessary treatments.”
Qualifications and Criteria for Signing Up
To qualify, patients visiting U of U Health facilities are asked three questions: do you have insurance, what is your income, and how many people live in your household? After verified screening, if a person earns less than 150% of the federal poverty level, full payment is waived, no further questions asked. Translators are also available to help.
MSS works quickly. When a patient discloses to their provider or pharmacist that they need help paying for medications, the patient receives full coverage within minutes. Pharmacy technicians at University Hospital assist people who come in on the weekends or after regular office hours to ensure no one is overlooked.
If a patient leaves the hospital without communicating their need for MSS, over-the-phone screening is available. Patients living in rural areas who don’t have access to a U of U Health pharmacy can use mail pharmacy services. Patients can enroll for up to six months and receive a 30-day supply of medication at a time. If patients are still in need of medications after the six-month window, they can requalify for continued care.
Scope of Coverage
While controlled substances and high-dollar specialty medications are excluded, the list of medications covered by the MSS program continues to grow. The program even covers some over-the-counter options such as Tylenol, ibuprofen, or Benadryl. Picking those up from the University Hospital pharmacy can make all the difference in the world to a parent who visits the ER because their child is running a fever.
Other medications covered include inhalers, blood pressure medications, and diabetes medications, including insulin and continuous glucose monitors. The growing list of medications ensures patients can receive timely treatments for a variety of chronic illnesses.
Expansion of Mental Health Medications
The impact of MSS goes beyond the affordability of insulin. Huntsman Mental Health Institute’s new Kem and Carolyn Gardner Mental Health Crisis Care Center opened in March 2025, providing immediate mental health support and addiction recovery for anyone 18 and older.
Qualifying individuals receive free prescriptions for medications that help with anxiety, depression, and psychosis. This expansion of mental health services legitimizes mental health as an essential branch of health care. It also reflects U of U Health’s attention to the large quantity of people using MSS—just last year, over 500 people filled free prescriptions through the institute alone.
“For patients who have stopped taking their meds for a while or are arriving in crisis, MSS provides a barrier-free way for them to get back on medications,” says Anthony May, PharmD, MBA, pharmacy director at U of U Health.
Many of these medications are considered routine—but if the price is too high, patients often won’t take them.
Medication Support Services is made possible by the 340B Drug Pricing Program. U of U Health reinvests 340B savings in its patients to ensure everyone receives access to the care they deserve.
For the person who can now walk into the pharmacy, reach across the counter, and pick up their prescription, the impact goes further. Medication Support Services affirms the humanity in all of us.