To help spread the word about the assistance available, the PPA's "Help Is Here Express" buses continue to visit communities all over the country with trained specialists on board to provide information on how to access patient assistance programs.

"At a time when national unemployment is the highest in almost two decades, the PPA has become an important lifeline for a growing number of patients," PhRMA's Johnson said. "Millions of Americans have been added to the jobless rolls over the last several months and there could be a sharp increase in the number of people losing health care benefits.''

"PPA is helping thousands of people every day," Johnson added, including those who need treatments to fight such debilitating chronic diseases as cancer, heart disease, diabetes and asthma.

In Pennsylvania alone, there are millions of cases of chronic diseases, according to the Milken Institute and the Partnership to Fight Chronic Disease. Nationwide, more than 133 million Americans suffer from at least one chronic disease, which is responsible for seven out of every 10 deaths in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Many of the most debilitating chronic diseases are closely linked to excess weight - a fact that makes rising rates of childhood obesity particularly alarming. As the number of overweight and obese children has increased, so too has the incidence of some diseases that used to be virtually unknown among children, such as Type 2 diabetes.

In Pennsylvania, more than 28% of high school students are overweight, including 16% who are obese. Well over half of Pennsylvania high school students fail to meet recommended levels of physical activity. Obesity is a problem even among young children, especially children from low-income homes. More than 14% of low-income Pennsylvania children ages 2-5 are obese.

"With the number of people affected by chronic disease increasing every year, and economists predicting that unemployment will continue to grow well into 2009, the PPA and its message of hope are now more relevant than ever," PhRMA President and CEO Billy Tauzin said. "No one - and I mean no one - is helped by a medicine that sits on the shelf and is out of reach financially. In Pennsylvania, we will continue to help folks all over the state for as long as our assistance is needed."

SOURCE Partnership for Prescription Assistance