HealthWell Foundation Opens Fund to Assist Individuals Living with Bronchiectasis

GERMANTOWN, Md., Dec. 10, 2025 — The HealthWell Foundation^®, an independent non-profit charitable organization that provides financial assistance for underinsured Americans, has opened a new fund to assist individuals living with bronchiectasis. Through the new fund, HealthWell will provide up to $12,000 in medication copayment or insurance premium (Medicare Part B) assistance to eligible patients with annual household incomes up to 500 percent of the federal poverty level.

Bronchiectasis is a lung disease that may begin in childhood as a result of an infection or other illness that injures the airways in the lungs. The injury or infection starts a cycle in which airways slowly lose their ability to clear mucus. Mucus builds up and causes bacteria to grow, leading to repeated serious lung infections and further airway damage. Airways can become scarred and stretched, reducing the ability to move air in and out. Symptoms may not appear for months or years after the onset of repeated infections. Common comorbidities include nontuberculous mycobacterial (NTM) lung disease, primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD), and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

“Bronchiectasis is a chronic condition that requires proper treatment and management to help prevent lung infections and flare-ups. For some people living with the disease, treatments may be cost prohibitive, and many patients may go without simply because they cannot afford them,” said Elisha Malanga, Executive Director of the Bronchiectasis and NTM Association. “We applaud the HealthWell Foundation for recognizing the importance of supporting this community and for providing financial resources for those living with the condition so they can access and adhere to proper treatment regimens.”

Michael S. Heimall, FACHE, President & CEO of the HealthWell Foundation, commented on the new fund: “We are excited about the launch of this fund and to be able to bring financial relief to people living with bronchiectasis. Management of this disease can require multiple medications and treatments, many of which can present a financial challenge patients cannot endure. Mitigating those financial obstacles will allow patients to focus on treating their condition, not how they will pay for it. Thank you to our donors for recognizing this unmet need and for providing vital resources to ensure that no patient living with bronchiectasis has to forgo care because of the cost.”

Visit our Bronchiectasis Fund page to learn more. To learn about HealthWell Foundation programs and the full disease fund portfolio, visit HealthWellFoundation.org.

About the Bronchiectasis and NTM Association

The Bronchiectasis and NTM Association is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to improve the lives of people with bronchiectasis, nontuberculous mycobacterial lung (NTM) disease, or both conditions. The Association provides education, supports advocacy, furthers research, and advances high-quality, specialized care. For more information, visit www.bronchandntm.org.

About the HealthWell Foundation

A nationally recognized, independent non-profit organization founded in 2003 and a resource to the White House Cancer Moonshot Initiative, the HealthWell Foundation has served as a safety net across more than 90 disease areas for over 1.1 million underinsured patients. Since inception, HealthWell has provided more than $4.8 billion in financial support through over 1.8 million grants to help patients access treatments they otherwise could not afford. HealthWell assists adults and children facing medical hardship due to gaps in their insurance that cause out-of-pocket medical expenses to escalate. For more information, visit HealthWellFoundation.org.

Contact

Ginny Dunn
240-632-5309
[email protected]