Shaping the MS Experience: Getting MRIs

Posted on March 11, 2022 by Selena Fisher

A part of the MS experience includes getting routine MRIs. This process can be both daunting and expensive. Did you know that MSAA’s MRI Access Program provides financial assistance for Cranial and C-Spine MRIs?

MSAA’s MRI Access Program assists with the payment of Cranial (brain) and C-spine magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans for qualified individuals who have no medical insurance or cannot afford their insurance costs and require an MRI to help determine a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis or evaluate current MS disease progression.

What does the program offer?

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MSAA’s MRI Access Program

Posted on July 9, 2021 by Selena Fisher

Did you know that MSAA’s MRI Access Program provides financial assistance for Cranial and C-Spine MRIs?

What does the program offer?

The MRI Access Program helps financially with New MRIs and Past MRIs up to a maximum of $750 per MRI. So, whether you need help paying for future MRIs or if you are staring at an MRI bill you recently received in the mail. MSAA’s MRI Access Program is here to help!

How do I apply?

It’s simple! You can either apply online directly through our website or you can fill out a paper application and send it back via email, mail, or fax.

• To apply online, click on this link https://mymsaa.org/msaa-help/mri/

• To print out a paper application, click on this link https://mymsaa.org/PDFs/app_mri.pdf

Are you mailing your application?

No problem! You can mail it to the following address:

Attn: MRI Access Program

375 Kings Highway North

Cherry Hill, NJ 08034

You can also fax your application to MSAA at 856-488-8257 or you can email it to MRI@mymsaa.org.

Want to learn more?

Feel free to give me a call at 800-532-7667 ext. 142, and I would be more than happy to answer any questions you might have.

I look forward to hearing from you!

Selena Fisher, Manager of Mission Delivery-MRI

Revealing the Mysteries behind Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)

Posted on October 31, 2018 by MSAA

The Multiple Sclerosis Association of America is proud to introduce the latest edition of The Motivator, available now in both print and digital editions! This edition’s cover story, “Revealing the Mysteries behind Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI),” covers how an MRI works, what it shows, the challenges it presents, and how the MRI is used to monitor disease activity.

Read an excerpt from our cover story here:

MS can sometimes be “clinically silent,” where active lesions are not causing any symptoms. However at other times, certain lesions observed through an MRI correspond specifically to some type of dysfunction, depending on where the lesion is located. For instance, a lesion on the optic nerve may cause optic neuritis, while a lesion on the brainstem can cause vertigo and/or double vision.

Lesions along the spinal cord cause very specific symptoms depending on their location, but in general, these typically relate to either motor (movement) or sensory (sensation) problems. When lesions occur within the anterior (front) portion of the spinal cord, motor or movement functions are affected. Difficulty with coordination and strength with moving one’s arms or walking are examples of symptoms that may occur. When lesions occur within the posterior (back) portion of the spinal cord, sensory problems are more likely. These might include numbness, tingling, burning, and/or loss of feeling, month other sensory issues.

Continue reading the cover story at support.mymsaa.org/motivator to learn more about MRI technology and how that helps monitor MS activity.

Meet the Clients – Changing Lives Monday to Sunday

Posted on April 12, 2017 by MSAA

To kick off MS Awareness Month, MSAA released the new video Changing Lives Monday to Sunday to show the impact the organization has on the MS community, and to showcase our commitment to our mission of Improving Lives Today.

Now, meet Cathy, Sara, and Simone – the three MSAA clients featured in the videos:

Hear from Cathy whose MS was causing heat sensitivity that drained her energy and kept her indoors in the air conditioning. Cathy decided to reach out to MSAA about our Cooling Program and received a cooling vest that allows her to get outside and feel re-energized.
Sara talks about how her diagnosis and subsequent disease progression left her feeling overwhelmed and uncertain. In order to get the MRI to prove that her disease was progressing and her symptoms were a result of her MS, Sara applied for MSAA’s MRI Access Fund which helped to pay for her necessary test.
After her diagnosis in 2015, Simone wanted to find a way to take care of her whole self, but she also wanted to help others with the same diagnosis. In her search for volunteer opportunities, Simone came across Swim for MS and dove right in, not only raising money for the MS community, but also finding support for herself and the freedom swimming gives her.

To learn more about any of these programs, please visit mymsaa.org

Let Us Help You Help Others.

Posted on July 28, 2014 by MSAA

by Kimberly Goodrich, CFRE, Senior Director of Development

In previous blog posts and articles in our magazine The Motivator, I have addressed the controversy over whether charity ratings are really helpful in giving a true picture of an organization’s effectiveness in meeting their mission.

Earlier this month, I attended a luncheon on this topic with Steve Nardizzi, CEO of Wounded Warrior Project (WWP). Nardizzi gave several examples where ratings from charity watchdogs were not helpful in determining if an organization is meeting its mission. In some cases the ratings were even misleading. One example was the Central Asia Institute, formerly run by Greg Mortenson co-author of Three Cups of Tea. When Mortenson was ordered to pay back over one million dollars in misused funds, his organization had a four star rating. How does this help us decide where our dollars should go?

This makes it harder for the donor. There is no one single number that tells us if an organization is doing a good job or not. We need to dig deeper and ask questions about goals and impact – not ratios. Ask about the people they help. Is that number growing? Are they feeding more people? Saving more forests?

WWP continues to grow despite mediocre ratings. Why? Because its supporters see the incredible impact they are having on the lives of wounded veterans. Eight years ago they had higher ratings, but only 10 million to spend on programs. By making a conscious effort to invest in fundraising, marketing, and staff, they now have lower ratings, but spend 176 million on programs for veterans. By ignoring the ratings and focusing their resources on their mission, more veterans are helped. And really, isn’t that what it’s all about?

At MSAA our mission is to improve the lives of those living with MS. Like WWP, the amount we spent on fundraising went up. Some think this is bad. However, this increased fundraising helped our overall rating to go up. This increase in fundraising led to a significant increase in revenue (16.5% growth last year). This increased revenue in turn allowed us to help more people living with MS. Our toll-free Helpline assisted 6% more people. We provided ongoing MRI assistance to 9% more people, and diagnostic MRI assistance to 70% more people than the year before. Our mobile phone app was downloaded by an additional 7,000 people who now use it to track their symptoms and improve their daily lives. These are increases we are proud of and that make the decision to invest in additional fundraising streams worthwhile.

What numbers would mean the most to you? How do you think we should decide if an organization is meeting its mission and therefore worthy of our donations? We’d like to hear your thoughts. Help us help you to help others.

*About Kimberly

I am the Senior Director of Development at MSAA and have worked in the nonprofit arena for over 15 years. I love reading, running, theatre and the Green Bay Packers. I volunteer with the Disabled American Veterans teaching outdoor sports like skiing and kayaking to injured veterans and find that I receive much more from them than I am able to give.

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