Sickle Cell Disease Association of America, Inc. (SCDAA) and MedicAlert Foundation are collaborating on a pilot program to improve the experience for people with sickle cell disease (SCD) who seek treatment for a pain crisis in an Emergency Department (ED).  

About the pilot

Every participant in the pilot program will receive:

• MedicAlert Smart Medical ID Card
  • The card uses a QR code to link to your MedicAlert health profile.
• 1 year Advantage Plus Protection Plan
  • Your membership plan includes a self-managed health profile, That’s where you store your SCD pain plan, contact details for your hematologist and other providers, as well as vital health information such as allergies, other medical conditions, medications you’re currently taking, surgical history, emergency contacts, and more.
  • By scanning the QR code, ED personnel will have immediate access to your health profile, including your SCD pain plan (if one is provided), as well as all the other important information in your record.  

The ID Card and protection plan are provided free of charge to participants. 

Our goal is to see if this tool makes getting the help you need in a pain crisis easier and faster for both you and ED personnel. To measure that, you’ll provide pre- and post-pilot information on your ED experiences, along with monthly check-ins. 

Please consider participating. With your help, we can establish tools that will benefit everyone living with sickle cell. If we prove the effectiveness of this approach, the goal for SCDAA and MedicAlert Foundation is to seek funding to greatly expand the program.

How to apply

See below for eligibility requirements for participants. We are adding new states as we continue to roll out the pilot. Please check back if your state isn’t currently listed.

Eligibility requirements

To be admitted to the program, you must:

• Have a confirmed sickle cell diagnosis
• Be age 18 or older
• Live in one of the following states: CA-California, CT-Connecticut, FL-Florida, GA-Georgia, IL-Illinois, LA-Louisiana, MA-Massachusetts, MI-Michigan, NJ-New Jersey, NY-New York, OH-Ohio, PA-Pennsylvania, SC-South Carolina, VA-Virginia
• Agree to always present your MedicAlert Smart ID Card when you go to an ED for a pain crisis
• Input your medical information and SCD pain plan into your MedicAlert digital health profile
• Complete a pre-pilot survey, post-ED visit survey, and post-pilot survey
• Agree to accept a monthly text message on your mobile phone regarding the pilot
• Be consistently responsive to program administrators

Getting started

1. Complete the Application form below
2. Complete the Pre-Pilot Survey (link at bottom of this page)
3. Once both forms are received, a representative from MedicAlert will reach out to confirm your participation