In some cases, they said, patients whose biographical information was altered might have ultimately qualified for Medicaid without the changes.

Traditionally, before a patient can qualify as a donor it must be declared that there is no brain function.

Eventually it was decided that only lucid patients who could take their medicines themselves would qualify for help.

Drug companies have plans that provide drugs for the destitute, but many patients do not qualify.

Even when a patient does qualify, the doctor must spend hours on telephone calls and paper work to get the patient enrolled in the program.

Virtually every mental patient on the street now qualifies for some form of public assistance (see chart).

Even among that group, many patients would not qualify for the drug because of other factors.

Not every patient will qualify to participate in research programs, which could spur renewed trips to the courthouse.

Empire said it estimated that 500 to 1,000 patients would qualify for the review process each year.

In the past, such patients have not qualified because they are not considered by some to be suffering "unbearably."