A diagnosis of cancer is never easy, but it can be even more stressful when you’re struggling to pay for costly treatments and medications. For some patients, the financial burden is apparent at diagnosis, while for others, it builds up over the course of years of treatment. If you’re not sure where to turn for financial help, read on: There are government, nonprofit and private resources available—and people who can help you sort through the options.
Patients are often embarrassed to discuss financial issues, but they need to reach out. “People [need] to speak up before cancer becomes a tremendous financial crisis,” says Jane Levy, the director of Patient Assistance Programs for CancerCare, a national patient advocacy and support organization.
One place to start is with government programs. Medicaid provides health insurance for low-income individuals and families who meet its requirements. Since Medicaid laws vary from state to state, you’ll want to visit the Medicaid website to learn how the program operates in your state, says Levy. Patients with cancer may also qualify for Social Security disability benefits. Not all cancer patients are considered disabled, but those with advanced cancer are sometimes considered disabled by Social Security’s definition.
Another place to turn is your local hospital, where you may find programs that are available for uninsured and underinsured patients. The federal government’s Hill-Burton program provides funds to hospitals for free or low-cost services for low-income families. Most hospitals have financial counselors or a business office that may be able to help patients understand financial options, says Levy. It’s also a good idea to visit a hospital social worker, who could help you determine what assistance programs your hospital offers. Your hospital social worker can also help you understand your options and find other resources in your community.
Not all individuals qualify for government or low-income assistance, but there are many nonprofit and private organizations that provide financial aid and advice to patients facing cancer. CancerCare, for example, offers patients a number of support services, including financial assistance, says Levy. It provides small grants for medically related services, such as treatment and medication, and also works with organizations such as the Avon Foundation and Susan G. Komen for the Cure to offer generous grants for women with breast cancer. In addition to these grants, CancerCare social workers can help patients find assistance beyond CancerCare, including resources from state agencies and state-run treatment funds.
The Patient Advocate Foundation is another national organization that helps cancer patients deal with the financial difficulties of their illnesses. “We assist patients with chronic, debilitating or life-threatening illnesses….with [gaining] access to care,” says Cynthia Hucks, the executive vice president of patient service programs at the Patient Advocate Foundation. Among its support activities, the foundation runs the Co-Pay Relief Program, which assists insured patients with breast, lung and prostate cancer cover the costs of their prescription co-pays. Beyond its co-pay program, the Patient Advocate Foundation matches patients with case managers who can help patients explore other resources and insurance issues, such as denied claims, says Donna McQuistian Sternberg, the former executive vice president of patient services at the Patient Advocate Foundation. The organization also maintains a network of lawyers, the National Legal Resource Network, which can help patients who feel they have wrongly been denied coverage.
For help covering the cost of prescription drugs, patients can also contact the Partnership for Prescription Assistance. Made up of pharmaceutical companies, health care providers and advocacy groups, the partnership helps patients without prescription coverage obtain low-cost and free medicine.
Aside from medical and prescription coverage, many cancer patients face other financial needs during cancer treatment. Several national organizations can assist you with practical support, such as transportation, cost-of-living expenses and wigs. For instance, the American Cancer Society (ACS) operates local offices throughout the nation that patients can contact to explore various types of assistance. The United Way, like the ACS, also has locations in communities throughout the United States that can help patients find local services. Because it is has an international scope, the United Way is also a good resource for people living outside the United States.
In addition to organizations like the ACS and the United Way, which help people who are affected by any type of cancer, there are national groups that assist people with specific types of cancer, such as the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, or who fall into particular patient populations. One place to find these organizations is on our website’s list of support and advocacy groups.
Many local programs can also help you with non-medical expenses such as rent and child care. In many cases, cancer patients may be more likely to find non-medical assistance through these local organizations than national ones, says Donna Duncan, the executive director of the Linda Creed Breast Cancer Foundation in Philadelphia. The Linda Creed foundation, for example, maintains an emergency assistance fund that provides non-medical financial aid for qualified women in the Philadelphia region who are undergoing breast cancer treatment. In Oklahoma, patients with brain tumors can find financial help through the Oklahoma Brain Tumor Foundation. A good way to find resources that are available in your state is by searching the Patient Advocate Foundation’s State by State Financial Resource Guide.
Cancer can be a very expensive illness, and it’s important to find out what resources are available to you. If you’re concerned about the cost of your treatment, contacting an organization or a social worker for advice can help keep your financial concerns from becoming a financial crisis.
– Alanna Kennedy
Organizations and programs mentioned in this article:
American Cancer Society
Avon Foundation
CancerCare
Hill-Burton program
The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society
Linda Creed Breast Cancer Foundation
Medicaid
Oklahoma Brain Tumor Foundation
Partnership for Prescription Assistance
Patient Advocate Foundation
Social Security
Susan G. Komen for the Cure
United Way
Additional organizations to contact about financial aid or advice include:
CancerAndCareers.Org
The Center for Patient Partnerships
Corporate Angel Network
Health Resources and Services Administration
Lymphoma Research Foundation
Sarcoma Alliance
For more information on groups that might provide financial assistance, see the list of support and advocacy groups on the Survivors and Advocates website.
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financial help with cancer
Angel Foundation helps to pay for day-to-day living expenses such as rent, mortgage, groceries, gas, phone bills, and utility bills for cancer patients and their families. Before applying, keep in mind that we will only accept financial aid applications that follow the following guidelines.
Financial Assistance qualifications:
Must be over 18 years of age.
Must have a cancer diagnosis.
Must be in active treatment (chemotherapy, radiation, bone marrow transplant, hospice, pallative care or surgery with a recovery time in excess of four weeks.) Hormone therapy is not considered active treatment.
Must be living in or treated in the seven-county metro area of Minnesota--Ramsey, Dakota, Washington, Anoka, Hennepin, Carver and Scott.
Must meet the financial guidelines set by Angel Foundation.
Patient may only receive assistance once in a 24 month period.
If you would like to apply for a financial aid grant from Angel Foundation, print out the application below and fill out the patient information and release forms. A healthcare professional or a social worker must fill out the medical information form on behalf of a patient. Mail or fax the application to us at:
708 South Third Street, Ste. 105E
Minneapolis, MN 55415
or, Fax: 612.338.3018
If you have any questions, please contact us by phone (612.627.9000) or email (grants@MnAngel.org).
More questions? Click here for our Frequently Asked Questions page.
While you may or may not have insurance, there are times when you may need help with payment for your drug. Here are some times when that might happen. (Go directly to Drug Assistance Programs list.)
- When you have no insurance or have lost your insurance through a job change. If you have no coverage for the particular drug you are on or have no drug coverage at all, you should apply for assistance. Most of the drug companies have programs for their drug, particularly if it is a “brand name” drug. Use our Drug Assistance Programs to get the application and particulars for the drug or drugs that you are on.
- When you have no coverage for your particular drug. You may have coverage when your drug is given in the doctor’s office or hospital, but you have no prescription coverage. Or, you may have coverage for all drugs, but there is no coverage for your drug with your diagnosis. In both of these cases, you should apply for assistance. Click on the Drug Assistance Programs.
- When you think you cannot afford the out-of-pocket costs of your insurance. There is help for co-pays, premiums, deductibles, and other patient costs associated with cancer drugs. These are qualified by the particular cancer that you have. While all of these costs may not be covered, there may be some help for people with your diagnosis. Click on the Drug Assistance Programs.
What kind of help is available?
- For qualified patients, there is assistance with all aspects of drug payment. This means you can get qualified for “free” drugs, or you can find out if you are eligible for some other type of insurance. Qualification is based on your income and, in some cases, your medical expenses. There are some programs that may also ask you about your assets.
- For qualified patients, there may be help with the patient portion of your cancer drug bill. These programs are accessed by diagnosis and are available for patients in need. Bear in mind that most of the help for patients’ costs are for drugs that are given in your doctor’s office for cancer.
- For insured patients, lots of these programs will find out what your insurance covers. Cancer drugs can be expensive. So, it is good to find out each time you get a prescription if and how your insurance will pay.
- For many cancer drugs, all patients can call these programs at a toll-free number and find out about the costs for their drugs . This is a real service, which will cost you nothing and will give you financial peace of mind about your therapy or provide you with other alternatives.
- Many pharmaceutical companies provide free product samples to individual physicians or groups of physicians. Ask your doctor about the availability of free drug samples. You can learn more about the drug sampling programs of individual pharmaceutical companies by visiting their company websites.
What do I need to do to get help?
You need to be on a drug that has a patient program. We have two options you can look at—one for people who have no coverage (insurance) for their drug or think they might have no coverage and another for folks with trouble paying for their insurance’s share of cost.
- You need to provide financial and drug information. Most programs are based on federal poverty levels. This means you need to provide these programs with tax forms and/or bank statements that prove what your income is. They will figure out whether you qualify for their programs. Drug companies must establish that you are “in need” before providing assistance. The assistance will be drugs—not money.
- You need to fill out forms about your drug. In some programs, they want to know about your dose and other prescription information. In most cases, this is provided by the doctor. Some programs will ask you about all the drugs you take because they will subtract these from your income. This will make it easier to qualify.
What does it mean to be “in need”?
- Most programs use federal poverty levels by family size to qualify you for assistance. These poverty levels are a matter of public record and are on this page for your information. Most programs’ qualifying levels are not publicly available, but our experience tells us that they are set at 250 percent to 450 percent of federal poverty levels. Some programs adjust these for geography; some programs also have an asset qualification, which is described in more detail below.
- The Federal Poverty Guideline qualification is compared to your income as stated on your tax form. There may be adjustments for geography or extenuating circumstances in your finances as defined by the program.
- Some programs have an asset qualification. Assets are things like retirement funds, bonds, certificates of deposit, or vacation homes. They usually do not include your residence or car.
- Some programs will not cover you if they find insurance for you. Patients are always disappointed when they hear this, but the really good news about this is that insurance might cover your other medical costs.
How can I find out if I am “in need”?
- Check out our poverty level eligibility calculator. This will show you where you fall. Most programs will not cover you—depending on your medical expenses—if your household income is higher than 300 percent to 325 percent of federal poverty levels. That does not mean that you should definitely not call. Some of these programs might find other help for you. Additionally, they may know of other programs that you qualify for.
- Call the program by looking it up in our database (Help for Cancer Patients). You can look it up by drug name, brand name, or manufacturer. You can also find out some other information about the drug. There’s even an application there for some programs.
- File an application. Most of the time, you cannot file an application online. There is usually a requirement for a signature, but you can get an application through our website most of the time. You also should pull together your tax forms and/or pay stub.
