Cancer is difficult physically, emotionally and financially.
Being diagnosed with cancer is life-changing and scary for patients and their loved ones. Unfortunately, in addition to the physical and emotional burdens are the financial burdens, and treatment for cancer can get very expensive. To ease the financial pain of cancer, there are many organizations to turn to. There are different types of aid offered by these organizations, including assistance for treatment, general medical care, health insurance and disability compensation.
Treatment
The cost of cancer treatment has been on the rise for decades and will continue to go up. The National Cancer Institute (NCI) estimated $72.1 billion was spent on cancer treatment in 2004, which is just under five percent of all medical costs. Anyone undergoing cancer treatment can expect to spend a minimum of a couple thousand dollars on treatment at the very least. There are several organizations to turn to for financial assistance for the cost of treatment. The American Cancer Society (ACS) offers assistance to patients and their families as does the Cancer Financial Assistance Coalition (CFAC) and CancerCare (see Resources).
General Medical Assistance
Many cancer patients, in addition to treatment for their specific illnesses, need financial assistance for other medical problems that may arise from cancer or cancer treatment. With the cost of treatment eating up their funds, paying for regular doctor visits may become an additional hassle. A program that provides general medical assistance is the Hill-Burton Program. This program donates money to hospitals that provide ample care to patients who can't afford to pay for hospital stays. Other programs that offer general medical assistance are Catholic Charities USA, GovBenefits.gov and the Salvation Army.
Health Insurance
For cancer patients without health insurance, there are organizations out there to help. The Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) provides low-cost health insurance for children whose families don't make enough money for private health insurance but make too much to qualify for Medicaid. The CancerCare Co-Payment Assistance Foundation assists patients who can't afford to pay their insurance co-payments for medications. Another organization that helps with co-payments is the Patient Advocate Foundation with its Co-Pay Relief Program, which helps insured patients with breast, lung and prostate cancer when they can't afford co-pays for medication.
Social Security
Patients with advanced cancer may qualify for Social Security disability benefits. Social Security defines being disabled as being unable to work because of a medical condition for a period of at least one year. Persons who are disabled receive a monthly income from Social Security to help pay for food, clothes and shelter. GovBenefits.com also offer financial assistance for disabled cancer patients.
Other Types of Assistance
Financial assistance for cancer patients is also provided for those who need lodging during treatment, who need help with practical needs such as transportation and rent, and who need help paying for medication and screening. The type of aid a patient seeks will depend on the person's age, financial situation, type of cancer and what the aid will be used for. NCI has a list of sixty organizations and programs providing financial aid for cancer patients.
Tags: cancer patients, cancer treatment, Social Security, general medical, health insurance, cost treatment, financial assistance
