Patient Assistance Programs

Welcome back! This blog provides financial resources and information for people living with cancer. In this post, I want to take a closer look at charitable patient assistance programs which can help pay for cancer treatments, co-pays, transportation, and other related costs.

Many charitable organizations offer financial assistance during cancer treatment. However, their funding is dependent on the donations that they receive. That means that there may be money available one month, but not the next. Your best bet is to check websites or call regularly to see if money is available. While financial assistance may be available from charitable patient assistance programs, often the amount of money is below $2,000 and typically offer one grant/patient/year. The funds are intended to support you for a short time during treatment. They are not the best choice if you need long term funding. Most programs offer financial navigators. They may be able to guide you to additional resources.

Below are some of the many programs that offer financial assistance:

HealthWell Foundation: 1-800-675-8416     https://www.healthwellfoundation.org/patients/                                        Provides assistance with prescription copays, health insurance premiums, deductibles, and coinsurance, travel costs and pediatric treatment costs. Available funds are diagnosis specific.

Patient Advocate Foundation: (855) 824-7941                                                                         https://www.patientadvocate.org/connect-with-services/financial-aid-funds/                                                                  Provides  grants up to $1,000. Current fully allocated funds are available for metastatic breast cancer patients.

Patient Advocate Foundation National Financial Resource Directory:                    https://www.patientadvocate.org/explore-our-resources/national-financial-resource-directory/                                              An online platform that generates a list of possible resources depending on your insurance status, age, diagnosis, state of residency, and type of assistance needed.

Leukemia & Lymphoma Society: 1-800-955-4572    https://www.lls.org/support/financial-support                                 Provides co-pay assistance programs as well as grants for financial aid.

The Assistance Fund: 1-855-845-3663    https://tafcares.org/patients/                                                                             Provides financial assistance for co-pays, deductibles, health insurance premiums and incidental medical expenses

CancerCare:  800-813-HOPE (4673)             https://www.cancercare.org/financial                                                           Provides financial resources to residents of NY, NJ, and Connecticut.

Good Days: (877) 968-7233   https://www.mygooddays.org/patients/assistance-types                                                   Provides financial assistance for health insurance premiums, diagnostic testing assistance, travel assistance and co-pays.

Patient Access Network Foundation:    1-866-316-7263    https://www.panfoundation.org/get-help/apply-for-assistance/     Provides financial assistance for co-pays, deductibles, health insurance premiums, and travel expenses. Available funds are diagnosis specific. Grants for some diagnosis can be significantly higher than other patient assistance programs.

The Pink Fund: 877.234.PINK (7465)           Pink Fund – Donate Now: Breast Cancer Financial Assistance                          Financial assistance for people living with breast cancer. 

Findhelp.org: online platform for social services  https://www.findhelp.org

Triage Cancer: additional financial resources: 

 https://triagecancer.org/cancer-finances-financial-assistance

If you do not have access to a computer, make a call to the program. The representatives will find the best assistance for you. Call them. They want to help!

I hope this information is helpful.  If you would like to continue this conversation, please click on the Subscribe button at the top of the Blog page. I would love to hear your comments as well as resources that have worked for you. Please share this information with your family and friends.

Keeping you in my prayers,

Jackie

For introductory information and to understand the mission of this blog, please see the Introduction at: Introduction | Living with cancer take my hand