The financial stresses we experience as cancer patients
get in the way of our healing.
I was diagnosed with stage 4 ovarian cancer in 2004.
During my many long aggressive chemo sessions, whenever I had the opportunity, I invited my fellow ‘sisters and brothers’ to tell me their stories. I so appreciated that they let me into their lives. We shared a deep and honest space.
Patients told me of their profound sense of helplessness and hopelessness.
They suffered intense feelings of isolation, distrust, anger, fear, and sadness.
More than expressing a fear of dying, they worried the very most about money.
They suffered distress that if they told their oncologists that they had little money, they would be turned away and not receive treatment.
If they had insurance, they worried that the policies were not sufficient.
They worried about telling their employers and likely losing their jobs.
They worried about not being able to pay for basic living expenses.
Some told me they had to choose between buying their medications or putting food on the family table. They chose food … and they never told their doctors that they weren’t taking their meds.
They feared that they would go bankrupt.
One man told me he considered suicide because he was a ‘financial burden’ to his family.
They were experiencing so much fear and anxiety about money. This was unacceptable to me. And certainly unthinkable in this country.
I made a vow. I knew that financial assistance was out there somewhere. I was determined to ‘find the money’ and make the resources accessible to the cancer community. And I went to work doing the research, finding the resources, meeting amazing people who wanted to be part of this effort.
Nancy’s List Financial Assistance Program
I am a clinical psychologist. I am convinced that emotional healing plays a significant role in the healing of our bodies. If we can mitigate the financial stresses for a person who is living with cancer, we have a far better chance of healing from cancer.
My wish is to connect persons who are living with cancer with the appropriate financial resources so that they can do what they need to do … focus on their healing.
This resource is used by many patients as well as practitioners, healing centers, social workers, and patient navigators … reflecting the immense need to address the critical importance of financial support to the healing process.
There are so many ways to negotiate with the hospitals, to find medications for free or at huge discounts, scholarships for kids who have had cancer or had a parent with cancer. There are free camps for kids and retreats for adults. There are many resources to help cancer patients with living expenses, food, dental and vision care, home health and caregiving, transportation and travel, and wonderful wish fulfillment organizations. I want everyone to know …
Assistive Technology
Dental Care
Food
Home Healthcare and Caregiving
General Living Expenses
Legal Resources
Medical Expenses … Medications, Co-Pays, Insurance, Hospital Bills, Billings
Retreats
Scholarships
Transportation, Travel Expenses, and Lodging
Vision and Hearing Care
Wish Fulfillment Organizations
Please contact me at [email protected] if you know additional resources that should be listed.
We know the bad news … the cost of cancer care in this country is appalling.
Here is the good news … there are many foundations, corporations, non-profits, and just ordinary great people who are committed to making the cancer experience more affordable … and stress-free.
I want to help persons who are living with cancer get the best outcome, physically as well as emotionally. It is in that spirit that we as a community offer our hands and hearts and our personal experiences so that we can provide hope when you have lost yours.
It takes creativity, persistence, and awareness to access the information about where to find these resources. But all of us who have been “through the fire” when we receive a cancer diagnosis acquire special skills. We learn how to ‘mine adversity’, sharpen our perceptions, be open to possibilities, confront reality, and we never give up. Financial stress is just an ‘add-on’ and we can learn how to play the system.
I have some useful tips that will mitigate some of the stress of the cancer experience.
When you get your diagnosis, just breathe and keep breathing. There is too much information, too much trauma and drama, and just be as still as you can be. You will be able to take in the information in a short amount of time, but now … just breathe.
And when your friends and family offer their help, say YES … especially to anyone who has a little financial savvy and a big dose of commitment to doing the paperwork, analyzing and paying your bills, checking out your insurance and information about payment plans, putting in a claim for disability … doing the ‘dirty work’ for you.
At the same time, find out who the financial counselors and social workers are at your hospital and make appointments, preferably along with your ‘designated friend’ who will be taking care of your financial responsibilities. Ask a zillion questions.
Have your best buddy go to the internet and check out Triage Cancer, Ask Bertha, Nancy’s List, Family Reach, Cancer Support Community, Patient Advocate Foundation, Needy Meds, and many more listed below. They have posted many financial resources, locally and nationally, that are available to you and those who will love and care for you.
There are many resources that are cancer-specific (bladder, brain, breast, colon and colorectal cancers, etc.), population-specific by ethnicity …(African Americans, Asian Americans, Latinas and Latinos, LGBTQ, Native Americans), and by age groups … children, teens, young adults, men, women).
And keep breathing … big long breaths. They will soothe your soul.
Tell your doctor immediately if you are concerned about financial issues. Your doctor can expedite your meeting with the financial counselor at your hospital.
Always tell your doctor if you aren’t taking your meds because you can’t afford them. He or she may prescribe generic medications rather than more costly ones and even offer you information about prescription assistance programs where you may get your meds for free. Every pharmaceutical has a patient assistance program. I always suggest that people connect with Needy Meds, a wonderful group. Ask for Carla who is a fine resource.
I love Patient Advocate Foundation. I just helped a woman who had received a questionable and huge medical bill. It was causing her great distress because she couldn’t resolve the problem. I had her call PAF. They immediately assigned a case worker who will deal with the vendor.
One of my favorites … Cleaning for a Reason. These women will clean your home for free once a month for 4 months while you are in treatment. This is super wonderful.
There are organizations, both private and government entities, who can support you with food, dental care, general living expenses, legal resources, co-pays and other medical expenses, vision and hearing care, transportation, travel expenses, lodging, and more. I am especially grateful for the many people who commit to enhancing the quality of the lives of kids, teens, young adults, and their families, through camps as well as retreats, adventures, and vacations. I am impressed that significant scholarship money is available to teens who have had cancer or have a parent with cancer. I want you to know about the many wish fulfillment organizations for children and adults.
Always know … you can negotiate with providers and hospitals. A couple of examples from my own experience …
One of my clients came to me, very distressed, holding a huge bill from a hospital in San Francisco where she had received a cancer procedure. The young woman was a college student without insurance or funds. I suggested she go to the Finance Director at the hospital and simply say,
I cannot pay this bill.
I am willing to pay you $5 a month for the rest of my life to handle this responsibility.
Surprising to both of us, the Director smiled and said,
That’s a deal.
And a personal experience … When I was treated for cancer, I had a fancy PPO. It did not cover many of my treatments. I received statements in the tens of thousands. I finally finally finally found out that there was a Financial Assistance program at my hospital. I negotiated the bills very successfully. You can NEGOTIATE with hospitals.
NOW … a New York Times fundraising scoop!!
Casey McIntyre organized a campaign that has raised nearly $220,000 since she died a week ago. The funds are expected to pay off more than $20 million in debt, an official said.
A 38-year-old woman with ovarian cancer who started a campaign to help people pay off their medical debt has raised more than $200,000 in the week since she died.
Two days after the woman, Casey McIntyre, died on Nov. 12, a post appeared on her social media accounts, saying: “A note to my friends: if you’re reading this I have passed away.”
“The cause was stage four ovarian cancer,” the note read. “I loved each and every one of you with my whole heart and I promise you, I knew how deeply I was loved.”
Ms. McIntyre asked for donations to a campaign to pay off the medical debt of others. By Sunday morning, the campaign had raised nearly $220,000.
“Me and Casey’s family are stunned,” her husband of eight years, Andrew Gregory, said of the money that had been raised so far. “We’re overwhelmed, and it’s been really powerful to see the response to people wanting to eliminate strangers’ medical debt.”
Ms. McIntyre’s campaign is on a website called RIP Medical Debt, which uses data analytics to find households with medical debt that have income below four times the federal poverty level or have debts that make up 5 percent or more of their annual income.
The organization buys debt in bundles “at a steep discount,” which means each donation relieves “about 100 times its value in medical debt,” according to its website.
“In general, $1 donated does abolish $100 of medical debt,” said Daniel Lempert, the vice president of communications for RIP Medical Debt. On Saturday when the funds raised at that point were just under $200,000, he said, “As it stands, that’ll probably abolish somewhere in the neighborhood of $19 million.”
Mr. Lempert said Ms. McIntyre’s campaign was the first the organization had seen that was planned by someone to take place posthumously.
“As far as a fund-raiser, I don’t know if we’ve ever seen something kind of raise as much money as Casey’s campaign has as quickly as it has,” he said.
The organization has paid $10.4 billion of medical debt for more than seven million people, according to its website.
More than 20 million people in the United States have “significant” medical debt, owing at least $195 billion in total, according to a 2022 survey from the Peterson Center on Healthcare and KFF.
Around 16 million people owe at least $1,000 in medical debt, while around three million people owe more than $10,000, according to the survey.
Ms. McIntyre was inspired to start the campaign because she had felt lucky to have access to excellent medical care at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, but she was “keenly aware that so many in our country don’t have access to good care,” she wrote on social media.
WOW!!!
Tips From Friends of Nancy’s List …
DON’T BE AFRAID TO ASK FOR HELP.
Find the financial counselors in your hospital as soon as you can. Talk to your social workers.
At the very moment when friends and family ask how they can be helpful, stare into the eyes of persons in that group and ask an especially ambitious person to take care of your finances … paying the bills, applying for disability, working with the financial counselor, whatever it takes … so that you can totally focus on your healing.
Needy Meds offers great financial help for meds.
Patient Advocate Foundation knows everything. One friend of Nancy’s List shared that she was diagnosed with cancer and couldn’t work. She met with a social worker who told her about the Medi-Cal program for breast and cervical cancer, local resources for alternative and complementary treatments, and available grants. The wonderful social worked even helped her fill out the paperwork.
Corporate Angel Network … their name says it all! Ask commercial airlines for patient accommodations. One friend found Delta to be the most accommodating. Southwest has a program for cancer patients.
Triage Cancer – invaluable, especially for legal issues and a free Checklist for Finding Financial Help.
CancerCare published A Helping Hand, a free resource guide containing financial assistance information and contacts.
AirBnB has a program to support cancer patients and their caregivers when traveling for care.
Check with your state Medicare representative.
Paying Bills
You don’t have to pay a bill until you receive your explanation of benefits (EOB) from your insurance company. Many times, the bill is different than the insurance statement. By all means, if you notice an error or believe an error was made on the medical bill or the EOB, do call and inquire.
Ask to not be sent to collections until the bill is straightened out (and take notes who and when you spoke with someone). Sometimes it takes months to get a bill straightened out.
If you are billed for something that your insurance didn’t authorize, find out why. Can you appeal or negotiate?
Check out monthly payment plans with your hospital.
Speak with creditors and/or utility providers. Believe it or not, they do have compassion. It might take speaking to a few different people to get an answer, but they are willing to defer payment, set up payment plans, etc.
One must inquire about financial assistance in most medical facilities. This info is not standard information given to patients.
And click here to see how a Financial Navigator can be helpful. Amanda Borges-McCay is the Financial Oncology Navigator at Sutter Health Memorial Medical Center in Modesto, California.
FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE IN THE TIME OF COVID
I know that cancer patients feel especially vulnerable in the time of COVID … because we are. We need support now more than ever.
I researched a list of cancer foundations and support organizations. Once again, I am impressed by the determination of so many extraordinary people who wish to be helpful to those living with cancer.
The list is very extensive AND very fluid. Some of these foundations have temporarily closed because they no longer have funding. Keep checking on the links to the organizations since the situation is always changing.
FINANCIAL TOXICITY
Cancer patients shouldn’t be responsible for out-of-pocket costs
By May 23, 2023
The Everyday Impacts of Financial Toxicity on the Cancer Community
Source: Family Reach
38 Percent of Americans Delayed Medical Care Due to Cost in 2022, a Record High
Financial Toxicity After a Cancer Diagnosis — Its Impact & Factors
Changes Needed to Address Financial Hardship from Cancer
ARTICLES OF INTEREST
Medicare Begins to Rein in Drug Costs for Older Americans
The Cancer and Covid-19 Financial Crisis Club
Financial Lifelines
Financial Lifelines for People with Cancer During the Pandemic
Pricing a Year of Life by Susan Gubar
From Insurance Claim Denials to Smiles, Payment and Feeling Empowered
Cost of Cancer by Suleika Jaouad\
Medical Bills, Insurance and Uncertainty by Suleika Jaouad
5 Ways to Avoid Cancer Metastasizing to Your Wallet by Dena Stern
Triage Cancer Navigating Finances
These materials and resources will teach you about avoiding the financial burden of a cancer diagnosis (often referred to as financial toxicity), managing medical bills and debt, paying for prescriptions, finding financial help, budgeting, and more.
If you are looking for direct financial assistance, please see our database of Financial Assistance Resources. Triage Cancer does not provide direct financial assistance.
While these materials and resources are designed for individuals diagnosed with cancer, caregivers, and health care professionals, they are helpful to anyone with a serious medical condition, or anyone who wants to learn about how to manage their finances.
Quick Guides, Checklists, & Other Materials
These Quick Guides, Checklists, Worksheets, and other materials, present information in a brief, easy-to-digest, printable format to take some of the stress out of navigating cancer and finances. If you are looking for more comprehensive information, see our Practical Guides to Cancer Rights.
Many of our materials and resources are available in Spanish.
Health care professional? Order bulk copies for free!
- Quick Guide to Bankruptcy
- Quick Guide to Crowdfunding
- Quick Guide to Getting & Paying for Prescription Drugs
- Quick Guide to Life Insurance
- Quick Guide to Managing Debt
- Quick Guide to Managing Medical Bills
- Quick Guide to Charity Care
- Quick Guide to Managing Student Loans
- Quick Guide to Accessing Mental Health Care
- Checklist: Avoiding Financial Toxicity
- Checklist: Finding Financial Help
- Checklist: Getting Organized
- Health Insurance Plan Comparison Worksheet
- Medicare Plan Comparison Worksheet
- Financial Big Picture (Note: This will open as an Excel document)
- Medical Bill Tracker (Note: This will open as a Google Doc)
- Pharmaceutical Assistance Programs – Prescription Drugs
- Disability Insurance Resource Hub
- Practical Guides to Cancer Rights
2023 Animated Videos & Webinars
For tips on how to manage your medical bills and avoid unnecessary expenses – before and after you receive care – watch our Managing Medical Bills animated video. If you are interested in more detailed information, then our webinars are for you!
Drug Discount Card
The Triage Cancer drug discount card can help you save up to 80% off the cash price of prescriptions, over-the-counter medications and supplies written as prescriptions, and human-equivalent pet medications. Users can also save 40% off medical equipment.
One-on-One Help
Triage Cancer has a free Legal & Financial Navigation Program that provides one-on-one assistance on a variety of topics, including navigating finances, to empower you to confidently take next steps.
Cancer Finances
CancerFinances is designed to help guide you through some key topics that may impact your financial situation. Whether you are newly diagnosed or many years past active treatment, this site can help. By answering a few questions, the tool will guide you to the information most relevant to you.
Options When Newly Diagnosed
Caregiving
Clinical Trials
COVID-19 & Cancer
Disability Insurance
Education
Employment
Estate Planning
Family Building
Financial Assistance Resources
Health Insurance
Navigating Health Insurance
Health Insurance Appeals
Life Insurance
Managing Finances
Managing Prescription Drug Costs
Paying for Long-Term Care
Understanding Genetics
More Tools for Navigating Finances
- IRS Taxpayer Advocate Service
- Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
- Sample Letters to Deal with Debt Collectors
- Credit Reports
- Find a Financial Planner
- How to Live on a Low Income: A Resource and Benefit Guide
- Pay Less for Prescription Drugs
- Financial Resources from Federal Agencies and Organizations
- American Bar Association – Understanding Your Credit Score
- American Bar Association – Money Management
- Automatic Student Loan Forgiveness for People with Disabilities
- Deferment for Cancer Treatment for Direct Loan, FFEL, & Perkins Loan
- FEMA Emergency Financial First Aid Kit
NEW Resource: Military, Veterans, and Cancer
Members of the U.S. Military and U.S. Veterans have access to specific benefits, programs, and resources that may be useful after a cancer diagnosis. It is valuable to access the benefits available to you and to understand how they may work with other benefits that you have. For example, you may have access to health insurance through your military service, and also be eligible for Medicare.
Our new Military, Veterans, & Cancer resource page shares information about Military health insurance, Veterans Administration programs, and other helpful resources for members of the U.S. Military, Veterans, and their families. This page shares information about Military health insurance, Veterans Administration programs, and other helpful resources.
Many of our materials and resources are also available in Spanish.
The Cancer Support Community
Our toll-free Cancer Support Helpline is for anyone affected by cancer.
Our navigators are available and ready to assist you, whether you are looking for cancer resources and information or someone to talk to about the emotional and social worries that cancer can sometimes bring into our lives.
Call 888 793 9355 and online via our live chat service.
The Cancer Support Community is here to help you by offering free navigation for cancer patients or their loved ones by phone and online.
The Cancer Support Helpline is staffed by community navigators, resource specialists and specialized navigators who have over 170 years of combined experience helping people affected by cancer. The Helpline provides guidance, resources and support to cancer patients or their loved ones with a variety of needs—from getting information about cancer, identifying a local support group or just finding someone who is willing to listen. We speak your language! We provide help with coping in over 200 languages.
Cancer Support Helpline services include:
- Connecting callers to local or national resources, including support groups, transportation services and other programs
- Short-term cancer coping assistance
- Short-term housing resources
- Treatment decision planning
- Financial navigation regarding the costs of cancer and its treatments
- Specialized information and navigation in pediatric oncology, finances, clinical trials, and genetics/genomics
- Access to an online distress screening program, CancerSupportSource®
- General information about the Cancer Support Community
The Cancer Support Helpline’s experienced team of professionals includes specialized navigators who are available by appointment. They are trained in assisting people in the following areas:
Clinical Trials
Our Clinical Trials Navigator serves as a resource to patients and families seeking general information about cancer clinical trials, including referrals to resources related to clinical trials. Our Clinical Trials Navigator can also offer tips on discussing clinical trials with a healthcare team and how to find a clinical trial.
Genetics/Genomics
Our Genetics/Genomics Navigator provides education and navigation for patients and families concerned about issues related to genetics/genomics and cancer, including referrals to resources.
Pediatric Oncology
Our Pediatric Oncology Navigator assists people with psychosocial issues related to pediatric and young adult cancer, including providing referrals to resources. Services also include education and navigation for families and children over the age of 18 who have been touched by childhood, adolescent, or young adult cancer.
Financial
Our Financial Navigator assists people with financial issues related to cancer, including providing referrals to resources that may help with cancer-related treatment expenses. Services also include tips on how to manage treatment-related costs, how to communicate with healthcare providers about the cost of care and payment, and understanding insurance benefits.
Understanding Cancer Costs
Understanding what costs to expect is an important first step in gaining a sense of control. It is difficult to form a plan for managing costs until you understand what to expect. Potential expenses that you may want to ask your health care team about are:
- Physician/Provider
- Treatment-Related
- Prescriptions
- Clinical Trials
- Home Health Care and Home Hospice Care
- Rehabilitation Care
- Private Duty, Long Term and Custodial Care
- Psychotherapy & Counseling
- Family and Living
- Transportation
- Legal
Practical Tips for Gathering Information
Make sure that you and your providers submit any bills to your insurance company in a timely manner. Many insurance companies will not pay a claim submitted after the time period specified in the policy.
Submit all medical expenses even if you aren’t sure whether they are covered. If you don’t submit it, the insurance company definitely won’t pay it.
Review bills and keep accurate records of claims submitted, both pending and paid. This usually includes matching bills you receive from providers with Explanations of Benefits (EOBs) you receive from the insurance company.
Keep copies of anything related to your claims. You can do this yourself, or you can ask a friend or family member to help. (Ask someone who is organized). Examples of items you should have on file include: medical bills from all health care providers; claims filed; reimbursements or payments from insurance companies received and EOBs; dates, names, and outcomes of contacts made with insurers and others; non-reimbursed or outstanding medical and related costs; dates of admission to hospitals or other health care facilities, clinic visits, laboratory work, diagnostic tests, procedures, treatments; medications received and prescriptions filled .
Get a notebook or accordion folder to record all of your expenses, conversations with the insurance company, doctor’s appointments, exams, and other pertinent information (e.g., the date, time and with whom you spoke, what they said and contact information, how long spent on the call).
There are a number of resources in the cancer community to help you organize this information. For example, the LIVESTRONG Guidebook is available free of charge (shipping and handling charges will apply) to anyone affected by cancer (www.livestrong.org/guidebook).
Pick a certain day to be ‘health care bill day.’ Use this allotted time to work on the task of keeping everything organized. This will help to compartmentalize the task and keep it from taking over your everyday life.
Identify an easily accessible place in your house that will not be disturbed by others where you can store your bills, paperwork, and other items.
Tips for Managing the Cost of Cancer Treatment
Worries about costs of care are common when you are facing a cancer diagnosis. Learn how to talk about the financial side of cancer and where to go for help.
- The first step in managing the cost of cancer treatment is to seek help.
Do you have a friend or family member who can help you? If not, ask your doctor to refer you to an oncology social worker, a financial counselor, or a nonprofit organization for help managing financial issues and cancer costs. Many people diagnosed with cancer ask someone else for help to keep up with the financial aspects of cancer care. The key is that someone must address these issues.
- Learn Ways to Manage Your Cancer Costs
Understanding what costs to expect is an important first step in gaining a sense of control. It is difficult to form a plan for managing costs until you understand what to expect.
- Get Key Details About Health Insurance for Cancer Patients
If you have health insurance, it’s important to understand the specifics of your policy. If you do not have health insurance, there are some options that might be available to you.
- Discover Tips to Balance Employment and Cancer
A cancer diagnosis does not necessarily mean that you will need to work less or leave your job, although some people do. It’s important to talk with your healthcare team and also consider your own priorities.
When you or a loved one has cancer, you are focused on the disease, treatment, and doctors. Many people forget to ask questions that can help them to manage the costs associated with facing cancer—important questions like “How much will this cost?” and “How can I manage the costs?”
The Cancer Support Community (CSC) has prepared a helpful booklet to help you understand the financial aspects of a cancer diagnosis. We hope that the booklet will help you learn more about your options, know what questions to ask, and take control of your treatment and costs. The booklet topics include:
- Terms You Should Know
- Insurance Issues
- Questions to Help You Lower Costs of Care
- Other Resources for Patients Related to Costs of Cancer Care and Support
- Asking for Help
- Common Medical Costs
- Practical Tips to Help You Lower Cost of Care
- Help with the Cost of Special Cancer Drugs
- Patient Assistant Programs and Resources
- Cancer Support Community Resources
Community Resources
Your city, county, or state government may have helpful resources.
To find out more about programs such as Section 8 Housing, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Senior Housing, contact your local department of Social Services.
Faith-based organizations and some hospitals may also provide help.
The website www.survivorshipatoz.org is a great source for additional information.
Other Possible Sources to Help Pay Cancer Costs
Most people still find unexpected expenses even after maximizing health insurance benefits and income options. Depending on your situation, you may have other options for income:
- Retirement funds: Such as a 401(k) or IRA.
- Reverse mortgage: A loan to a homeowner that allows the owner to get cash from the equity in the property as one lump sum or multiple payments.
- Life insurance: There are a variety of ways to obtain cash from your life insurance; different options may be available depending on the type of policy you have.
Keep in mind that options such as cashing in retirement accounts or life insurance policies should be considered very carefully. It is recommended that you seek the advice of a financial professional or advisor when making these decisions. However, for some people who have accrued substantial debt through the course of treatment, these options can provide welcome relief.
The strain of being in debt can be tremendous. If bill collectors are calling or you are receiving notices that bills have been sent to collection, www.survivorshipatoz.org has excellent suggestions for managing medical debt and negotiating with creditors.
Tips for Choosing a Financial Advisor
Financial advisors and planners can be very helpful as you manage the cost of cancer care, and it is very important to find a qualified professional.
Coping with the cost of care will look different for each person. Sometimes declaring bankruptcy is the best option. Sometimes individuals can negotiate with creditors to either decrease the amount owed or lengthen the period of the loan. A good financial advisor can help you identify options if you find you are accruing substantial medical debt.
You may want to ask:
- About the professional’s credentials. Three common credentials in this profession are CFP (Certified Financial Planner), ChFC (Chartered Financial Consultant), and PFS (Personal Financial Specialist).
- Whether the professional has experience working with individuals with cancer
- The number of years of experience of the professional
- What issues the professional sees as most important in your situation. What financial planning process would the professional recommend in your situation
Tips from Christina, a Financial Navigator for our Cancer Support Hotline …
Christina was catching some exercise on her stationary bike one morning when she received a text with the news she had been hoping for. A leukemia-focused nonprofit was notifying her that some funding had just opened in its co-pay assistance program.
Christina, a Financial Navigator for our Cancer Support Helpline, was thrilled. “The planets aligned that day,” she says.
Part of Christina’s role as a Financial Navigator is connecting callers with resources that may help with their cancer-related treatment expenses. Her hope was that the leukemia foundation’s funding would help a man who needed a specific and expensive medication to treat his leukemia.
A few days earlier, the man’s son had called the Helpline seeking guidance. “His dad, who lived several states away, had a Medicare Part D plan with a substantial co-pay,” recalls Christina. “I think it was stressful for him, as a caregiver and a son, to be far away from his dad, not knowing if it was going to be okay.” Christina immediately thought of the leukemia nonprofit and its co-pay assistance program. But that day the program had no available funding. From experience, Christina knew that funding might open any day — or it could take months. It is impossible to predict exactly when and for how long funds from any resource will be available. So, she waited. And she hoped.
Fast forward a few days later to the moment Christina received the text that funding was now available. Wasting no time, she jumped on a call with the leukemia non-profit to confirm the news. In these cases, she explains, “I provide basic eligibility screening to be sure that [patients] meet criteria for funding.” Then she contacted the patient’s son to tell him the good news and how to apply.
Within 2 hours, the man’s father was approved for the funding and was able to get his medication. “I was so happy that day,” Christina says.
Financial stressors like medical bills, health insurance, and household expenses are one of the top reasons callers reach out to our Helpline seeking support and guidance. For patients and their families, facing a cancer diagnosis can be overwhelming. Add cancer care costs to the experience, and it may feel like you are carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders.
Christina has observed, first-hand, the distress it can cause. She is a licensed clinical social worker and a board-certified oncology social worker who has been working with cancer patients and their families for more than 20 years. “Financial distress weighs on the psychosocial health of people,” she says.
In our own research, 7 out of 10 participants in our Cancer Experience Registry survey reported that no one from their healthcare team spoke to them about the cost of their care. In addition, 1 out of 3 depleted their savings or used money from retirement to cover treatment costs, and 1 out of 10 postponed filling their prescriptions to reduce costs.
For many people, asking for help can be difficult, and not everyone feels comfortable talking about their financial concerns. As a Financial Navigator, Christina helps normalize these conversations. “I say to people, ‘I understand that talking about money is not something we feel comfortable doing, but you took the first step by making this call. If, at any time, my questions feel uncomfortable for you, just let me know and we’ll stop.’”
My goal is to normalize talking
about your financial health and distress
in a cancer setting
and to empower you to make changes
to improve your situation.
— Christina,
Financial Navigator,
Cancer Support Helpline
Christina and Aimee, another Financial Navigator on the Helpline, frequently research potential new resources that may help support Helpline callers with their concerns about cancer costs, including national, state, and local resources. Christina helped one caller save $140 a month on his medication costs after finding the medication at a lower cost through a new specialty pharmacy backed by investor Mark Cuban (yes — that Mark Cuban, of the business-themed reality TV series “Shark Tank”). She helped another patient find her medication at a lower cost through the same pharmacy.
“These stories are really cool, and important,” says Christina. “I feel like we are barely touching the tip of the iceberg with these calls.”
Christina and Aimee can also offer tips on:
Communicating with healthcare providers about the cost of care and payment
Understanding insurance benefits
Navigating changes in insurance coverage or work circumstances, including loss of employment
Christina says,
One of the things I love
about our [Helpline] program
is that we are an unbiased third party.
We are not trying to get the hospitals paid.
We are trying to get patients
the resources they need
to continue their care.
With immense gratitude to all the amazing people
who are passionately working
to relieve the financial stress
that comes with cancer …
for all who are living with cancer
and those who love and care for them.
Nancy
Jeanette Carbajal says
Hi Nancy.
I want to thank you for your Financial Assistance page. It has helped so many of my clients feel like they have so many opportunities.
Jeanette Carbajal
Shani Fox says
Just letting you know that I often refer clients to your resource lists. Their response is often one of surprise and relief that such comprehensive listings are available. You are doing more good than you know.
Shani Fox
Ilene Dillon says
This is such great information, Nancy. What an incredible amount of support for people facing such a personal crisis.
Keep up the great work!
Ilene Dillon
Barbara Jacoby says
Hi Nancy,
Thank you so much for your continued support for those in the cancer community who need these resources so much more than usual at this time.
Thank you for all that you are and all that you do.
Best always,
Barbara Jacoby
V. says
Hello, Nancy.
I am so grateful to have found your website.
I am an oncology patient navigator and a registered nurse. I help patients diagnosed with breast cancer.
The financial assistance information you provide is incredible. In all my years in NYC caring for breast cancer patients, I have never seen such a list.
This is going to be a game-changer for some of our patients.
Thank you.
Tamara Green, LCSW says
I run a virtual support group for Cancer Caregivers and I have referred so many of my members and their families to your wonderful site. Thank you for all you do for so many, Nancy!!
Olivia Davis says
Thank you for sharing this fantastic article. I hope people get a chance to see this since it is very beneficial and helpful. I would also like to mention https://www.aynjil.com/, which is a smart cancer insurance that helps patients at every stage of their recovery.