She contacted the Illinois State
Insurance Commissioner, who
directed her to the Illinois Comprehensive Health Plan—Illinois’ high-risk insurance pool for residents
who cannot afford private health
insurance. “It costs $576 per month,”
she says. “But it’s the only option
that I have. I consider myself lucky
compared to some people who’ve
survived cancer only to be ruined
financially.”
Patients with significant medical
expenses need to be proactive
about their situation, says Meg
Gaines, the director of the Center
for Patient Partnerships at the
University of Wisconsin–Madison,
an organization that trains
patient advocates and helps
patients navigate the health care
system. “The first thing we tell
people is to never ignore medical
debt,” she says. “It isn’t going
away, and avoidance doesn’t have
an upside.”
Instead, Gaines advises that
patients talk to their physicians
and hospitals to see if they can
negotiate payment. “Many hospitals
would prefer to get 25 cents on the
dollar than to go into collections,”
she says. In addition, many hospitals
offer in-house charity programs for
which patients may qualify.
Nabhan, in fact, took such a
strategy with her medical debt and
worked out a payment plan with
her hospital. “even with $20,000
to pay off, I feel like I’m one of the
lucky ones,” she says.
For most cancer patients,
negotiating with providers and
seeking assistance for care can
quickly become overwhelming.
Organizations such as CancerCare,
which is a part of the Cancer
Financial Assistance Coalition,
can help steer patients to services
such as co-pay assistance and to
local organizations that provide
transportation and other support
(see box below). Without major
changes to the U.S. health care
system, there will be no blanket
answers to finding financial
assistance for cancer care, says
Blum. However, the Center for
Patient Partnerships and the
Patient Advocate Foundation can
help patients piece together the
services for which they are eligible.
“There is very little consistency
in how we can help people
because we have a fragmented,
overwhelming system that patients
find very difficult to deal with,”
says Blum. “You have to work with
people individually to knit that
patchwork together. All that being
said, we’re not going to accomplish
what we need no matter how good
the patchwork is. We need a more
sweeping solution.”
—Lisa Seachrist Chiu
CR | Page No. 58 | summer 2009
FINDING FINANCIAL HELP
AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY CANCER RESOURCE NETWORK
1-800-227-2345 / www.cancer.org
Cancer patients can talk with a cancer information specialist
24 hours a day, seven days a week, about cancer care
and financial issues.
CANCERCARE
1-800-813-4673 / www.cancercare.org
this nonprofit group provides some financial help and
publications about financial assistance options.
CANCER FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE COALITION
www.cancerfac.org
this group of 12 cancer organizations may be able to help patients
locate financial assistance for the costs of cancer care.
the website includes links to many financial resources.
THE CENTER FOR PATIENT PARTNERSHIPS
AT THE UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN–MADISON
1-608-890-0321 / patientpartnerships.krambs.com
the center provides advocacy services to help patients make better-
informed medical decisions, access and afford treatment, navigate
employment issues and find and build support.
PATIENT ADVOCATE FOUNDATION
1-800-532-5274 / www.patientadvocate.org
this group provides a searchable state-by-state resource
guide on its website. In addition, it operates a co-pay
assistance program and performs negotiation, mediation and
advocacy services for patients.
