Financial ruin should not be a cancer side effect
Financial pain can be another cancer side effect.
I read a heartbreaking post from a fellow blogger, whose health and finances have been drained by cancer treatments. At a time when her focus needs to be on healing, she is struggling to make ends meet. Unable to help her boyfriend keep up mortgage payments, she had to move from her beautiful home to subsidized housing in an unsavory part of town. And she only moved up on the waiting list by stating she would die within a year!
According to the article,”Breaking the Bank,” in the winter issue of CURE Magazine, the number of medical bankruptcies has risen from 46 percent of bankruptcies in 2001 to 69 percent by 2007. At issue, according the article, is not just people who are uninsured, but also insured individuals who are expected to pick up more of the bill. It cites the oral chemo, Xeloda, which I’ve been taking and, thankfully, it’s working. I’m one of the lucky ones because my insurance covers it, but our copay is a whopping $250 per month. Some insurers won’t even cover it, but will pay for 5-FU, its infusion equivalent, which is more costly and inconvenient.
For some, including my blogger friend, trying to pay for cancer treatments can lead to financial ruin. This is totally unacceptable! We do not live in third-world country; this is the USA. How can this happen? Well, I’m finding it happens more than you realize. It’s especially difficult in today’s tough economy. There are even employers who let go of workers going through chemo treatments. I’ve had it happen to a couple of friends.
Luckily, there are some organizations that are here to help. I blog for an organization called The Pink Fund, which provides financial assistance to breast cancer survivors in Michigan. It was founded by my friend Molly MacDonald, who found herself in dire straits when she was going through treatment. She wanted to ensure no one else had to face the possibility of homelessness just because they receive a cancer diagnosis. They help pay mortgage and rent, heating bills and other necessities that aren’t offered by some hospitals and pharmaceutical companies who provide medical financial aid. They currently are just assisting Michigan residents, but are asking donors to contribute $20.11 (in honor of last year) so they can spread their services to other states. To learn more, go to www.thepinkfund.org.
The CURE article provides a list of resources for financial aid (most are for self-fundraising and prescription costs). Here are some other organizations I’ve found that help survivors facing hard times cover other costs:
National:
American Cancer Society: http://www.cancer.org
American Childhood Cancer Organization: Call 301-962-3520 (Responds to calls in English only) or staff@acco.org
Patient Advocate Association: Provides a comprehensive resource guide for patients and families. http://www.patientadvocate.org/report.php
Social Security Disability: (My note: In most cases, stage IV cancer survivors who are in treatment are eligible) http://www.ssa.gov/pgm/disability.htm
Regional/Local:
Colorado (Larimer County and Windsor, CO): Hope Lives http://hopelives.org/services.html (includes complimentary services, too)
Massachusetts: The Ellie Fund http://elliefund.org/about/
Michigan: The Pink Fund http://www.thepinkfund.org
New York and Arizona: Friends for Life Foundation http://www.friendsforlifefoundation.org/about_the_foundation.html
Oklahoma: Oklahoma Brain Tumor Foundation: http://www.okbtf.org
Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware: Dolan Fund (For families whose children are living with cancer)http://www.kadmf.org/programs.cfm
Philadelphia/Poconos: Linda Creed Foundation http://www.lindacreed.org/emergency_fund.php
Portland, OR area: Komak Cares http://www.komakcares.org/
Southern California: Breast Cancer Angels http://breastcancerangels.org/
Southwest Ohio: Pink Ribbon Girls (meals, transportation, childcare, etc.): http://www.pinkribbongirls.org
Know of any other organizations? Contact me or comment on this post! Thanks to everyone and here’s to a healthy and prosperous new year!
Laura says:
Thank you for bringing this out to the world Tami! It is horrible that anyone should ever go through cancer and the side effects of all of the drugs but to also have to go through your career being lost and each and every day feel like something else is getting taken away (your home, your money, your car, going in debt, student loan companies crying for money, ruined credit, etc.) is just TOO MUCH!
This is a huge problem and it needs to be addressed. Thank you for spreading the word.
Nancy's Point says:
Thank you for this post, Tami. Financial ruin should not be a side effect of cancer.
Becky says:
I have a financial strain from my breast cancer. The anti-estrogen drug I take is $568.00 per month. I have no prescription coverage. I did get a grant from Chronic Disease Fund last year to pay for 6 months of it, but it doesn’t cover my drug in 2012. I’m not sure where else to turn as I have been denied for other help last year. I will again begin to apply for grants and help.
Lesha Gillard says:
Hello my name is Lesha what about the people that doesn’t have breast cancer? Like me I have HCC Liver Cancer with mets to to the Lungs their is nothing out their for me I’m beginning to think I got the wrong cancer I should have breast cancer I hate how divided all the cancers are after a while you feel like your walking into a brick wall
Thanks for letting me vent
Lesha
Amy says:
Try The Healthwell Foundation, which is a national non-profit that pays for either rx costs or healthcare premiums. Last year, they covered my portion of our family’s healthcare premium every month, which is quite steep.www.healthwellfoundation.org
Angellinda says:
I wsh things were Fair! I had No income when I got Triple Negative breast Cancer! Everyone I know lost their jobs!! Including my husband! He was a Welder; at where he worked 24 Years!! This January he’ll be jobless and no insurance 3 years!! I stopped follow up care I couldn’t afford! I did without Needful care, tests & meds and healthy, food!! Emend pills, $100.00 per pill Etc.. Wow! I live in a rural area in WI. I got NO help here! Its Sad, tough and unfortunate! for us decent, safe food and water is a concern!! I’m too ill to ask for help. Each time I did I got nothing form anywhere! I was humiliated, weak, defeated, fragile, down, out and felt hopeless. Like Fighting from pain and agony form head to toe isn’t enough!! Where and when will it end! However.. Agencies.. That heard about me starting soliciting me for donations!! Even Cleaning for a reason asked me to donate! I have head to toe, endless pain. I hope for prevention, Cure & Life, Quality of Life After Cancer!! I wish everyone fighting your needs to be fulfilled. For all to have health once more! Sending my sincere care to all! Sending my healing hugs of care!
Denise says:
The cruelest part of surviving is to live a life that is filled with fear and struggle because there is not enough money to live after you survive.
Thank you for posting your resources.
Why is it so hard to find help? Our families give all they can give. To start over, lose a home, move to a low income area, and be faced with financial ruin is just wrong.
When I got ovarian cancer, I only kept what could fit in my car and the vehicle of a very amazing ex boyfriend. My brother drove my car, and my ex drove his car with my stuff …to mom’s in Seattle. for two years she graced me with a roof and her love and I got to live near my sister. My family helped me so much….and now I’m slowly rebuilding, working part time etc. Found an apt…but not sure if I’ll be able to keep my car later………and who knows how this years expenses and medical bills will turn out. All we can do is live one day at a time…………..we must help each other…………Peace to you and I pray your friend finds a miracle in prosperity.
Bonnie Diraimondo says:
I recentrly contributed an article to Empowher.com regarding the financial ruin cancer patients face. Presentatino was made at last years annual meeting of The Society for Medical Oncologists showing startling results.
The research, which took place over 14 years with just under a quarter of a million people was done with irrefutable government statistics in the State of Washington. Washington State is home to the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center and is known for its cancer research.
The study using The US Bankruptcy Court filings as well as the Federal Cancer Registry showed that while the filing of bankruptcies amongst the general population was 0.28%, that of cancer patientss was an astounding 8%
I myself am a two-time cancer survivor who has lost my job, my home and had to sell my car and other material things years ago in order just to pay the bills. Having to file bankruptcy will only leave that filing hanging over my head for ten years – longer than I might even live.
If Congress truly wants to adhere to the intent of the bankruptcy law which was to provide individuals with a ‘clean slate”, this is no more important than in the case of those filing because of cancer. I firmly believe that anyone filing for this reason should have their filing exempt from being reported to any credit bureau and the debts discharged under that bankruptcy should have to be removed from their credit report as well. This is truly the only way cancer survivors can get the clean slate they deserve.
It it an atrocity that we must go through all that we do with the horrific treatments, often mutilating surgeries and ravages of chemotherapy all to survive only to be met with this brick wall. Personaly I wonder why I extended so much energy is struggling to survive and if I had known this would be my life after surviving I never would have undergone treatment at all.
There are federal programs which provide first time homebuyer assistance (someone who has lost their home more than three years ago would be eligible as well) but you cannot even file an application until a full two years after the date of bankruptcy discharge. You must also be able to qualify for a first mortgage, something that even people with excellent credit are having trouble doing in this economy.
This is the first time that the actual numbers have been calculated as it relates to cancer costs. The researh also showed that the longer a survivor survives, the more likely it is for them to file bankruptcy – four fold at five years. It also showed that bankruptcy doubled in the first year after diagnosis.
I was also astonished to find that The Colorectal Care Foundation which provides financial assistance to colon and rectal cancer will not provide assistance to those with anal cancer. This is absurd and in my opinion totally unjustifiable. All we’re talking about here is the extension of that very same organ – the bowel, it jst happens to be its endpoint.
I have already written to my Senator and Congresswmoan in the hopes that after see these totally unacceptable figures they will express their compassion by doing something about changing the bankruptcy laws.
Bankrputcy and bad credit from cancaer makes everything more expensive even if you CAN get credit. Interest rates are much higher resulting in hundreds if not thousands in extra interest charges.
While other medical conditions may also result in remaining medical bills, this is not a gallbladder operation. Cancer requires ongoing testing such at CT, MRI or PET scans and doctor visits, prescriptions and numerous other out-of-pocket conditions that can go on for years.
As a single mom my life is but a mere shell of what it was and now permanently disabled at age 53 as a direct result of my treatment there is no hope, with at least 15 years of lost wages, to ever recoup all that I have lost.
Some might think that survivors should just be grateful to have survived. They obviously fail to understand what someone’s quality of life means. When you wake up each day in pain, can no longer do the simplest of activities you once did and lose any sense of purpose or usefulness, then breathing and having a heartbeat doesn’t mean much.
Bonnie Diraimondo says:
Also, The American Cancer Society is USELESS when it comes to helping survivorsAll they do is make you go through your whole story so they can give you more phone numers to call and explain your circumstances all over again. Billions are donated to them each year for reserch. Couldn’t they put 56 or 10% of those funds in an account for just this reason? If they’re so concerned about us having another birthday, perhaps they’d like to try and help us get there!!!