April 2009
Helping Cancer Patients Pay Their Bills
People with cancer are confronting mounting drug and health care costs. Even those with employer insurance face cuts in covered services along with higher premiums, deductibles, and copayments. Many newer cancer drugs are not covered by Medicaid and the elderly enrolled in Medicare can get stuck in a coverage gap in which they pay the full cost of all their drugs.With these problems exacerbated by the recession, Cancer Care has seen a significant increase in requests for help with medical costs. With an $850,000 grant, Cancer Care is paying for chemotherapy, radiation, and other treatment-related costs including pain medication, childcare, transportation, and home care for people who can’t afford it.