VSPI and RobertsReview
present
"HELP FOR CANCER VICTIM'S"

Cancer patients without insurance or who need additional financial help can now turn to a number of other resources via this page.

In addition to VSPI's popular new, government approved viatical settlement program that can provide patients and families with funds that never need to be repaid, below are a number of  government and privately sponsored programs that help patients.  They are supported by voluntary organizations, drug companies, hospitals, and corporations, and can help reduce costs of services to cancer patients and their families by providing everything from financial and housing help to transportation and medical care.

RobertsReview has developed an exhaustive list
of these resources for the benefit of our visitors and their families.  If you find this list helpful, please advise others of this web address: http://robertsreview.com/financial_help.html
If you are aware of other programs that help cancer patients meet their challenges, please email us and let us so we can share them
with other patients and  families that visit RobertsReview.
 

• Air Care Alliance
  League of humanitarian flying organizations dedicated to community service. Links to nationwide listings of organizations that provide transport for patients and sometimes family members needing to get treatment.
  
   
• American Cancer Society
  Local ACS offices sometimes offer reimbursement for expenses related tocancer treatment, including transportation, medicine, and medical supplies. This varies by office. To locate your local ACS office call 1-800-ACS-2345 or visit the web site.
   

Financial-Help-Directory.com
One of the Internet's biggest and best financial help directories.
 

• American Council on Education / Health Resource Center Financial Aid for Students with Disability
  Provides information / resources for disabled students needing financial assistance with tuition for postsecondary education.
  
  
• American Kidney Fund
  Primary goal is to relieve staggering financial burdens often associated with chronic kidney failure through its Patient Aid programs.
  
  
• AVONCares Program for Medically Underserved Women provides financial assistance and relevant education and support to low income, under- and uninsured, underserved women throughout the country in need of diagnostic and/or related services (transportation, child care, and social support) for the treatment of breast, cervical, and ovarian cancers.

  Telephone: 1–800–813–4673 (1–800–813–HOPE)
  

• Blood and Bone Marrow Transplant Newsletter
  If your health insurance plan has refused to pay for all or part of your

treatment, BMT news can refer you to not-for-profit organizations and attorneys who may be able to help you.

• CancerCare's Health Care Policy and Advocacy Section
  Info on health insurance and financial issues, including a section entitled What To Do If You Aren't Insured Or Are About To Lose Your Insurance.
  
  
• Candlelighters Childhood Cancer Foundation (CCCF)
  Among other services, CCCF provides emergency funds, summer camps, transportation for families of children with cancer.
  
  
• Centers for Medicare and Medicaid - (Formally:  Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA) is the governmental organization that administers the Medicare, Medicaid and Child Health Insurance programs. The web site offers information about these programs and other projects that may be of help to cancer patients.
  
  
• Children's Organ Transplant Center 
  Voluntary health charity providing financial and planning assistance to transplant-needy persons and their families.
  
  
• Corporate Angel Network 
  Corporate Angel Network, a not-for-profit organization, provides free plane transportation for cancer patients going to/from recognized cancer treatment centers by using empty seats aboard corporate aircraft operating on business flights.
  
  
• Deliver the Dream free program for families facing serious illness offers recreational activities for children and adults, and the opportunity for families in the South Eastern U.S. to informally talk together about their similar situations in discussion groups facilitated by counselors
  
  
• "Encore Plus" A YWCA Program 
  Designed to eliminate inequalities in health care experienced by many women by removing barriers to access and promoting effective
  

community-based outreach, education, referral to clinical services and support systems.

• FAMSA -- Funeral Consumers Alliance
  Provides information regarding funeral planning, burial, cemeteries, consumer protections and regional referrals.
  
  
• Hill-Burton Provides free/reduced cost medical services to persons who are uninsured and underinsured if they meet certain eligibility criteria.  It is a program through which hospitals receive construction funds from the Federal Government in exchange for providing some services to people who cannot afford to pay for hospitalization. Information about which facilities are part of this program is available by calling the toll-free number below or visiting the Web site. A brochure about the program is available in Spanish.  Telephone: 1–800–638–0742
  
  
• Internal Revenue Service 
  Cancer related medical costs not covered by insurance policies sometimes can be deducted from annual income before taxes. Your local IRS office, tax consultants, or certified public accountants can help you determine this.
  
  
• Leukemia Society of America 
  Provides information and financial aid to patients who have leukemia, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, Hodgkin's disease, or multiple myeloma.
  
  
• Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS) offers information and financial aid to patients who have leukemia, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, Hodgkin's disease, or multiple myeloma. Callers may request a booklet describing LLS's Patient Aid Program or the telephone number for their local LLS office. Some publications are available in Spanish.

  Telephone: 1–800–955–4572
  
  

• Medicaid (Medical Assistance) a jointly funded, Federal-State health insurance program for people who need financial assistance for medical expenses, is coordinated by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), formerly the Health Care Financing Administration. At a minimum, states must provide home care services to people who receive Federal income assistance such as Social Security Income and Aid to Families with Dependent Children. Medicaid coverage includes part-time nursing,
  

home care aide services, and medical supplies and equipment. Information about coverage is available from local state welfare offices, state health departments, state social services agencies, or the state Medicaid office. Check the local telephone directory for the number to call. Information about specific state contacts is also available on the Web site listed below. Spanish-speaking staff are available in some offices.

• Medicare - a Federal health insurance program also administered by  CMS. Eligible individuals include those 65 or older, people of any age with permanent kidney failure, and disabled people under 65. Medicare may offer reimbursement for some home care services. Cancer patients who qualify for Medicare also may be eligible for coverage of hospice services if they are accepted into a Medicare-certified hospice program. To receive information on eligibility, explanations of coverage, and related publications, call Medicare at the number listed below or visit their Web site. Some publications are available in Spanish. Toll-free: 1–800–633–4227 (1–800–MEDICARE)
  TTY (for deaf and hard of hearing callers): 1–877–486–2048
  
  
• National Association of Hospitality Houses, Inc. 
  Participating facilities typically provide lodging for families of hospital patients and/or hospital outpatients.
  
  
• National Cancer Institute 
  Overviews types of assistance that patients may be eligible for.
  
  
• National Foundation for Transplants 
  National Foundation for Transplants helps transplant patients nationwide - bone marrow, stem cell and cord blood patients as well as solid organ transplant patients - overcome financial barriers to a second chance a life.
  
  
• National Patient Air Transportation Hotline 
  Provides information on free transporation for ill patients, information for health care professionals and volunteer pilots.
  
  
• Pharmaceutical Patient Assistance Programs 
  Many pharmaceutical companies have special programs to assist people who can't afford to buy the drugs they need. This site lists the programs.
  

• The Patient Advocate Foundation is a national nonprofit organization that provides education, legal counseling, and referrals to cancer patients and survivors concerning managed care, insurance, financial issues, job discrimination, and debt crisis matters.

  Telephone: 1–800–532–5274
  
  

• Patient Assistance Programs are offered by some pharmaceutical manufacturers to help pay for medications. To learn whether a specific drug might be available at reduced cost through such a program, talk with a physician or a medical social worker.
  
  
• Social Security Administration (SSA) is the Government agency that oversees Social Security and Supplemental Security Income. A description of each of these programs follows. More information about these and other SSA programs is available by calling the toll-free number listed below. Spanish-speaking staff are available. Social Security provides a monthly income for eligible elderly and disabled individuals. Information on eligibility, coverage, and how to apply for benefits is available from the Social Security Administration.

  Telephone: 1–800–772–1213

  TTY (for deaf and hard of hearing callers): 1–800–325–0778
  

• Supplemental Security Income (SSI) supplements Social Security payments for individuals who have certain income and resource levels.
  SSI is administered by the Social Security Administration. Information on eligibility, coverage, and how to file a claim is available from the Social Security Administration.
  

• State Children’s Health Insurance Program Federal-State partnership offers low-cost or free health insurance coverage to uninsured children of low-wage, working parents. Callers will be referred to the SCHIP program in their state for further information.  Telephone: 1–877–543–7669
  
  
• State General Assistance programs provide food, housing, prescription drugs, and other medical expenses for those who are not eligible for other programs. Funds are often limited. Information can be obtained by contacting your state or local Department of Social Services; this number is found in the local telephone directory.
  
  
• Veterans Benefits: Eligible veterans and their dependents may receive cancer treatment at a Veterans Administration Medical Center. Treatment for service-connected conditions is provided, and treatment for other conditions may be available based on the veteran's financial need. Some publications are available in Spanish. Spanish-speaking staff are available in some offices. Telephone: 1–877–222–VETS

If you are aware of other programs that help cancer patients meet their financial or  treatment challenges, please email us so we can share them with other patients and  families at www.RobertsReview.com.