The American Cancer Society estimates that over 25,000 malignant tumors of the brain or spinal cord will be diagnosed in the United States in 2022. There are over 120 distinct types of brain tumors that exist.
The duration of a brain cancer treatment ranges from several weeks to over a year. The cost of brain center treatment can be significant and may include surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, targeted therapy, and more. Financial assistance for brain cancer can help with the costs associated with treatment and other related expenses.
Many organizations provide financial assistance for brain cancer patients and their families. We created a comprehensive list of organizations & charities that help cancer patients financially on our website.
This blog article will discuss financial assistance options specific to brain cancer patients and will share useful general resources.
Financial Assistance For Brain Cancer Patients Type #1: Your Life Insurance Policy Pays YOU (Through a Viatical Settlement)
Even if you have private insurance and government programs like Medicare and Medicaid in the United States, you may still have to pay out of pocket for brain cancer treatment expenses.
If you have life insurance, it can be treated as an asset as it allows policyholders to sell their insurance for a lump-sum cash payment. These funds are tax-free, and you can use them however you see fit! It is called “viatical settlement.”
A viatical settlement might qualify a brain center patient to get up to 70% of their life insurance policy in two weeks!
Here’s how it works:
- Viatical settlements are created for life insurance policyholders who have severe illnesses that may be fatal.
- Individuals with life insurance policies can sell their policies to third-party purchasers in exchange for a lump-sum payment (more than the cash value of the life insurance policy but less than the death benefit).
- The life settlement firm assumes monthly premium payments and receives the death benefit when the insured passes away.
American Life Fund can help you if you’re thinking of selling your life insurance policy. The most crucial thing is to alleviate the financial strain of brain cancer treatment, which can cause stress and allow you to focus on what’s important.
After completing our simple application form, American Life Fund will assist you with getting a cash offer for your life insurance policy.
Financial Assistance For Brain Cancer Patients Type #2: General Cancer Financial Support Resources
Various cost-cutting options are available for brain cancer patients. Some grants are open to applicants with all cancer types, while others are brain cancer-specific. You can find financial awards you may be eligible for online or through your local nonprofit organizations.
When you receive cancer financial aid, usually, the money comes with no strings attached. Finding these grants takes time and effort, but it might help you with your living and medical expenses when you do.
Here Are The Top 5 General Resources For Cancer Patients.
- Cancer Financial Assistance Coalition (CFAC) connects cancer patients with financial assistance resources based on geographic location and diagnosis.
- Triage Cancer and Needymeds maintain and update a list of financial assistance resources for cancer patients.
- CancerCare Co-Payment Assistance Foundation charity provides co-payment assistance for cancer patients with Medicare, Medicaid, and private insurance plans.
- Patient Access Network (PAN) Foundation provides co-payment assistance for cancer patients with private health insurance.
- The Livestrong Foundation provides direct financial assistance to cancer patients for life-sustaining treatments and services.
Patients who are uninsured, underinsured, ineligible for a government program, or otherwise unable to pay for essential care at a hospital where he or she is being treated might be eligible for financial assistance. For example, John Hopkins Hospital provides such an option. We recommend you contact your hospital financial assistance department to inquire.
Financial Assistance For Brain Cancer Patients Type #3: Brain Cancer-Specific Financial Support Resources
The following list contains national, regional, and local organizations that may provide financial support options for individuals with various forms of brain cancer.
National Brain-Cancer Specific Organizations
PAN Foundation Glioblastoma Multiforme Fund: The PAN Foundation and the American Brain Tumor Association partnered to support patients with glioblastoma: “Patients who qualify for the PAN Foundation Glioblastoma Multiforme Fund are eligible to receive $1,600 per year in financial assistance.”
American Brain Tumor Association is the oldest nonprofit organization focused on brain tumor education and support.
Brain Tumor Foundation supports patients, families, and caregivers affected by a brain tumor.
National Brain Tumor Society works to raise awareness about brain tumors and contribute to cancer research to find a cure and improve the quality of life for people who live with a brain tumor.
The Glenn Garcelon Foundation supports brain tumor patients and their families. The foundation provides grants that have been used to cover the cost of mortgage payments, rent, insurance, co-pays, deductibles, groceries, utilities, specialized equipment, treatment-related travel and lodging expenses, and more.
Kim’s Hope makes financial aid available to help offset the difficulties faced by patients and caregivers while undergoing treatment, care, and recovery. In-home assistance may be covered; transportation costs incurred while receiving therapy, medicines not paid for by insurance, and academic scholarships are all examples of financial support that may be provided.
The Elliott Foundation provides patients with access to cutting-edge treatments, specialists, comprehensive support programs, and assistance and guidance.
The Musella Foundation For Brain Tumor Research provides emotional and financial assistance, education, advocacy, and fundraising for brain tumor research to people with brain tumors. Musella Foundation also provides drug co-payment assistance.
Mission4Maureen is dedicated to assisting families struggling with the high cost of brain cancer treatment. Medical expenses and daycare are covered by financial aid and housing payments, utility bills, transportation costs, medicine costs, and other services.
Glenn Garcelon Foundation provides financial and emotional assistance to primary brain tumor patients, survivors, and families.
Regional And Local Brain-cancer Specific Organizations
Charles Thide Foundation assists individuals suffering from bone marrow and other types of cancer living in Long Island, New York.
Be Head Strong: The Neurofibromatosis Foundation provides financial assistance to people living with brain tumors in the Kansas City area.
Brain Injury Alliance of Kentucky (BIAK) provides financial aid to brain cancer patients in Indiana, the Southern region.
The Darren Daulton Foundation helps brain cancer patients in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware.
Angel Foundation provides emergency financial assistance for non-medical expenses based in Minnesota.
Foundation for Appropriate and Immediate Temporary Help (FAITH) provides assistance to families in Northern Virginia with immediate and short-term support for rent, mortgage, utilities, education, and medical expenses.
Financial Assistance For Brain Cancer Patients Type #4: Housing, Transportation, Lodgings, And Other Support
Michael Matters Foundation assists brain tumor patients and their families with unexpected expenditures like gas, mortgage, utilities, food, medicine, and transportation costs.
Love, Team Tessa assists with food, bills, gas, transportation expenses, and co-pays for medications.
Corporate Angel Network provides free transportation for cancer patients to an NCI or American College of Surgeons-approved treatment facility.
Hope Lodge offers a free home-like environment where guests may rest in private rooms or socialize. There is also extensive information and resources about cancer and how best to combat the illness available at each Hope Lodge.
Joe’s House website contains a list of hundreds of hotels near hospitals and treatment locations that provide a discount to traveling patients and their families.
Lifeline Pilot supplies and ensures convenient transportation for medical requirements, such as ongoing medical treatments, diagnosis, and follow-up treatment.
Patient AirLift Services (PALS) organizes free flights for medical patients who can’t afford or can’t travel commercially due to a medical condition. PALS also runs volunteer programs for family members of patients so that they may provide support when the patients are away from home for lengthy periods.
Cancer Horizons provides funds for rent, housing, medical bills, caregiving services, life insurance premium payments, and legal aid.
Financial Assistance For Brain Cancer Patients Type #5: Medicine And Prescriptions Assistance
This earlier blog post provides comprehensive information on how to pay for cancer drugs. Below is just a few resources that you might find useful:
America’s Pharmacy offers a prescription savings program for over 62,000 pharmacies in the United States.
Medical Assistance Tool.org. This website aims to assist individuals, caregivers, and healthcare professionals in learning more about the resources available through various biopharmaceutical industry programs.
RXAssist helps patients learn how to access pharmaceutical company programs and other resources to save money on prescriptions.
RX Hope aids people and caregivers in navigating the system to obtain urgently needed prescription medicines and assists with medication expenses on rare occasions.
The Brain Tumor Drug Copayment Assistance Program provides financial assistance to families to help pay for drugs to treat Primary Malignant Brain Tumors that are not covered by other insurance plans. The new funding will be announced. Please note that the program is currently not accepting applications.
Needy Meds is a national nonprofit organization that provides free information on programs that assist those who cannot afford medicine or healthcare expenses. The NeedyMeds website offers up-to-date information on over 9,000 charity programs, 15,000 low-cost or free/sliding scale clinics, and nearly 1,500 prescription drug discounts.
Patient Access Network Foundation assists uninsured persons with life-threatening, chronic, and rare diseases in receiving the drugs and treatment they require by paying for out-of-pocket expenses and pushing for greater access and affordability.
Financial Assistance For Brain Cancer Patients Type #6: Fundraising
Organizing a fundraiser is a great way to support a loved one with cancer and raise money for cancer research and patient services. Here are some tips on how to get started:
- The first step is to decide what type of fundraiser you would like to hold. There are many different options, so be sure to choose something you’re passionate about.
- Once you’ve chosen the type of fundraiser, it’s time to start planning. Be sure to set a date, time, and location for your event.
- Next, you’ll need to promote your fundraiser. This can be done through social media, flyers, and word-of-mouth.
- Finally, don’t forget to thank everyone who supported your fundraiser. This is a great way to show appreciation and maintain relationships with your donors.
National Brain Tumor Society offers resources and support for those interested in starting a fundraiser.
CancerCare has a team of specialists who can provide guidance and advice on planning and carrying out a successful fundraiser.
GoFundMe is an online platform that allows anyone to start a fundraiser for cancer patients, research, etc.
Frequently Asked Questions About Financial Assistance For Brain Cancer Patients
Q: Does a Brain Tumor Qualify For Social Security?
A: If you have a brain tumor and cannot work at full capacity due to your illness, Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) could help. The program was designed to assist individuals who became disabled due to sickness like a brain tumor.
The Social Security Administration (SSA) could provide disability payments if a brain cancer patient meets the following criteria:
- A brain or spinal cord cancer is highly “malignant” or cancerous.
- Cancer may recur or get worse after therapy.
Q: What if I do Not Meet The Medical Requirements For Automatic Disability Approval?
A: If you don’t satisfy the medical criteria for automatic approval, you may still be eligible for compensation under a medical-vocational allowance. The SSA may determine that you cannot work or work a less demanding job due to your age, education, and employment history.
Further Reading
