Leukemia is cancer that may affect the bone marrow, blood cells, lymph nodes, and other components of the lymphatic system. In 2019, an estimated 472,714 people were living with leukemia in the United States.

No one should have to worry about how they will pay for treatment when they are fighting leukemia. Unfortunately, the costs of leukemia treatment can be overwhelming, leaving patients and their families struggling to make ends meet.

Several organizations offer financial assistance for leukemia patients, providing help with medical bills, transportation costs, and other expenses. These organizations can offer a lifeline to patients struggling to cope with the financial burden of leukemia. Our American Life Fund team works with those diagnosed with leukemia to provide financial assistance; that’s why we’ve created a comprehensive list of financial support available to people with leukemia.

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Financial Assistance For Leukemia Patients Type #1: Your Life Insurance Policy Pays YOU (Through a Viatical Settlement)

Even though the United States has government programs like Medicare and Medicaid, you may still be responsible for significant out-of-pocket expenditures if you undergo leukemia therapy.

If you have a life insurance policy, you may not realize it’s an asset. A “viatical settlement” allows policyholders to sell their life insurance in exchange for a lump-sum cash payment. These funds are free of tax and come with no strings attached, so you can spend the money however you choose. You can use the funds for medical costs, living expenses, paying off debt, or even go on that vacation you’ve always wanted to take. Viatical settlements are for people with life insurance and serious illnesses like cancer. Here’s how it works:

  1. Individuals may sell their life insurance policies to third-party purchasers such as viatical settlement companies.
  2. The amount they receive is greater than the cash value of the life insurance policy but less than the death benefit.
  3. Once the company becomes the new policy owner and the insured is paid, the company takes over premium payments and receives the face value of the policy when the insured passes.

If you are thinking about selling your life insurance policy, American Life Fund can help. It is important to relieve the financial strain of leukemia treatment, decrease stress, and allow you more time to focus on what matters most. Once you fill out our simple application form, we will help you get a cash offer for your life insurance policy.

Financial Assistance For Leukemia Patients Type #2: Leukemia-Specific Financial Grants & General Cancer Financial Assistance

Financial aid exists to help people cope with the rising costs of leukemia treatment. This financial help can come from grants for leukemia patients and general cancer funds. Many different types of assistance are available, so take some time to explore your options and find the right fit.

While the application process for some of these programs may appear tough, remember that supporting staff can help you every step of the way.

Diagnosis-Based Assistance Programs For Leukemia:

  • Dan Jansen Foundation – Family Aid Fund. The Foundation provides financial assistance for treatment, travel, and living expenses. It also offers emotional support through a Leukemia Family Liaison program. The program pairs families with trained volunteers who provide guidance and support. The foundation also offers a Leukemia Scholarship program to help offset the cost of education for leukemia survivors. The foundation has so far granted over one million dollars in scholarships and has assisted in research into leukemia and other malignancies and initiatives to improve the treatment and quality of life for those with terminal cancer.
  • Hugs-U-Wear Program. Provides financial assistance for medical bills, transportation, and housing. It also offers emotional support through a community of volunteers available to offer guidance and advice. Leukemia patients and their families can apply for the Hugs-U-Wear Program by visiting the website or calling the toll-free number.
  • Susan Lang’s Pay-It-Forward Patient Travel Assistance Program. Provides $500 to help cover the cost of traveling to and from treatments for the patient and caregiver. This includes transportation costs, like tolls, gas, parking, car rental, lodging, and other related expenses like food and ambulance services. If you or someone you know has blood cancer and is facing financial difficulties, please encourage them to apply for this financial assistance program. There are other Susan Lang pay it forward financial assistance opportunities.
  • Susan Lang Pre CAR T-cell Therapy Travel Assistance Program. Cancer treatment may be a trying and unpleasant experience, made by the financial strain of travel and accommodation expenses. The Susan Lang Pre CAR T-cell Therapy Travel Assistance Program helps ease this burden by offering reimbursement for travel and lodging expenses. Individuals diagnosed with blood cancer can apply for the program, which provides $2500 in support. This can cover ground transportation, air transportation, and hotel costs. By helping defray travel and lodging costs, the Susan Lang Pre CAR T-cell Therapy Travel Assistance Program makes it easier for patients to focus on their treatment and recovery.
  • Susan Lang Pay-It-Forward Patient Travel Assistance Program – Central and Southern California Travel Fund. For cancer patients who require treatment outside of their local area, the Susan Lang Pay-It-Forward Patient Travel Assistance Program offers vital financial assistance. The program provides grants to help cover travel expenses for patients.
  • Leukemia Research Foundation. The Leukemia Research Foundation is dedicated to funding research to find cures for all types of leukemia and improve the quality of life for patients and their families. The foundation provides financial assistance to patients and families struggling with high treatment costs and free educational resources to help them navigate their journey.
  • Robert DiLibero Foundation. The Leukemia Foundation, in addition to financial aid for those suffering from the disease, covers medical costs such as treatment, travel, and even day-to-day living expenses. The foundation offers emotional support to families, helping them cope with the strain of a leukemia diagnosis.
  • Nicholas E. Colleluori Financial Aid Fund. provides financial assistance to patients and their families struggling to pay for medical care. This fund is named after Nicholas Colleluori, who battled leukemia for two years before passing away in 2006.
  • National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD) Disease Specific Assistance Programs – Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia. These programs provide financial assistance for medical expenses like co-pays and deductibles and help with other costs associated with the disease. In addition, DSPs offer emotional support to patients and their families. The programs are run by volunteers who have firsthand experience with the challenges of living with a rare disease.

leukemia foundation grants

Financial Assistance For Leukemia Patients Type #3: General Cancer Financial Assistance

Leukemia patients may take advantage of a variety of cost-cutting alternatives. You can get information on financial awards you might qualify for through online sites or your local nonprofit organizations. Some grants are open to those with all types of cancer, while others are leukemia-specific.

When you apply for cancer financial assistance, generally, there are no strings attached. Locating these grants takes time and work, but it may assist with your living and medical expenses if you do so.

Here Are The Top 7 General Resources For Cancer Patients.

  1. Cancer Financial Assistance Coalition (CFAC) is a nonprofit organization that provides patients with a central resource for finding financial assistance based on their geographic location and diagnosis. The mission of CFAC is to ensure that no cancer patient goes without the resources they need due to financial constraints. CFAC maintains a database of over 1,500 programs that offer assistance from medical bills to travel expenses. In addition, CFAC offers personal assistance to patients who need help navigating the often complex process of applying for financial assistance.
  2. Triage Cancer and Needymeds maintains and updates a list of financial assistance resources for cancer patients. These resources can help families cover treatment costs, including medication, transportation, and housing. In addition, many of these organizations offer emotional support for patients and their loved ones.
  3. CancerCare Co-Payment Assistance Foundation is a charity that provides co-payment assistance for cancer patients with Medicare, Medicaid, TRICARE, and private insurance plans. The foundation also offers free counseling and support services to help patients and their families cope with cancer’s physical and emotional effects. CancerCare’s services are available to anyone affected by cancer, whether they are undergoing treatment, struggling with financial problems, or grieving the loss of a loved one.
  4. Patient Access Network (PAN) Foundation is committed to helping these patients access the treatment they need. PAN provides co-payment assistance for cancer patients with private health insurance, covering up to $6400 annually. In addition, PAN offers patient services such as financial counseling and support groups.
  5. The Livestrong Foundation provides direct financial aid for life-sustaining therapies and services to cancer patients. This includes help with transportation, childcare, and groceries. The foundation offers various support services, including counseling and peer support groups. Cancer can be a very isolating experience, but the Livestrong Foundation is committed to helping patients every step of the way.
  6. Help Hope Live (Medical Fundraising Assistance). Hope Lives is an essential program that provides funding for customers with unmet medical expenses. This includes cell or organ transplants or catastrophic injuries and illnesses. This program allows people to fund their treatments through community-based fundraising. These initiatives are important because they provide hope and help people get the treatment and equipment they need to heal, live, and thrive.
  7. Charles Thide Foundation – Grants offers grants to help with the costs of treatment and also provide support for other needs such as housing and transportation to help patients battling diseases including Multiple Myeloma, Lung Cancer, Leukemia, Hodgkin’s Disease, Pancreatic Cancer, Testicular Cancer, Breast Cancer, Ovarian Cancer, Colon Cancer, Skin Cancer, Brain Cancer, and Lymphoma. In addition, the foundation offers a variety of programs to help people with cancer connect with others going through similar experiences. These programs provide vital support and community for people dealing with cancer and can make all the difference in the world.

Individuals who don’t have health insurance, are underinsured, are ineligible for a government program, or are otherwise unable to pay for necessary care at a hospital where they are being treated might be eligible for financial assistance. We suggest you contact your hospital’s financial assistance office to find out more.

leukemia financial assistance

Financial Assistance For Leukemia Patients Type #4: Prescription Assistance

Pharmaceutical businesses may also have programs to help patients manage other aspects of cancer treatment and money for prescription drugs. For example, they may offer:

  • Free Trial Vouchers
  • Connecting you with transportation, lodging, and other services
  • Prior authorization & benefits resources
  • Sample billing and coding information
  • Resources for denials and appeals
  • Referrals to the most suitable patient assistance alternatives

If you can’t get your pills, contact the manufacturer to find out if any alternatives are available. The list below is a place to begin to learn what you may have access to:

IMBRUVICA® By Your Side, This patient support program was designed to help imbruvica patients through their treatment journey.

Amgen Assist 360™ works with many partners to provide everything you need related to your medication and health. If you don’t have insurance, the company can help you understand if Amgen medication is covered and give you information about programs that may assist with the cost.

The AstraZeneca Access 360™, The AstraZeneca Patient Access and Reimbursement Program, help patients get their medicines faster. The program also helps with getting reimbursement from the company. Patients, providers, and office staff can all get help from the AstraZeneca Field Reimbursement Managers.

Bristol Myers Squibb BMS Access Support helps clients understand their coverage and financial assistance options for prescribed BMS medicines. They offer extra help, called a low-income subsidy, to certain individuals who need it.

The Genentech Patient Foundation provides free Genentech medications to people who do not have health insurance and cannot afford to pay for the medication, as well as those who meet certain income criteria:

  • People who do not have insurance
  • People who are not covered by medical insurance
  • Those who have difficulties with high out-of-pocket costs and fulfill certain criteria will be eligible.

Jazz Pharmaceuticals. The Free Drug Program is for people who need Jazz products but can’t afford them. People who are uninsured or don’t have coverage for Jazz products can get the products for free.

Sanofi Patient Connection. You are eligible for free Sanofi prescription drugs if you have a household income less than 400% of the Federal Poverty Level. Your medicine will be free if approved for the Patient Assistance Connection.

Financial Assistance For Leukemia Patients Type #5: Fundraising

If you want to help a loved one with cancer and raise money for cancer research and patient services, then organizing a fundraiser is a great way to do it. Here are some tips on how to get started:

  1. The first step is to choose the sort of fundraiser you want to conduct. There are several options, so make sure it’s something you care about.
  2. After you’ve decided on a fundraiser, it’s time to start. Make a date, time, and location for your event.
  3. After that, you’ll need to advertise your fund. Social media, posters, and word-of-mouth are viable methods for promoting it.
  4. Finally, remember to thank everyone who contributed to your campaign. This is an excellent approach to showing gratitude while maintaining connections with your contributors.

National Brain Tumor Society has information and assistance for those who wish to start a fundraising campaign.

CancerCare has a team of cancer specialists to help you organize and execute a successful fundraiser.

GoFundMe crowd-sourcing platform allows anybody to start a fundraising campaign for cancer patients, research, and other causes.

Also, you may create your cancer ribbon using a t-shirt fundraising platform like Bonfire so that people who wear the shirt raise awareness. There are no upfront expenses, and the company takes care of all backend operations, such as shipping purchases straight to purchasers.

financial support services

Frequently Asked Questions About Financial Assistance For Leukemia Patients

Q: I Don’t Have Insurance. How Can I Get Help Paying For my Treatments?

A: If you don’t have insurance, there are a few ways to get help paying for your leukemia treatments. You may be eligible for assistance from programs like Extra Help. You can also save money on prescription drugs by inquiring about generic medications or utilizing mail-order pharmacies.

Q: I Have Insurance, But my Treatments Are Not Covered. What Can I do?

A: If your treatments are not covered by insurance, you may be eligible for assistance from programs like ZYDELIG AccessConnect or the Jazz Pharmaceuticals M.D. program. You can also save on prescription drugs by inquiring about generic medications or utilizing mail-order pharmacies.

Q: How Can I Determine if I’m Eligible For Financial Assistance?

A: You can contact the customer care representatives of the program you’re interested in to find out if you’re eligible for financial assistance. You can also visit the websites of programs like the Genentech Patient Foundation to learn more about eligibility requirements.

In Conclusion

There are several options for obtaining financial assistance for leukemia cancer patients. You may be eligible for assistance, and you can also save money on your prescription drugs by inquiring about generic medications or utilizing mail-order pharmacies. Contact us at American Life Fund today to learn how we provide financial assistance for leukemia cancer patients.

About the Author: Eugene Houchins

In 2005, Gene Houchins founded American Life Fund, addressing a significant gap in financial options for life insurance policyholders. As its leader, Gene specializes in providing swift financial support for those with severe illnesses. Through viatical settlements, his organization is able to assist patients with funding medical and living expenses through their existing life insurance policies.

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