Breast Cancer Financial Assistance and Support.

Breast Cancer Financial Assistance Patients Type #1: Your Life Insurance Policy pays YOU (through a Viatical Settlement)

Anyone struggling with a severe medical condition knows that health insurance doesn’t cover all costs. In the United States, even with government programs such as Medicare and Medicaid, you may still face significant out-of-pocket expenses.

However, what most people don’t know is that a life insurance policy is considered an asset that you own, meaning insurance policy holders can sell their life insurance for a lump-sum cash payment, also known as a viatical settlement.

With a viatical settlement, the funds are tax-free and non-regulated, meaning YOU decide how they are spent.

Not only can you pay towards your medical expenses, but also towards the cost of living expenses, or even a luxurious vacation with your loved ones. As the settlement holder, the freedom and the choice is uniquely yours!

In some cases, individuals can receive 70% of their life insurance policy in as little as 2 weeks with a viatical settlement!

Life settlement vs viatical settlement. How it works: Unlike life settlements, viatical settlements are designed for life insurance policyholders with life-threatening illnesses, reduced life expectancies, or chronic health issues.

Breast cancer patients with life insurance policies can enter agreements with third-party buyers to sell their life insurance policy in return for a lump-sum payment (more than the cash value of the life insurance policy, but less than the death benefit).

The life settlement company takes over by paying the monthly insurance policy premiums, and receives the death benefit after the seller’s passing.

If you’re considering selling your life insurance policy, American Life Fund is here to help. For us, the most important thing is alleviating the financial burden associated with breast cancer care, reducing stress, and enabling you to spend more time on the things that matter.

Through our hassle-free application process, American Life Fund will help you get an immediate cash offer for your insurance policy.

With the cost of cancer medications rising, many patients feel concerned about how to afford treatment.

Thankfully, programs like PPA (Partnerships for Prescription Assistance) and Rx Outreach can help by providing free money to breast cancer patients, in the form of free or reduced cost prescriptions.

Their easy to use online websites provide a list of multiple prescription assistance programs that you may qualify for as a breast cancer patient.

Another resource offering financial assistance for breast cancer patients is Needy Meds. Needy Meds offers a free Drug Discount Card, which provides savings of up to 80% on prescription medications.

If a medication is not covered by your insurance, or if your insurance has a high deductible, fear not–you can use your Drug Discount Card to help pay for prescriptions.

Also, the Medicine Assistance Tool can help breast cancer patients to locate additional resources for prescription assistance. Financial support for breast cancer patients is an important way to reduce an already stressful situation, do not hesitate to reach out for help!

When dealing with breast cancer, the last thing you should have to worry about is the price of gas; however, as trips to alternative cancer treatment centers increase, so does the cost of transportation. Gas can be EXPENSIVE (especially if you live somewhere like California)– so why pay for it if you don’t have to? Check those organizations providing free cards for cancer patients but also free government grants for cancer patients.

Breast Cancer Angels (southern CA applicants only) and Tenaciously Teal are two great organizations that help breast cancer patients by providing gift cards for both gas and groceries. Additionally, NeedyMeds is a great resource to consult for help with medical transportation and necessary travel expenses.

Also, check out The Cancer Card Xchange, as they accept new applicants periodically.

Financial Assistance For Breast Cancer Patients Type #6: Fundraising

One of the quickest, easiest ways to supplement financial help for breast cancer patients is fundraising. With a little upfront investment of your time and a good social network, fundraising can be an effective tool for harnessing financial funds.

Online fundraising platforms such as GoFundMe, allow you to post your need/cause and share that need/cause with others. However, the downside is that you only receive a portion of the funds raised.

A second method of fundraising worth considering–and from which you’ll get to keep all profits– is known as a personal fundraiser. With this type– you, your friends, and your family raise funds by offering something to the community, such as a bake sale or car wash, for example. Feel free to check out MedGift Advocacy Services for a whole list of fundraising ideas.

There are many ways to help the situation by doing some breast cancer financial assistance fundraising; be creative!

A breast cancer diagnosis is never easy, especially when that diagnosis turns into a financial burden.

In order to try to avoid financial distress, it is important to understand the costs associated with treating breast cancer.

When battling with breast cancer, some of your largest expenses are likely to come from the following: doctor visits, treatment, breast reconstruction, medication, and transportation/travel.

Doctor Visit Costs: If you’re insured, you’ll likely only have to pay a copay per visit to your doctor; the copay is usually a small fraction of the total overall cost for the visit. If you’re uninsured, you’ll pay more.

Treatment Costs: The primary method of treatment for patients with breast cancer is either a lumpectomy (removal of a small amount of cancerous tissue) or mastectomy (complete or partial removal of one or both breasts). If the cancer has progressed further, radiation and chemotherapy are also necessary. For this reason, the duration of your treatment will have a direct impact on the financial costs incurred–in other words, the more treatment needed, the more it is likely to cost you.

Breast Reconstruction: For patients who must undergo a mastectomy, breast reconstruction is an option. During this cosmetic surgery, the breast(s) are reconstructed using implants. Since reconstruction is a cosmetic surgery, it comes at an additional cost. While many healthcare providers do cover this cost, you’ll still be responsible for the copay–which in the case of surgery, can still be very pricey.

Medication Costs: While being treated for breast cancer, there are certain medications you’ll need to take. Also, if you’re actively undergoing chemotherapy, that’s another crucial cost you’ll need to consider when opting for financial assistance for treatment.

Transportation/Travel Costs: If you’re being treated for breast cancer at a facility that is not near your home, you’ll be met with the added financial stress of paying for gas and/or the costs of public transportation to get to and from your appointments.

Sounds like a lot? The good news is, help is always available–and you deserve it, no matter what your financial situation is. To learn more about how we help breast cancer patients financially, contact us at American Life Fund today!