CancerGuide: Practical and Financial Issues Section Home

CancerGuide Practical and Financial Section

This section of CancerGuide, which is just starting out, covers issues like insurance, disability, and travel. Note that this section is even more US oriented than the rest of CancerGuide.

Cancer often imposes practical and financial problems and stresses. You may have to travel for treatment, deal with not being able to work, or deal with inadequate or bad-faith insurance, all while sick. If I could give you just two pieces of advice, they would be:

The squeaky wheel gets the grease so if you're denied, turned down, or refused, complain, appeal, or agitate.
Don't just take no for an answer! If the answer from one source is no, there may very well be another way, another program, another hospital, something.

CancerGuide Articles In This Section

Cancer and Disability by Bruce Wallace
A concise guide to several different kinds of disability insurance..
Off site: Cancer and Social Security Disability. Informative article on a non-profit site. (PF, 5/2011)
Be Smart About Group Insurance
If you have insurance through work, making right choices can make all the difference.
Traveling for Treatment
You can get from here to there even if short on cash. Save on air travel, driving, and lodging.

Assisted Living for Cancer Patients

Sometimes living at home is no longer an option for cancer patients. The following web sites offer useful information in choosing a care facility.

Article on the LiveStrong web site
Article and Directory on the Directory of Assisted Care Facilities web site

Special Note: Patient Advocate Foundation's Co-Pay Relief Program (CPR)

Patient Advocate Foundation (PAF) announces the expansion of co-payment assistance funding for patients with Kidney Cancer or Sarcoma starting January 4, 2006. (They already provide financial assistance to eligible patients who are being treated for breast, lung and/or prostate cancers, and secondary issues as a result of chemotherapy treatment.) Additional information about the PAF Co-Pay Relief Program can be obtained by calling 866-512-3861 or visiting us on the web at www.copays.org or www.patientadvocate.org.