Uninsured and diagnosed with breast cancer (not me) any ideas??

[sundial]

I'm a social worker and used to work in the hospital setting. I would contact Department of Human Services in her county and make an appointment with a caseworker. Together they can determine what state benefits she may be eligible for based on income and need.

Your friend can also contact the hospital social services and see if she can qualify for medical assistance. Some hospitals have special funds set aside for patients who have particular needs and who offer services at no cost to indigent patients.

[Running Mommy]

Thanks SO MUCH!!! Such helpful info! I knew I could count on you ladies. Just another reason why I love this forum so much!!
TE LADIES ROCK!!!
I have passed this on, and he was amazed at how many good ideas everyone had. He said he will look into all of the programs. He had no idea they existed.
Thanks again!!
denise

[Possegal]

I have a friend who lost his job just as he was diagnosed with lymphoma. The social worker at the hospital has found him aid through several sources, she has been a godsend. Your friends have lots of options out there, just sadly they have to seek them out. But once they hit on the right people to help them, I think they will find a lot of sources of aid, especially in the cancer field. Definitely look into the breast cancer charities, I do think the Lance Armstrong Foundation has some aid for people in this situation, possibly the American Cancer Society as well.

Working in the field of cancer research, I will echo the idea that clinical trials may not be the best option. There are long lists of qualifications for a trial to ensure that it answers the questions it needs to answer. Your friend would need to have had a lot of tests before they would even consider her, and getting those tests done and paid for is part of the problem right now.

Once they have figured out how to get the tests done and found a dr that will treat her, the dr would be a great source of help as to what funds may be out there for the medications. Older meds are cheaper and the newer meds have programs to defray the costs. My sister's drug for her lung cancer is $4000 a month (it is a pill). Her copay is reasonable but if she wasn't insured, that is a lot of money. However, Genetech/OSI pharm who make the drug, have a program to help people in need. This is true of other expensive new drugs and companies. I think there are a number of programs out there for medication costs help.

Also, here is an organization that I think does a great job of educating and empowering the patient - www.cancercare.org. They may have some information of some help as well. (ha, and when I went there, on the front page is a link about financial assistance, so I definitely recommend they check them out). A lot of these charities/organizations have social workers on staff that can be a great resource.