The major costs of a cancer diagnosis and treatment are for things like time in the hospital, clinic visits, medicines, tests and procedures, home health services, services of doctors and other professionals, and treatment (surgery, chemotherapy, radiation treatment, and bone marrow or peripheral stem cell transplant). Insurance, managed care, or public health care programs pay most of these costs if you are covered in such a plan.
But families also have many indirect costs or “out-of-pocket” expenses when a child has cancer, along with their usual bills. These costs can be for things like:
- Travel (gas and parking)
- Lodging (a place for the patient and/or family to stay) during treatments away from home
- Meals during travel or clinic visits
- Extra child care costs
- Communication (phone calls, faxes, copies of medical records, etc ) with doctors, friends and relatives
- Special foods and nutritional supplements
- Special equipment or clothing
Also, a child’s treatment plan can cause parents and family members to lose time at work and, in some cases, all or part of their salary. Even more money is lost if one parent has to quit a job or take an extended leave of absence. Of course, costs increase as treatment is extended, if there are treatment complications, or if the cancer comes back. This section offers just a few ideas of where you might be able to get some help dealing with the costs of cancer. See the “To learn more” section for other resources that may be useful to you.
What help is available with short-term housing near the treatment center?
Most major pediatric treatment centers have a Ronald McDonald House nearby. These houses provide low-cost or free housing for patients and their immediate families. These houses are designed to offer a nice break for any family with a seriously ill child, not just those with limited funds.
Although partly funded by McDonald’s Children’s Charities, each House has its own management, sets its own admissions standards, and operates according to its own rules. Check with your health care team’s social worker or nurse to learn more, or contact Ronald McDonald House Charities at 630-623-7048 or www.rmhc.org. Families must be referred by medical staff and/or social workers at the treatment facility.
Many treatment centers also have other short-term housing possibilities or discount arrangements with nearby motels and hotels. The clinic social worker or oncology nurse may have ideas for low-cost housing during hospital or clinic treatment.
Where can families find help with housing needs or mortgage payments?
The extra expenses of a child’s treatment or major loss of family income may make it hard for families to pay their mortgage or rent on time. To keep a good credit rating, talk with your creditor or landlord about your situation and try to make special arrangements. Family, friends, or church members may be able to give you short-term help if they are told about the problem. Talk about your situation with the team social worker who may know of special resources.
Families who need to move out of housing after a child’s cancer diagnosis should talk with their county department of social services to find out if they can get into government-supported housing programs.
Where can families get help with driving and ground transportation costs?
Where can families get help with air travel?
The ACS Air Miles program is a joint effort between Mercy Medical Airlift (MMA)/National Patient Travel Helpline (NPATH) and the American Cancer Society. The program is designed to help patients with the costs of air travel for cancer-related reasons. Call us at 1-800-227-2345 to find out if you are eligible for help with air travel. MMA/NPATH helps set up the travel on behalf of ACS, through the ACS call center staff.
Is there any help available for the cost of telephone service?
Help with the cost of basic charges for phone service may be available from Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF). Speak with the eligibility worker in your county department of social services for more information. Families that have problems controlling phone charges may want to think about buying pre-paid calling cards, pre-paid cell phones, or plans with pre-paid minutes. If you call them before you go over your limit, sometimes they can help you avoid going over your minutes for the month.
The Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC) is another resource that may help if your income is very low. Visit their Web site at www.usac.org/li/low-income to learn more about phone service help that’s available in your state. Or you can call 1-866-873-4727 and follow the low income prompts.
You may also want to call the American Cancer Society to find out about other local sources of help with telephone service.
What help is available for food and food costs?
Some government programs help with food costs. These programs include:
- School meals, such as
- National School Lunch Program
- Fresh Fruit & Vegetable Program
- School Breakfast Program
- Special Milk Program
- Team nutrition
- Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or SNAP (formerly called the Food Stamp Program)
- Women, Infants and Children (WIC)
- Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program
- Senior Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program
- Summer Food Service Program
- Food Distribution
- Commodity Supplemental Food Program
- The Emergency Food Assistance Program
These programs are run by the US Department of Agriculture. You can learn more about what’s covered and how to apply on their Web site at www.fns.usda.gov/snap/ or by calling 1-800-221-5689.
How about Internet access?
You may notice that many groups and organizations now have a lot of information on the Internet and may be harder to call or reach in person. When you do call you may find that they encourage you to find the information you need on their Web site. For many groups, this is a way to save money and they can focus funds on services to those in need.
Families who are having financial troubles may not have Internet access available at home. This may make it seem harder to find what you need.
But Internet access is not usually required to find help – and a lot of information is not available on the Internet at all. Because of this, many organizations still provide toll-free phone numbers so that people without Internet service can learn about and ask for services. Don’t be embarrassed to tell people that you don’t have Internet access or that you can’t check their Web site. Finally, if there is something that you must check on the Internet, many public libraries offer free Internet access.
And you can always call us, day or night, to find out about getting the help you need.
Where else can families get financial help?
Most families find it hard to turn to others or to agencies and funds for financial help. Families generally take pride in taking care of their own needs. The extra expenses of a child’s cancer may be the first time a family has had problems with money. Families should remember that their problems in such a situation are often short-lived and not unique. In the future, they may be the ones who can offer help to others.
Here are some possible sources of help for families who need some extra financial support at this time:
- Income assistance for low-income families through Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits (see below)
- Income assistance from the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program (see below)
- Help with treatment-related travel, meals and lodging from public and private programs
- Help with basic living costs (like rent, mortgage, insurance premiums, utilities, and telephone) from public and private programs
- Help from church, civic, social, and fraternal groups in the community
- General help from special funds in the medical center or community
- Help from targeted fundraising for an individual patient or family
The team social worker may be able to give you more information about resources that might help your family. There are also organizations and written materials that can provide information on fundraising strategies (see “To learn more”).
What are Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits?
Supplemental Security Income (SSI) is designed to supplement the income of eligible families with low incomes and limited assets in which there is a disabled individual. Children qualify if they meet Social Security’s definition of disability. To get SSI, your income and assets must fall below a certain level.
Children can qualify if they meet Social Security’s definition of disability. Income criteria are checked by the local Social Security Administration office. Disability evaluation specialists at the state Social Security office decide if the child is disabled. Not every child with a cancer diagnosis is considered disabled.
In most states, Medicaid is given to children getting SSI, but you must apply for it separately. You can get more information about SSI from the team social worker or from the nearest Social Security Administration office listed in the US Government section of your local phone book. See the “To learn more” section for more information.
Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)
Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) is a grant program that provides monthly cash payments to help pay for food, clothing, housing, utilities, transportation, phone, medical supplies, and other basic needs not paid for by Medicaid. TANF also helps states provide training and jobs for the people in their welfare programs. A social worker can tell you about your state’s plan or see the “To learn more” section for TANF contact information.
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