Finding Financial Support for Cancer Patients

Cancer survivorship has increased over the years–in fact, according to cancer.gov, there were an estimated 16.9 million cancer survivors in the United States in 2019, and that number is projected to reach 22.2 million by 2030.

The tough truth about cancer survivorship is that treating and living with cancer comes with a substantial financial burden – one that may not let up even in remission.

To help prepare for the financial reality of cancer, this post includes information on the costs associated with cancer treatment, which costs insurance might not fully cover, and how to prepare for a long and healthy life with help from a Community-Led medical fundraising campaign.

How Much Does Cancer Cost?

It is overwhelming for one individual to endure the pain, sickness, and mental trauma that comes with fighting cancer, and then experience stress over the resulting expenses. In medicine, this scenario can create what the National Cancer Institute defines as financial toxicity  problems caused by the cost of medical care that can impact quality of life and access to medical care for cancer patients.

Financial toxicity has even resulted in patients not getting treatment for cancer because of the costs involved.

Below is a bar graph showing the projected increase in cancer costs by 2030.

A 2019 report by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics revealed that the average monthly costs for cancer treatments were:

• $1,000 – $12,000 for chemotherapy
• $9,000 for radiation
• $10,000 – $12,500 for immunotherapy

The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality Medical and Quality conducted a survey and found that in 2018, “cancer patients in the US paid a total of $5.6 billion out-of-pocket for cancer treatments, including surgical procedures, radiation treatments, and chemotherapy drugs.”

Even if you have medical insurance to cover cancer expenses, not all costs are fully covered:

Common Costs Associated with Cancer

Some of the most common costs associated with treating cancer that are not fully covered by insurance:

• Medications
• Medical travel expenses for therapy or treatment
• Relocation or moving expenses due to diagnosis (such as in the case of moving to be closer to a therapy center or hospital for treatment)
• Temporary housing due to medical relocation
• Mileage, tolls, and parking fees for visits to therapy center or hospital
• Home health care services and caregiving
• Experimental treatments

How Does Fundraising for Cancer Work?

Fundraising with our nonprofit works as follows:

1. Submit a campaign request for assistance at helphopelive.org/get-started/apply
2. You’ll be paired with a Client Services Coordinator.
3. Your Coordinator will provide you with one-on-one fundraising help, including personalized fundraising materials and guidance on how to rally your community, share your story on social media, reach out to the press, plan in-person or virtual fundraising events, and much more.

Fundraising with Help Hope Live

At Help Hope Live, cancer patient financial help begins by guiding individuals and their friends and family members on how to raise money for medical costs through community-based fundraising.

Our simple campaign request helps our team to determine whether fundraising is a viable option for you. If it is, we will work with you on a one-to-one basis to get your fundraising campaign up and running.