Financial Assistance for Cancer Patients: Renal Cell Carcinoma (RCC)

Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is one of the most common cancers found in adults in the U.S. When they are diagnosed with RCC, patients typically have to live with more than just the symptoms of the illness: they may struggle with the out-of-pocket costs of kidney cancer.

The cost of cancer can go beyond the physical and emotional toll it takes on patients and their families when out-of-pocket costs become overwhelming. Fortunately, kidney care financial assistance is available. Let’s take a deeper dive and see what’s in store for anyone living with this disease and the associated costs. 

Common Kidney Cancer Treatments and Their Costs

The average cost for a patient with kidney cancer is $23,489. One study focusing on the economic burden of kidney cancer in the U.S. found that the incremental total healthcare cost per patient was $22,752 for the “initial” phase, $4,860 for the “continuous” phase, and $13,232 for the “late” phase.

Below is a chart breaking down the common treatment options and cost ranges:

*For states I-III, surgery can often cure kidney cancer. However, for advanced cancer (stage IV), immunotherapy may be a stronger treatment option when combined with other therapies. Immunotherapy for kidney cancer is effective for some stage IV cancer patients because it can slow the spread of cancerous cells and, in some cases, even shrink a tumor.

Sometimes, the best option for ridding the kidney of cancer can be a transplant. For more information on kidney transplants and their expenses, check out our kidney transplant financial assistance page.

Does Insurance Cover Kidney Cancer Treatment?

Depending on your insurance provider and plan, the range of coverage may vary. It is important to discuss this with your provider in order to determine how much additional financial assistance for your kidney cancer treatment will be necessary. 

ESRD and Medicare: Does Medicare Pay for Kidney Cancer Treatment?

When someone starts dialysis or receives a kidney transplant, they can apply for Medicare. Normally, Medicare is an option only if a patient is over 65 years old. However, there is a special entitlement for people living with kidney failure (ESRD). Medicare pays 80% of the cost of dialysis treatment and 80% of the cost of immunosuppressant medications after transplant.

You pay a hefty deductible for Medicare Part A health insurance when living with end-stage renal disease (ESRD). However, there are many Medicare options out there depending on your economic status. 

However, in most cases, it is necessary to consider fundraising. This is always a great source to generate extra funds to pay medical expenses.

Kidney Cancer with No Insurance

When looking at the cost of kidney cancer without insurance, the numbers will add up fast. Fundraising and other financial resources can help patients reduce the financial burden that kidney cancer may create – with or without insurance.

Common Out-of-Pocket Costs for Kidney Cancer

Some of the most common types of out-of-pocket costs for kidney cancer are:

• Medication co-pays
• Travel expenses for rehabilitation and treatment
• Relocation or moving expenses related to the diagnosis (such as in the case of moving to be closer to a rehabilitation center or hospital for treatment)
• Temporary housing due to relocation
• Mileage, tolls, and parking fees for visits to a rehabilitation center or hospital
• Home health care services
• Physical therapy and vocational rehabilitation

Finding Kidney Cancer Financial Assistance

Addressing a kidney cancer diagnosis is filled with many questions that differ for every patient. All the unknowns, procedures, and long-term care needs can add to the stress of battling kidney cancer – and so can the significant out-of-pocket financial burden.

If you need assistance with kidney cancer expenses, our nonprofit is here to help.

As your community-based fundraising source, you can work with Help Hope Live to access greater financial support for kidney cancer treatments. Together, we can raise funds to assist with unmet medical expenses and related costs from living with kidney cancer.

How Fundraising Can Provide Kidney Cancer Financial Assistance

Expenses associated with kidney cancer procedures, rehabilitation and therapy, and long-term health care will vary depending on the situation. Regardless of the specifics, the expenses add up quickly for patients and their families. Finding financial support for kidney cancer treatments can be a burden – but Help Hope Live can help.

Help Hope Live is your community-based fundraising source to assist with the unmet medical expenses and related costs resulting from living with kidney cancer.

Turn to Help Hope Live for Kidney Cancer Financial Assistance

Fundraising can help with the out-of-pocket cost of kidney cancer. Through community-based fundraising, our nonprofit organization is dedicated to helping you raise funds for the medical expenses associated with surgery or ongoing support for kidney cancer.

How Is Help Hope Live Different from GoFundMe?

Help Hope Live differs from GoFundMe by:

• Verifying your medical need for complete donor confidence
• Enabling donations that are tax-deductible
• Providing one-on-one fundraising help
• Managing all funds raised to protect your state-based benefits (funds raised are not considered personal income/assets to you)
• Paying bills directly allows you to focus on treatment and recovery

We are a nonprofit organization with more than four decades of fundraising experience and a 4-star Charity Navigator rating.

How Does Fundraising for Kidney Cancer Work?

The fundraising process with our nonprofit starts with a few simple steps:

1. Complete a short campaign request at helphopelive.org/get-started/apply
2. We will contact you if community-based fundraising is a possible option
3. You’ll be paired with a Client Services Coordinator
4. Your Coordinator will provide you with one-on-one fundraising help, including personalized materials and guidance on rallying your community, sharing your story on social media, reaching out to the press, planning in-person or virtual fundraising events, and much more

“We could not have made it this far without your support.”

An annual checkup left Tony and his wife, Maxine, in shock: Tony was living with a cancerous tumor on his liver. Forced to come up with $600 per month in out-of-pocket medication expenses, Tony and Maxine turned to Help Hope Live. They leveraged our medical fundraising support to help Tony fund a liver transplant in 2018. 

“A great fundraising experience - help with my medical bills and so much more.”

Joanna McCray became unable to work after she was diagnosed with end-stage renal disease (ESRD). To assist with out-of-pocket costs including medical travel, caregiving, and medications, Joanna turned to Help Hope Live. She received a kidney transplant in 2018 – a milestone she felt would have been far less likely without our nonprofit’s support. Today, she is a proud Help Hope Live ambassador.

Expertise. Secure. Compassion. Dependable. Trust.

In a 2020 survey, clients and their trusted team members chose these five words to describe how our nonprofit makes a difference. 94% of our clients would gladly recommend Help Hope Live as a resource to another patient or family.