This post is a part of the week long Live Your Best Life series in celebration of Survivor Week.
It’s no secret that a colon cancer diagnosis is expensive. Fortunately, there are many resources and things you can do to reduce the financial impact. Here are 5 tips to help ease the cash crunch:
- Don’t be afraid to shop around! One hospital, lab or clinic may have a lower price for the test you need.
- Consider generics—they’re less expensive.
- Negotiate! If you don’t have insurance or if your insurance doesn’t cover something, ask if you can pay the insurance price.
- Check out our Blue Hope Financial Assistance, which offers financial grants to patients in active treatment.
- Visit our Insurance page if you’re having issues with your insurance. You can also try Insure Us Today and the Cancer Financial Assistance Coalition to learn more about health insurance in your state.
Bonus: it’s never too soon to tackle finances. Talk to your family, physician and insurance company early on about costs and ways to reduce financial burden.
Financial Resources
Sometimes finances interfere with treatment, but you may have legal rights if you’re in this position. You can get free legal advice from the Cancer Legal Resource Center, and the Patient Advocate Foundation has state-by-state case workers who may be able to help resolve your situation.
If you’re looking for local assistance, the Cancer Financial Assistance Coalition can help you find groups in your area that may be able to offer help more quickly than national groups. You can also try the United Way—they should be 211 on your phone.
Remember, we’re here to help! We have a Financial Resources page, which includes links to many national organizations that help with various financial issues. (Keep in mind that sometimes organizations run out of money, so you should always call back later to see if they’ve gotten more funding.) You can also receive and share financial advice and information with nearly 5,000 members of the Blue Hope Nation!
Remember, you can call our Toll-free Helpline at (877) 422-2030 if you ever need any financial answers or support.
What other financial tips do you have?
Don’t forget, the Colon Cancer Alliance serves as a source of information about colon health. If you have additional questions about colon cancer screening or are in need of support, please contact our free Helpline at (877) 422-2030. We’re here to help.