Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/46359
cancer patients lose sight of financial help when they need it most By Meagan Parrish SHOCK bear. "That's when the bills really started piling up … and that's when people start calling us [for help]." Not only an organization that funds can- cer-related education and research, ACS has found its niche in the world of cancer support by providing a light for patients in the hazy journey through diagnosis, treat- ment and beyond. Whether a patient needs emotional or financial support, Nystuen's regional office, along with Webb's station at UW Hospital, boasts more than 6,500 resources to refer Madison patients to, including charities, support groups and more, many of which can help patients bridge the financial gap between out-of- pocket costs and insurance coverage. It's no surprise that the disease can be a crippling financial situation for individu- als, given the dent it puts in our national budget as well. Altogether, Americans shelled out more than $124 billion for cancer care in 2010, according to the latest statistics from the National Cancer Institute—and we're spending the most on breast cancer. Likely due to the cost of screening with mam- mograms (a crucial factor in early detec- tion and survival rates) as well as expensive treatments, NCI estimates that Americans spent more than $16 billion dollars in the last year on breast cancer alone. And while these values are almost too astronomical to fully appreciate, the costs find real meaning for patients' daily lives. According to estimates from Susan G. Komen for the Cure, the nation's largest nonprofit dedicated to funding breast can- cer education and research, the total price tag to treat a breast cancer patient ranges from approximately $22,350 per person in early stage treatment, to $120,000 per patient in distant-stage treatment. In the mix of those numbers are the out- of-pocket costs many don't expect when diagnosed. In addition to transportation, many have a hard time shouldering the payments of lodging when traveling to treatments. And when they have to take time off of work to seek care or recuperate, there's concern of lost wages or even worse—losing their jobs. As treatment kicks in, giving rise to a range of often unpredictable side effects, there's the need for over-the-counter medication to right the wrongs of chemo- therapy or radiation. And for women with breast cancer, there's the quest to regain a sense of control over their bodies, often through the use of wigs to mask hair loss or breast prostheses, beauty products and more. Not surprisingly, low-income patients or those who are uninsured or underinsured are crippled the most by treatment-related expenses. But as many can attest, even the safety net insurance provides only stretches so wide. Though insured patients can ex- pect that treatment costs and portions of October 2011 bravamagazine.com 57