out of pocket copays

Dial 2-1-1 for Local Resources & Assistance

Here is another great resource! Dial 2-1-1 A free confidential service that offers information and support across North America and many parts of Canada!

2-1-1 is a free confidential referral and information helpline and website that offers help relating to financial, domestic, health, or disaster related issues.

2-1-1 can be reached either via phone or computer. Help is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

They offer information and support relating to:

supplemental food and nutrition programs
shelter and housing options and utilities assistance
emergency information and disaster relief
employment and education opportunities
services for veterans
health care, vaccination and health epidemic information
addiction prevention and rehabilitation programs
reentry help for ex-offenders
support groups for individuals with mental illnesses or special needs
a safe, confidential path out of physical and/or emotional domestic abuse

Thousands of people call or visit 2-1-1 everyday seeking resources and assistance.

Call 2-1-1 and speak with a live, highly trained service professional in your area from any cell phone or landline. All calls are private and confidential.

**Join our FREE private Breast Cancer Financial Help and Resources – Cancer Butterfly Facebook Group to ask questions, share info, and get in the info sharing first hand 🙂

**Looking to save $$$ on your out of pocket cancer treatment medical costs ??? Click here to check out our FREE complete Cancer Butterfly Foundation Grant List

Click the compass below to check out all of our other FREE resources:

New Grant Foundations for spring!

Happy Spring time! We have run across some new grant Foundations that may be helpful to you! The Foundations are not new, we just newly became aware of them. So we wanted to be sure to pass on the information on these Foundations right away…..

Everything from Foundations that offer non-medical cost-of-living help, transportation, home care and child care costs. Grants for help with outstanding medical bills, mortgage payments, tuition assistance and providing financial assistance for vacations!

My motto is apply for any that you may qualify for …..the worst they can say is “no” 🙂

***Here is the list of Foundations that have been newly added to our Cancer Butterfly Foundation List (go down the list and start applying today!):

The Pink Fund A non-profit breast cancer organization that provides 90-day non-medical cost-of-living to breast cancer patients in active treatment for breast cancer, so they can focus on healing, raising their families, and returning to the workplace.

Apply thru website: https://www.pinkfund.org/

The Pink Fund

P.O. Box 603

Bloomfield Hills, MI 48303

By Phone: 877.234.PINK (7465)

The Pink Fund partners with The Mary Herczog Fund for Metastatic Breast Cancer Survivors The Mary Herczog Fund for Metastatic Breast Cancer Survivors was launched in her honor to provide six months of financial support to women in treatment for metastatic breast cancer. Metastatic survivors diagnosed under 40, as was Mary, and awaiting Social Security Disability, may qualify under The Pink Fund’s guidelines. Check back to our site on March 31, 2018 for the official launch, including details on qualifications and applications.

Apply thru website: https://www.pinkfund.org/2018/03/26/partners-address-metastatic-breast-cancer-community/

The Pink Fund / The Mary Herczog Fund for Metastatic Breast Cancer Survivors

P.O. Box 603

Bloomfield Hills, MI 48303

By Phone: 877.234.PINK (7465)

Cancer Care The Financial Assistance Program helps with treatment-related costs, such as transportation, home care and child care. The Co-Payment Assistance Foundation helps with insurance co-payments to cover the cost of chemotherapy and targeted treatments.

Cancer Care

275 Seventh Avenue

New York, NY 10001

By Phone: 800‑813‑HOPE (4673)

Call to apply: Call 800-813-HOPE (4673) and speak with a CancerCare social worker to complete a brief interview. They can be reached from 10 a.m.–6 p.m. (ET) Monday through Thursday, and 10 a.m.–5 p.m. (ET) on Friday.

The Angela Andrade Foundation Grants have ranged from paying outstanding medical bills, mortgage payments, tuition assistance and providing financial assistance for vacations.

You are eligible to apply to the Angela Andrade Foundation if:

You are a patient with metastatic breast cancer
You are receiving treatment within the United States
You are a permanent resident of the United States

In order to apply for a grant, an applicant must mail a completed application to the address indicated below.

Download the application here: https://angelaandradefoundation.blogspot.com/p/srchttpsdocs.html

Grants will be given in $1,800 increments. Grants will be given on an as needed basis. Recipients are selected monthly and must wait a year before applying for another grant from The Angela Andrade Foundation. The applicant must submit a completed application including confirmation from a healthcare provider (through a sealed letter). When possible, all grant payments will be made directly to service providers on behalf of the individual recipient. In some instances recipients may be eligible for reimbursement, but they must provide receipts prior to expense reimbursement.

The Angela Andrade Foundation

The Dallas Foundation

Reagan Place at Old Parkland 3963 Maple Avenue, Suite 390

Dallas, Texas 75219

(214) 741-9898
Email: angelaandradefoundation@gmail.com

American Cancer Society Breakthrough research. Free lodging near treatment. A 24/7/365 live helpline. Rides to treatment. And much more!

Call to see what all they can help YOU with for your specific situation.

Cancer Help line: 800-227-2345

American Cancer Society Road to Recovery Program

The program is intended to assist with cancer-related appointments. Patients must provide a 3 business day advance notice, not including the first date a ride is needed, when making requests. All arrangements must be made through the American Cancer Society Patient Services department. Patients should NOT contact volunteer drivers directly to request rides.

American Cancer Society Patient Services department must be notified immediately if a patient’s plans change and a ride is no longer needed. The program is subject to volunteer availability. A request will be submitted to determine if drivers are available.

Patients will be notified no later than one business day before the scheduled appointment to provide a status update on the request and if a driver was found. (Patients may be notified sooner than this.) If a volunteer driver is found, patients may be contacted by the driver the night prior to the appointment.

Please feel free to call the American Cancer Society’s Patient Services department with any questions. Our toll-free number is 888-227-6333.

American Cancer Society – Hope Lodge Each Hope Lodge offers cancer patients and their caregivers a free place to stay when their best hope for effective treatment may be in another city. Not having to worry about where to stay or how to pay for lodging allows guests to focus on getting better. Hope Lodge provides a nurturing, home-like environment where guests can retreat to private rooms or connect with others. Every Hope Lodge also offers a variety of resources and information about cancer and how best to fight the disease.

Check out webpage for more info: https://www.cancer.org/treatment/support-programs-and-services/patient-lodging/hope-lodge.html

**Join our private Breast Cancer Financial Help and Resources – Cancer Butterfly Facebook Group to ask questions, share info, and get in the info sharing first hand 🙂

Click here to check out our complete Cancer Butterfly Foundation Grant List

Click the compass below to check out all of our other free resources:

Join our Private Facebook group!

Join our “Breast Cancer Financial Help & Resources – Cancer Butterfly” Private Facebook Group!

This is a private facebook group where we share information and resources that will help you save money on your out of pocket cancer treatment costs from the comfort of your own home!

This is a group created by a Breast Cancer Survivor (Danielle Rivera) to help other Breast Cancer patients navigate through the financial side of cancer.

I was diagnosed with breast cancer 8 years ago at age 40 and had two young daughters at the time. I found the financial end of cancer to be very stressful and it caused me a lot of worry wondering how we would pay for my out of pocket cancer treatment expenses.

As I went through treatment I uncovered several ways to get help with my out of pocket cancer treatment costs and my hope is to help others who are burdened by this horrible disease and help ease their mind about the financial end of treatment.

I was able to save over $4,200 on my out of pocket cancer treatment costs by applying for Cancer grants and financial assistance that is available for cancer patients and I can show you how you can save too! This group is created so that cancer survivors and patients can share information with each other in order to help each other through the financial side of cancer….Welcome

Please feel to join and ask questions in our private facebook group – “Breast Cancer Financial Help & Resources -Cancer Butterfly”

Neulasta Injection can help you get approved for a cancer grant

The very expensive Neulasta Injection is often given the day after chemotherapy treatment in order to stimulate your bone marrow to make your white blood cells recover more quickly from the effects of the chemo drugs and to help ward off infections.

This injection can cause bone pain in your legs, arms, lower back, and chest. The bone pain should lessen each time you receive the injection. The injection is usually given at least 24 hrs after chemotherapy to stimulate the growth of new, healthy, white blood cells.

If you are receiving the Neulasta Injection you can apply for cancer grants to help offset your out of pocket cost on this drug and possibly on the other cancer drugs you are receiving too! See below for example…

EXAMPLE: Basically let’s say you have breast cancer, but the foundation you called is not accepting any more new breast cancer applications this month, or they are not accepting any more new applications for the specific cancer drugs you are receiving, you can still apply if they are accepting new applications for CIN (chemo induced anemia).

You would qualify to apply as CIN if you are receiving (or did receive) the very expensive neulasta injection.

And, because you got your “foot in the door” with your CIN application with this foundation and if approved through your CIN application, you very well may also be able to get ALL your other cancer related drugs covered (as long as they are on that foundations approved list, even if they are not specifically accepting new applications for those drugs any longer that month, and as long as your health insurance paid a portion of the cost, which left you with a co-payment).

Read our page on Chemotherapy and drug grant overview (Save $$$) for more detailed information on cancer grants and our Foundation grant list page.

Click on the compass below to check out all of our free resources to help you be more comfortable during your cancer treatment:

Day one of Chemo

Image result for chemo room

About 9:45 am we headed over to the chemo room and got started. The nurses started with taking my temperature (which was fine), and my blood pressure (which was elevated, duh!!)…… I don’t know why they bother with that one 🙂

Then they inserted the IV, they found a good vein after only two tries.

They first started me on a saline drip, then started the first drug bag, I didn’t feel a thing. The next bag was a red solution from their fridge, at the time this bag started going in, my eyes started getting really tired and dry and my contacts got really uncomfortable. My nose started getting stuffy and I started sneezing a lot.

I called my husband who was out grabbing us lunch and asked him to run home and pick up my glasses so I could take my contacts out.

After the red bag they started another clear bag and soon after my husband returned I was all done!

There were 10 chairs in the chemo room and most of the time that I was there (about 3 hrs total), most of the chairs were full. Most with women, only two with men the entire time I was there, everyone was quite a bit older than me. Many women were in their 60’s-80’s. Very sad, at that point in your life to have to be doing chemo in your retirement, they should be off on a vacation!

(purchasing through our affiliate links, help support this site 🙂 )

Everyone sits in a big room, very similar to a blood donation room at the blood bank. It is nice because you are close enough to your neighbors to chat and get some good advice and such.

Some people bring books, chat, nap, listen to music, or do paperwork. Bring a big water cup and some snacks.

Actress and photographer Kris Carr has documented her journey through several best selling books since finding out her liver was covered with cancerous tumors. Her cancer tips are candid and informative, yet very warm and real.

She documents her interactions with family, friends, and doctors through her journey. Kris Carr is a very “say it like it is” kind of gal so she is very easy to relate to, these are my top pick cancer tip books!

(purchasing through our affiliate links, help support this site 🙂 )

To help ease your burden as you go through cancer treatment we have a lot of resources available to help with out of pocket costs for hospital tests, chemotherapy cost, chemotherapy side effects, and radiation treatment costs.

Click the compass below to check out all the FREE Resources available on CancerButterfly.com to help you through your cancer treatment:

The MRI experience

Image result for mri machine

MRI (Magnetic Resonance imaging) is a test that uses a magnetic field and pulses of radio wave energy to make pictures of organs and structures inside the body.

An MRI may be used for many reasons. It can be used to find problems such as tumors, bleeding, injury, blood vessel diseases, or infections.

The way the MRI was explained to me is that is a very sensitive mammogram that will be looking at all the cell tissue in both breasts and in the chest walls.

You may be given a gown to wear and will need to remove all metal objects (such as hearing aids, dentures, jewelry, watches, and hair clips).

You need to lie very still inside the MRI magnet, so you may need medicine to help you relax if you become nervous in confined spaces if you are claustrophobic.

Inside the scanner you will hear a fan and feel air moving. You may also hear noises as the MRI scans are taken. You may be given earplugs or earphones to wear to reduce the noise.

The MRI test usually takes 30-60 minutes.

I am claustrophobic so I can’t say the MRI was a fun experience for me, but I survived and you will too. My MRI test took 45 mins and during the test I just kept trying to redirect my mind to other things and not focus on where I was.

Click here to check out all the FREE Resources available on CancerButterfly.com to help you through your cancer treatment

Save money on out of pocket radiation treatment copays

As you go through several weeks of radiation during your cancer treatment you will accumulate a lot of various individual bills. I had 7 weeks of daily radiation and it seems like the radiation department billed my insurance every few days.

The costs of radiation can REALLY add up! Usually your health insurance company will have negotiated the rates on these services with the radiation department, but you may still have quite a bit to pay out of pocket on your co-pays.

The amount I owed the radiation department for my out of pocket co-pay cost for all my radiation expenses was $1,448.89.

Thankfully, I learned how to apply for a discount on these costs and luckily was able to receive a 57% discount off of that amount, so then I only owed $619.43!

When you also have out of pocket co-pays and deductibles to pay for chemotherapy, MRI, mammograms, Pet scans, blood work, surgery, etc., all the out of pocket costs can really start to add up! So anywhere you can save money helps a lot! Thankfully, there is financial help for cancer patients!

There is financial assistance for cancer patients available and grants for cancer patients to help offset chemotherapy cost and other out of pocket copays and deductibles. I am a breast cancer survivor and I can show you how you can apply for discounts on YOUR cancer treatment related radiation costs, hospital bill co-pays, and chemotherapy treatment co-pays that will save you MONEY!

Why a Meal Train is important

Meal train is a great FREE resource for anyone going through cancer treatment or any extended medical treatment. It provides a way for family and friends to help the cancer patient during a time when many people want to help but aren’t sure what to do that would be helpful.

The online meal train calendar is very user friendly and easy to use. The person organizing the meal train can insert which dates the patient would like meal deliveries. They can also specify a requested delivery time and list any food allergies. Then the meal train is emailed out to the family and friends of the cancer patient and they can then sign up electronically through the link in the email from mealtrain.com and pick a date to deliver that works with their schedule.

As people sign up to deliver a meal they can also note what they will bring for the meal so that others who are delivering don’t bring the same dish. The electronic meal train site also sends a reminder email to the person delivering the meal the week and the day before each scheduled delivery.

It is a great way for family and friends to have a quick visit with the patient as they are delivering the meal. A friendly face, a hug, and a short visit will do wonders for someone going through cancer treatment. Some days it may be the only contact the patient has with the outside world, so it also gives them something to look forward to each day.

Don’t open the oven door with your wig on!

The biggest tip I can give you in the “wig” department is….. “don’t open the oven door with your wig on!” Both of the wigs I purchased were synthetic. I had no idea that synthetic wigs are HEAT SENSITIVE and I was just going about my business pulling dinner out of the oven and then I noticed when I walked past a mirror that my bangs were standing on end! Never to look the same again! The heat from the oven scorched my bangs 🙁 So then, I was on to wig number two.

If you are going through cancer treatment and chemotherapy is part of your medical treatment, losing your hair may be part of the deal as one of the chemotherapy side effects of some of the chemotherapy drugs. Keep in mind it is temporary and the chemotherapy hair loss, eyebrow hair loss and eyelash loss will grow back rather quickly once chemotherapy treatment is complete.

There are two main types of wigs:

Synthetic Hair Wig – generally less expensive than real human hair. You CAN NOT use hot styling tools on a synthetic wig unless it is a heat safe version. There is no styling necessary for synthetic wigs, since they come already styled. When wearing a synthetic wig be very careful to stay away from BBQ grills, ovens, stoves, and fireplaces!

Real Human Hair Wig – generally more expensive than synthetic wigs and has a higher quality texture of hair. This type of wig will allow you to be able to change the hairstyle and use hot styling tools on it.

It is recommended that you wash your wig after wearing it every 8-12 times. Don’t brush your wig when it is wet. The fibers in wigs are fragile and should only be brushed with a wig brush and only when the wig is dry. There is special wig shampoo that you can purchase at any wig shop.

The bangs on wigs are purposely left long so that each person can have them trimmed how they would like, since some people wear their bangs longer than others. After you purchase your wig you can take it to a hairdresser that has experience in cutting wigs and have the bangs trimmed how you would like. I also put hair clips in my wigs to make them look more like how I actually wear my hair.