8.8.16
The Chronic Disease Coalition exists to serve the interests of all individuals living with a chronic health condition. Each chronic disease comes with its own set of symptoms and lifestyle challenges, and many chronic illnesses have unique issues when it comes to access to care. This is certainly true for cancer patients.
Cancer is one of the most common chronic diseases. Almost 14 million people are living with cancer of one form or another in the United States. Whether that is cancer of the skin, mouth, liver or another form, the Chronic Disease Coalition looks to represent all cancer patients. Here are three reasons that cancer patients should consider joining the CDC:
1. You’ll receive information on premium and co-pay assistance threats.
A number of excellent financial assistance programs exist to help cancer patients afford the care they need. These include premium assistance program run by the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, which helps patients pay their premiums, as well as co-pay assistance programs like the one run by CancerCare, which helps patients pay for their pharmaceutical needs.
Research shows that the financial difficulties associated with a cancer diagnosis can lead people to avoid or delay treatment and can cause stress leading to mental and physical health issues, and so these financial aid programs are especially important for cancer patients.
Unfortunately these programs are under threat from insurance companies. As the Coalition has documented, insurance companies across the country are trying to limit or eliminate the ability of patients to use third-party assistance payments to afford their bills. By joining the CDC, cancer patients can stay current on these attempts and be in a position to fight back when necessary.
2. You’ll receive information on network adequacy threats.
Cancer patients require constant and varied treatments. The many different kinds of cancer that patients need adequate networks which will be able to service all their health care needs. Here again, however, insurance companies are looking for ways to trim costs by excluding particular providers and services that cancer patients require.
By joining the CDC, patients will be able to stay informed on when and where their networks and benefits are being limited and gain access to tools that will help them fight back.
3. It’s free.
The Coalition is completely free to join. We do not charge membership fees or ever solicit donations from our members. Patients, cancer patients included, have enough bills to worry about. Instead we look to be a free resource that helps patients stay tuned in to the issues that matter most to them.
You can click here to sign up.
