Financial Assistance

Organization Tools, Resources Guides and Checklists

  • Cancer Insurance Checklist
    The Cancer Insurance Checklist is an online worksheet that you can use to track provider visits, services, and costs to compare insurance plans in the federally funded Marketplace. 
  • CancerFinances.org
    Cancer Finances is an online toolkit to help people manage finances after a cancer diagnosis.
  • Triage Cancer Guides and Checklist
    Triage Cancer provides quick guides and checklists that offer practical information about finances and financial toxicity, navigating health insurance, and employment and work.  Also offer resources in Spanish.

Basic Benefit Information

  • Americans with Disabilities Act
    Provides information and technical assistance for individuals with questions relating the Americans with Disabilities Act. The U.S. Department of Justice provides information about the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) through a toll-free ADA Information Line 800-514-0301.
  • Appeal Insurance Decisions: US Department of Health and Human Services
    Explains internal and external appeal rights for any decision or cancellation of benefits by your insurance carrier.
  • Cancer Legal Resource Center: Disability Rights Legal Center
    A cancer diagnosis may carry with it a variety of legal issues, including insurance appeals, employment rights and leave time, access to health care and government benefits, and estate planning. The CLRC offers information on these issues, has links to critical topics, presentations and webinars, as well as a toll-free telephone assistance line: 866-THE-CLRC.
  • Disability Rights Legal Center
    Offers disability rights advocacy through legal assistance.
  • Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
    This is a federal agency that enforces laws that prevent workplace discrimination based on, among other things, disability including cancer related illnesses. Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act information.
  • Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA): Department of Labor
    Provides information on the Family and Medical Leave Act, a law that provides up to 12 weeks of job-protected, unpaid leave during any 12-month period to eligible, covered employees.
  • LiveStrong Cancer Navigation Center
    The LiveStrong Cancer Navigation Center can help with insurance denials and appeals, handling debt and financial management issues related to a cancer diagnosis and more.
  • National Women’s Law Center
    The National Women’s Law Center is dedicated to helping achieve policies that affect women throughout their lives and advocating for women who are being discriminated against.
  • Triage Cancer’s Legal Navigation Program
    A Legal & Financial Navigation Program that provides individuals diagnosed with cancer, caregivers, and health care professionals with free one-on-one help in the areas of health insurance, disability insurance, employment, finances, medical decision-making, estate planning, and more.

Community Organizations that Provide Financial Assistance

  • 2-1-1 Services
    Provides assistance to find local resources including crisis, food, health and housing.
  • Allyson Whitney Foundation
    Provides “Life Interrupted grants” between $500-1500 for women undergoing treatment for rare cancer between the ages of 16-36.
  • Bright Spot Network
    Bright Spot grants are available for those diagnosed with cancer and are caring for a child between ages of 0-6.
  • CancerCare
    CancerCare provides a limited amount of financial support for transportation, home care and child care to women cancer patients who meet eligibility criteria.
  • Cleaning for a Reason
    Provides “gift of a clean home so you may focus on healing.”
  • Dollar For
    Offers education and navigation help for patients seeking financial assistance with medical bills through hospital charity care programs.
  • Entertainment Community Fund
    A safety net for those in the entertainment and performing arts industry providing programs and services for those disabled by illness, case management, referrals, support groups and funeral/burial assistance. The Entertainment Community Fund is administered in offices in New York City, Chicago and Los Angeles.
  • FamilyReach
    Financial assistance and resource navigation for cancer patients and caregivers who need support with non-medical expenses.
  • Good Days
    Good Days provides financial assistance and advocacy for people pursuing life-saving and life-extending treatment.
  • Healthwell Foundation
    Provides financial assistance towards medical treatments and other costs.
  • Homeownership Preservation Foundation
    A foundation that aims to help people avoid mortgage foreclosure.
  • Hill-Burton Free and Reduced Cost Health Care
    Under the Hill-Burton law, about 170 health care facilities nationwide are obligated to provide free or reduced-cost care to those who cannot otherwise afford medical care.
  • Keep Swimming Foundation
    This foundation offers financial assistance for those undergoing inpatient treatment for 21 or more consecutive days at an accredited U.S. hospital.
  • Nutrition Assistance Programs
    Describes SNAP, WIC, and other programs that supply access to food/ nutrition.
  • OvarCare Program (through Ovarcome)
    OvarCare is a financial, psychosocial, and informational support program offered by Ovarcome for ovarian cancer patients in active treatment. Eligible patients who meet Ovarcome’s financial eligibility guidelines can apply for an OvarCare grant, which is comprised of a $200 financial grant, $100 gas gift card, $100 grocery gift card, 6 telephonic psychosocial counseling sessions with a licensed mental health clinician (optional), and a telephonic genetic counseling session with a licensed genetic counselor (optional).
  • Patient Access Network (PAN) Foundation
    The PAN Foundation provides up to $3700 a year in co-payment assistance annually to ovarian cancer patients who are enrolled in Medicare and have incomes up to 500% of the federal poverty level. Patients must reside and receive treatment in the United States.
  • Patient Advocate Foundation (PAF)
    Case workers from the Patient Advocate Foundation work one-on-one with patients, caregivers or providers resolve healthcare issues. The Foundation also offers co-payment assistance to women with ovarian cancer.
  • Patient Resource
    Extensive list of organizations that provide financial help to patients with cancer. Please note this is not specific to ovarian cancer but may have helpful resources to your need.
  • Patients Rising Concierge
    Connects patients and loved ones to personalized low-cost services.
  • The Samfund
    The Samfund provides financial assistance and online support to young cancer survivors.
  • Vital Options Grant Program
    Monetary grants to those experiencing financial hardship as the result of a cancer diagnosis.

Lodging

  • Fisher House
    Operates a network of comfort homes where military and veterans’ families can stay at no cost while a loved one is receiving treatment. Homes are located at major military and VA medical centers nationwide, close to the medical center or hospital they serve, and have up to 21 suites, with private bedrooms and baths. Hero Miles program, using donated frequent flyer miles to bring family members to the bedside of ill service members as well as the Hotels for Heroes program using donated hotel points to allow family members to stay at hotels.
  • Healthcare Hospitality Network
    Links to affiliate lodging programs across the US.
  • Hope Lodge: American Cancer Society
    30 Hope Lodge locations nationwide offering lodging for cancer patients as well as Extended Stay America (Hotel Keys of Hope) discount lodging.
  • Hosts for Humanity
    Hosts for Humanity connects friends and family of people traveling for treatment with hosts offering accommodation in their homes.
  • Hotel Keys of Hope: Extended Stays America
    A partnership program between American Cancer Society and Extended Stays America to provide discounted hotel stay for patients needing access to treatment.
  • Joe’s House
    Links to lodging across the US for patients to stay during treatment.
  • Ronald McDonald House
    Housing for pediatric patients (under the age of 18 in most locations) and their families during treatment.

Transportation

  • Air Care Alliance
    Offers a list of all nonprofit volunteer flying groups, whether they are members of the Air Care Alliance or not, in the interests of providing all possible help to patients, communities and others with needs.
  • Air Charity Network
    Free air flights to specialized medical care.
  • Angel Flight Program
    Each Angel Flight program (over 60 nationwide) is independently operated and regionally based. Angel Flight facilitates free air transportation to those in need of medical treatment far from home. Volunteer pilots use their own aircraft and pay for all expenses of each mission they fly. Some specific program links are above.
  • AngelFlight Soars
    Flights to treatment in southeast US.
  • Corporate Angel Network
    Helps arranging free air transportation for cancer patients traveling to treatment using empty seats on corporate jets.
  • DAV Veterans Benefit
    Helps more than one million veterans every year connect with the health care, disability, employment, education, and financial benefits. Offers transportation assistance program.
  • Mercy Medical Angels
    Provides gas cards, train or bus transportation assistance to those traveling in excess of 50 miles to treatment but generally not exceeding 300 miles. Funds are limited.
  • Southwest Airlines Medical Transportation Grant Program
    Southwest provides roundtrip air travel to select hospitals and organizations for cancer treatment.

Information and Support for Drug Co-Pay

  • Cost Plus Drugs
    Multiple different medications offered at the lowest cost possible.
  • NeedyMeds
    Needy Meds provides information about programs that help people facing problems paying for medications and health care, and assist patients in applying to such programs.
  • NiceRx
    NiceRx helps individuals access over 1,500 FDA-approved brand name medications.
  • Partnership for Prescription Assistance
    The Partnership for Prescription Assistance helps qualifying patients without prescription drug coverage get the medicines they need for free or nearly free.
  • RxHope
    RxHope lists information about patients assistance programs that offer free or reduced-cost medication in the United States.

Pharmaceutical Patient Access Programs

Workplace Support

  • Cancer and Careers
    Cancer and Careers provides information on legal and financial issues that affect cancer patients. Information on understanding your rights, FMLA, career advice and support.
  • Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA): Department of Labor
    Provides information on the Family and Medical Leave Act, a law that provides up to 12 weeks of job-protected, unpaid leave during any 12-month period to eligible, covered employees.
  • We Are Capable
    An advocacy organization working to remove the fear and stigma of living with chronic illness or disability from the hiring process. 

Scholarships and School Resources

  • Fastweb
    Offers lists of scholarships for patients, survivors, children of a cancer patient or survivor, people who lost a parent to cancer, and students pursuing careers in cancer treatment.
  • The Samfund
    The Samfund provides financial assistance, graduate school scholarships, and online support to young cancer survivors (between ages 21-39).
  • The National Collegiate Cancer Foundation
    The NCCF provides need-based financial support to young adults, ages 18-35, who have been diagnosed with cancer, as well as for bereaved children (parent died from cancer).
  • Support for College Students with Cancer
    Provides information on accommodations, scholarships and strategies to manage treatment related symptoms while in school.