Cancer Treatment for Uninsured Patients

The kind of cancer treatment one receives, and the outcome of that treatment, have more to do with insurance status than perhaps some would like to believe. A study published in June 2015 demonstrates that insurance status in Hodgkin's lymphoma influences overall survival from that cancer.

The Affordable Care Act is designed to make health insurance more affordable so that more people will have it, and it penalizes those who do not get it, but not everybody has insurance and it seems unlikely that everybody will have insurance any time soon.

Should a person without insurance be diagnosed with cancer, they indeed face the difficult task of finding treatment, although there are several avenues that can be of assistance.

CFAC

The Cancer Financial Assistance Coalition is exactly what it says it is and is a great place to start the search.

Subtype Specific Charitable Organizations

Charitable organizations devoted to cancer subtypes often have resources or information about resources that can help diagnosed patients find and afford some cancer treatment. For example, if an uninsured person were diagnosed with lymphoma, they would probably benefit by contacting either the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society or the Lymphoma Research Foundation. A person diagnosed with pancreatic cancer would be wise to contact the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network.

2-1-1

2-1-1 is a free information and referral helpline maintained by the United Way Worldwide and the Alliance for Information and Referral Systems. They have locally-based information about options for free or low-cost health care.

LiveStrong

Livestrong's Cancer Navigation Services can help patients find low-cost treatment or financial aid for treatment.

Hill-Burton Obligated Health Care Facilities

Back in the 1940s, Congress passed a law in which they struck a deal with hospitals: Congress would provide funding for them to build more hospitals, but in exchange, they would have to provide health care to everyone who lived in their area, regardless of whether or not they could pay. Known as the Hill-Burton law, it became broadly inactive in 1997, but 152 health care facilities in the United States are still obligated to provide free services under this law.

To see a list of all 152 Hill-Burton-obligated facilities, visit this page at the US Department of Health and Human Services. They can be found in 38 US states.

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