Treating blood cancers can be extremely costly and can take a financial toll on patients and families. The two types of blood cancers with the highest out-of-pocket (OOP) costs are acute leukemia and multiple myeloma. The average patient OOP cost three years after diagnosis for acute leukemia is $8,797. For patients diagnosed with multiple myeloma, the average OOP cost after three years is $9,127. Blood cancer patients and their families shouldn’t have to experience the financial toll of treating blood cancer alone. The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS) has a number of financial assistance programs to help individuals with blood cancer.
LLS Financial Assistance Programs:
The LLS Patient Aid Program provides financial assistance to blood cancer patients. Eligible patients will receive a one-time $100 stipend to help offset expenses. There are no income criteria to qualify for this program.
The LLS Co-Pay Assistance Program offers financial support toward the cost of co-pays for insurance, covered prescription drugs, and insurance premiums. In order to receive assistance from the Co-Pay Assistance Program, patients must both qualify medically and financially . Patients must have medical insurance and have a household income that is at or below 500 percent of the U.S. federal poverty level as adjusted by the Cost of Living Index (COLI).
The Susan Lang Pay-It-Forward Patient Travel Assistance Program is available to blood cancer patients with significant financial need who may qualify to receive financial assistance for approved expenses which include: ground transportation, air travel, and lodging related expenses.
LLS’s Susan Lang Pre CAR T-cell Therapy Travel Assistance Program is available to blood cancer patients with financial need who are being evaluated to receive CAR-T-cell therapy as either standard treatment or a clinical trial. Financial assistance received from this program is for approved travel-related expenses.
The Urgent Need Program fund provides eligible patients with assistance for non-medical expenses including rent, mortgage, lodging, utilities, childcare, elder care, food, transportation, car repair, car insurance, phone service, and acute dental work related to treatment. In order to be eligible for this program, patients must have a household income that is at or below 500 percent of the U.S. federal poverty level as adjusted by the Cost-of-Living Index (COLI). Eligible patients will receive a grant of $500, once within a 12-month period. Patients are eligible to reapply at the end of the 12-month period. (Note: Applications for the Urgent Need Program are only accepted by members of the patient’s healthcare team.)
To learn more about LLS Financial support, click here or contact an LLS Information Specialist at (800) 955-4572, Monday through Friday, 6:00am – 6:00pm PT.
LLS Information Specialists, who are master’s level oncology social workers, nurses and health educators, are available to speak to you and your loved ones one-on-one. They can provide information about diagnoses, treatments, supportive resources, and financial assistance and help with the challenges of living with a blood cancer. Call (800) 955-4572.
The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society offers a variety of programs and services for people affected by leukemia, lymphoma, myeloma, myelodysplastic syndromes, and myeloproliferative neoplasms. All are offered free of charge. You can read more about them at www.LLS.org.
