Figure 1.
Understanding what procedures and treatments are covered by health insurance—and how much of the total cost of treating cancer will be covered—can be confusing for patients. Cancer.Net provides information to help patients understand health insurance and, if necessary, find financial assistance. In the Health Insurance section of Cancer.Net at www.cancer.net/healthinsurance, patients can learn the following information:
Meaning of common insurance terms, such as coinsurance and out-of-network care
Different insurance plans and how they affect coverage
Government programs available, including eligibility requirements for Medicare and Medicaid
Other types of insurance available, such as supplemental, disability, hospital indemnity, and long-term care
For people diagnosed with cancer who do not have health insurance or have limited health insurance, the cost of treatment can seem overwhelming. Cancer.Net provides information to help these patients find financial support in paying for their treatment. In the Financial Resources section at www.cancer.net/financial, patients can find and download information on the different types of support available, including:
Local or national service organizations that may offer financial assistance
Organizations that provide assistance with medication
Organizations that offer help with treatment-related travel
Free Materials From Cancer.Net.
Order free ASCO patient information booklets, fact sheets, and promotional materials to give to your patients. These printed materials include:
Cancer.Net guides to cancer
ASCO Answers fact sheets
Cancer.Net referral cards
Cancer.Net leaflets
Cancer information prescription pads
Cancer.Net posters
To order, contact the ASCO Communications and Patient Information Department at 888-651-3038, or e-mail contactus@cancer.net.
In addition, patients can find a variety of helpful articles at www.cancer.net/features. Two articles in particular provide information to help patients understand how to organize their medical care.
“Managing Personal Medical Expenses.”
This article can help patients understand how to develop an accurate, low-stress system for keeping track of each insurance claim, including information on what to track and how to manage paperwork.
“Keeping a Personal Medical Record.”
This article explains the importance of keeping a personal medical record, what to include in it, and how to compile, organize, and store it.
Figure 2.
