Insurance Basics for Individuals with LFS  –  Health insurance plans are designed to cover some or all of the costs of medical care for an individual or family. Not all plans are the same. In fact, they can differ quite a bit! Understanding some basic health insurance terminology and the answers to some common questions can help you make informed decisions about your health insurance.  The LFSA’s Genetic Counseling Advisory Group has developed a “tip” sheet to help navigate through your basic insurance options:  Insurance Info Sheet 2022.  In addition to reading through the information, you can also visit the “Resources” section of this guide for links to more information on health insurance.

Genetic Testing – Generally speaking, genetic testing companies can provide financial aid to help ensure you get the genetic testing you need.  Your genetic counselor can assist with your application.  Here are three companies that offer aid:

Invitae accepts all insurance or offers an affordable cash price, patient assistance, and payment plans.  Additionally, they offer free family variant testing and complementary genetic counseling.

Myriad Genetics:

Ambry Genetics:  financial assistance program

Charity Care: Watch our webinar, Navigating Hospital Financial Assistance, that covers the essential topic of navigating hospital financial assistance programs, also known as charity care, with insights from Dollar For, a national nonprofit organization dedicated to eliminating hospital bills by helping patients access hospital financial assistance programs.

CancerCare’s Co-Payment Assistance Foundation distributes over $15 million dollars in co-payment and financial assistance for chemotherapy and targeted treatment drugs every year. Focus on recovery and visit www.cancercarecopay.org for more information.

Cure Today magazine: Considering Cost – What’s an immunotherapy worth? The oncology community is taking action on controlling the costs of immunotherapy. See the end of the article for some resources that may be able to provide financial help. (July 2015)

AACR’s Cancer Today: The Cost of Cancer – expensive treatments can leave patients with a mountain of debt. Resources are available to help. (Summer 2015)

LFS patients often struggle with insurance companies over coverage of care. Under certain criteria, the Affordable Care Act can require insurance companies to cover routine medical costs associated with cancer clinical trials. This is another excellent reason to participate in a clinical trial. Your medical facility may be able to assist with eligibility to participate in one.

National Cancer Institute’s Cancer Topics:  resources for addressing social, emotional, and financial issues in Coping with Cancer (December 2014)

Need assistance? Looking to volunteer?? The Patient Advocate Foundation provides professional case management services to Americans with chronic, life threatening and debilitating illnesses. See “Patient Services” and all they can do to help with insurance coverage and access to health care.

In the United States since 2014, the Affordable Care Act provides that, for the most part, insurance companies cannot deny coverage for pre-existing conditions, providing insurance is sought during open enrollment.