There are a lot of financial resources out there now that weren’t there before COVID-19. We’ve looked into a few of them to hopefully give you a better idea of the assistance these programs are offering and what these programs will cover (and what they won’t). The first few I have listed are specific to breast cancer patients/survivors, but the other resources could be helpful to anyone.
Komen Patient Fund
Independently of COVID-19, Susan G. Komen has established a Treatment Assistance Program for breast cancer patients. To qualify, patients must have an income at or below 250% of the Federal Poverty Line ($31,900 for an individual/$65,500 for a family of 4) and be in active treatment for breast cancer. If eligible, the patient can receive $300 to help with things like oral pain and chemotherapy medication, elder/child care expenses, lymphedema and some other medical supplies. For more information check out Komen Central and Eastern Virginia, Komen Blue Ridge, or Komen National Capital, depending on your location.
Sisters Network Breast Cancer Assistance Program
Sisters Network, a national network of African-American breast cancer survivors, has opened up a breast cancer survivor-focused COVID-19 financial assistance fund during this time. Patients can receive up to $300 paid directly to the service provider for utilities or rent, or to the patient for groceries.
Pink Fund-Real Help Now
The Pink Fund has launched Real Help Now, a fund for breast cancer patients who have been affected financially by COVID-19. To be eligible, household income must be at or below 500% of the Federal Poverty Line ($62,450 for an individual/$128,750 for a family of 4). Patients may receive up to $3,000 to be applied to utilities, car payments, rent/mortgage, or health/car insurance premiums.
CancerCARE
CancerCARE has a fantastic COVID-19 resource page, including financial resources.
Cancer Support Community
The Cancer Support Community developed their Cancer Emergency Fund that will give those in active treatment up to $250 for non-medical expenses, including child care. Income eligibility requirements apply, up to $36,420 for an individual or $77,925 for a family of 4.
Car Insurance
If you have car insurance, your insurance provider may have a program to help reduce your premiums temporarily due to the drastic decrease in driving across the country. If your company hasn’t contacted you about an automatic premium reduction program, give them a call and see what they can do to retain you as a customer right now.
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Mortgage Information
While this isn’t a specific financial assistance program, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) has information on what to do if you are unable to pay your mortgage due to hardship from COVID-19. If you cannot pay your mortgage right now, the first step is to call your lender. This guide from the CFPB can help you figure out your next steps after you make the call.
Patient Advocate Foundation COVID Care
The Patient Advocate Foundation (PAF) has established a navigation program to help patients who have been directly or indirectly affected by COVID-19. This means that if you are currently diagnosed with cancer, but not COVID-19, you can still make use of this resource. PAF has also established a COVID recovery fund to help people who have been diagnosed with COVID-19 and need help getting back on their feet financially, offering assistance with non-medical expenses up to $500. To learn more about these programs, visit PAF’s COVIDCare page.
Virginia Department of Social Services’ Smartphone App
For some Virginia specific resources on things that aren’t necessarily healthcare-related, check out the Virginia Department of Social Services’ (DSS) new smartphone app focused on COVID-19, including access to food, childcare, and mental health resources.
We hope you don’t need these resources, but if you do, we hope this brief overview is helpful. For additional resources, check out our Financial Help page and our COVID-19 page. If a summary of different resources would be helpful right now, or you want us to explore another topic in a blog piece, please let me know at erin@vbcf.org.
Photo by Andrea Piacquadio from Pexels.
