ACCCBUZZ BLOG

Financial toxicity in oncology is a long-standing issue for patients with cancer. As increasing costs related to cancer care put financial strain on patients, so too do the indirect costs of a cancer diagnosis and treatment—travel, childcare, and other daily living needs. Learn how 2021 ACCC Innovator Award winner Dr. Lauren Hamel at Wayne State University School of Medicine; Karmanos Cancer Institute has set out to address current trends in treatment-related cost discussions between patients and their care team members through a mobile app to make these conversations a vital part of patients’ treatment plans.

Knowing what co-pay assistance each patient needs and where to find it—often in short order—is key to successfully securing funding and ultimately enabling access to necessary treatment. These four key steps can help financial advocates obtain patients co-pay, premium, or travel assistance from independent patient foundations.

“For me, this experience was excellent, and I felt prepared with the preparation ACCC offered,” said Jared Kast, RT(T), MHA. The successful ACCC Virtual Hill Day—held May 12, 2021—brought together ACCC members and state lawmakers. Learn more about what issues were discussed and members' experiences in this new virtual format.

Many patients with cancer now enjoy the invaluable benefits and flexibilities that telehealth makes possible. Patients have more convenient access to appointments, increased support from family caregivers who can attend virtual visits, and more time to focus on their work and families. Olalekan Ajayi, PharmD, MBA explains how the Telehealth Modernization Act can make this expanded healthcare access available beyond the pandemic.

This year's ACCC 2021 Virtual Hill Day, which will take place May 12, will offer ACCC members a new way to experience advocacy trainings, legislative briefings, and Congressional meetings from the comfort of their home or office. This year, ACCC's legislative priorities will focus on the Telehealth Modernization Act and the Safe Step Act of 2021.

The interactive and virtual ACCC Financial Advocacy Network Town Hall: Tips for Tracking Impact, held March 23, 2021, featured financial navigation experts sharing tips and tools to address patient financial need. The town hall is now available on demand.

The $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan (ARP) is a comprehensive attempt to address the problems raised by the COVID-19 pandemic and the accompanying economic disruption. This post examines COBRA and marketplace subsidy provisions, which are expected to extend insurance coverage to millions of Americans.

On February 15, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services opened healthcare.gov for a special enrollment period that runs through May 15. “By opening the health insurance marketplace, President Biden is providing our patients with options they did not have available to them before,” says Lori Schneider, chair of ACCC’s Financial Advocacy Network and oncology operations manager at Green Bay Oncology. “It is imperative that all cancer centers review and discuss these options with their patients to help prevent financial toxicity.”

Navigators are problem solvers. ... We're filling in gaps where we’re needed, helping with screening, implementing cleaning protocols, and helping staff transition to virtual work.