Q: Co-payments are adding up and I need help.
A from Amy Karafin: So sorry that you’re going through that. We have some financial resources that could be helpful. And some info on managing your insurance.
Q: Is there any financial help for retired seniors who have no stream of income but interest from their investments?
A from Jen Uscher: Thanks for your question. We have a list of organizations that offer help with medical and non-medical expenses; you may be eligible for some of these.
Q: This is all great and appreciated, but it is just more reading, more digging, more calls which gets to be too much on top of everything else. Everyone makes us dig for answers ourselves and it isn’t reasonable.
A from Lisa Kline: Our panelist Christina Bach is sharing resources that help you with the digging.
Q: What is the website address for where we can find all of the resources that Jen was talking about?
A from Lisa Kline: Covering the Costs of Your Breast Cancer Care.
Q: Do Medicare and Medigap plans cover ALL medical appointments and care? I’m new to Medicare from employee insurance coverage.
A from Jen Uscher: If you have Medicare plus a Medigap plan and a Part D prescription drug plan, you’ll typically have some out-of-pocket costs for your care (monthly premiums, deductibles, etc).
Q: I'm now turning down some care at 60. New, just post-surgery as the company I was working for part-time just suddenly closed but in a state that has already turned down unemployment and SSDI. I don't have much for retirement due to odd work history.
A from Amy Karafin: So sorry to read this. We have this article about going through treatment when you don’t have insurance. There’s also this little-known program that Jen reported on, which might be worth looking into.
Q: When doctors accept Medicare does that mean they will not send an extra bill for the office visit?
A from Jen Uscher: It may depend on whether the doctor accepts the Medicare-approved amount as full payment for the covered service. (This is called “accepting assignment”.) And it’s always worth asking the doctor’s office whether you’ll have any out-of-pocket costs for the office visit. There may be situations in which you have to pay a copayment or deductible.
Q: What are some of the external entities where a patient can appeal if insurance denies payment?
A from Joanna Doran: In most cases, you can always start with your state insurance agency. You can also learn more here.
Q: Are you going to touch on menopause coverage that treatment throws you into?
A from Jen Uscher: If you’re looking for help with menopausal side effects of treatment, there are specialists that can help and that care should be covered by insurance. For example, it’s worth seeing if your local cancer center has a sexual health program, supportive care program, or survivorship clinic. Or if you can find a local gynecologist who is menopause certified.
We have content about menopause and menopausal symptoms, and life post-menopause.
And about where to get help with sexual health side effects.
Q: An important question is universal screening for financial toxicity so patients and healthcare systems can potentially get ahead of the problem if possible. We at Pink Fund did a study with The University of Michigan, Emory, and Northwestern Medicine. We learned that patients wanted to be screened at the time a treatment plan is presented and wanted to be screened along the care continuum.
A from Amy Karafin: Great point — that should become standard. (And thanks for your work. We’ve mentioned Pink Fund in our coverage!)
Q: Christina, will you please provide the names of the financial assistance plans at hospitals - what is the specific verbiage we need to use? Also, what is the name of the organization that you work with?
A from Jen Uscher: Re: the financial assistance plans at hospitals… you can ask to be referred to your hospital’s financial assistance or charity care program. You can also ask if the hospital has any financial assistance grant programs.
A from Amy Karafin: For your last question: Christina’s a navigator with Cancer Support Community.
Q: Is there dental assistance available? I currently have stage IV metastatic breast cancer with metastasis to the bone. My oncologist wants me to start Zometa, but I have some dental issues that need to be addressed before I can start the medication.
A from Jen Uscher: You can find reduced price or free dental care by searching for a Federally Qualified Health Center near you (or by searching for clinics that provide free or low cost dental care near you). It’s also worth asking your cancer care team to help you find low cost or free dental care.
Q: How can I find help with my new Medicare? I was just moved over to Medicare on October 1, due to me being unable to work since my diagnosis two years ago.
A from Jen Uscher: If you’re looking for free and unbiased advice and navigation on Medicare, you can contact Medicare Rights Center or State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP). You could also reach out to other nonprofits that help with insurance navigation, like Triage Cancer.
Q: What about our rights when applying for jobs, including while in treatment and receiving chemotherapy?
A from Jen Uscher: Here are a couple of great resources for information on your rights (and more generally about navigating work and cancer): Cancer and Careers and Triage Cancer.
Q: May 2025 diagnosed with stage IV cancer. Also, diagnosed with MS about 28 years ago. I now have overlapping symptoms and was just given an overriding diagnosis of "pseudodementia." Both cancer and MS have an impact on my cognitive decline. If my insurance denies something, can I then get it covered under my other diagnosis?
A from Amy Karafin: I’m so sorry — that’s a lot to go through. One thing that might be worth looking into is SSDI, which you may qualify for based on your stage IV cancer diagnosis and your work history.
Q: Does John Hopkins have an oncology social worker that you know of?
A from Amy Karafin: This looks like Johns Hopkins’s oncology social work team.
Q: Honestly, these resources should be made available at all cancer/infusion locations and also included in the newly diagnosed packet. I received a one-pager for financial assistance through the medical provider, but we need more. It's hard to research for help when treatment wears you down.
A from Amy Karafin: 100% agree! If your cancer center has a social worker or financial navigator, they may be able to help. And Triage Cancer, where Joanna works, is a great resource. We’re also always trying to do more on these topics here at Breastcancer.org because we know how complicated it is — and even more so when you’re not feeling well. We hope you find the help you need.
Q: I was receiving Long-Term Disability (LTD) benefits through Prudential until my employer terminated my employment due to company policy. I’m still on LTD, but Prudential required me to apply for Social Security Administration (SSA) disability benefits. I submitted my application to the SSA, but I was recently denied. I’m looking for a professional navigator or representative who can help me appeal this denial and protect my current benefits. Who can I possibly contact to me to help with SSA benefits get approved?
A from Amy Karafin: So sorry — this sounds so frustrating. We have some information on SSDI, including appealing their decision.
A from Jen Uscher: For free, unbiased advice on the process of appealing, you could reach out to Triage Cancer.
Many people choose to hire a lawyer who specializes in disability law to help them with the appeal. It’s best to hire a lawyer in your area for this, since you’ll be working with an SSA hearing office in your region.
Q: Where can I get help to navigate the financial problems when the oncology’s social worker was not very helpful? I don't know who I need to contact for my situation. I’m in CA and have stage IV breast cancer and am a single mom. I’m working part-time but I don't know if I can keep working.
A from Jen Uscher: There are several national nonprofits that offer free financial navigation to people with cancer nationwide. Here are a few of them: Triage Cancer, Patient Advocate Foundation, and Cancer Support Community.
Q: To request reasonable accommodations, do you have to disclose your cancer diagnosis? And does this apply to health issues as a result of treatment, not due to current treatment?
A from Jen Uscher: You may want to check out Triage Cancer’s guide to reasonable accommodations.
Q: I have not been officially diagnosed with breast cancer; however, I am expecting to get the official diagnosis. I am also on cusp of qualifying for Medicare/Medigap and will be signing up within the next month or two. Can I be denied coverage for this as a pre-existing condition?
A from Jen Uscher: You can’t be denied original Medicare because of a pre-existing condition. And when you first become eligible for original Medicare, there’s an initial enrollment period (of six months) when you can also sign up for a Medigap plan and can’t be denied based on a pre-existing condition. But if you wait until after that initial enrollment period, there are some situations in which you could be denied or have higher prices for a Medigap plan if you have a pre-existing condition. The rules on this can vary by state. See here for more info.
Q: Where do we sign up for the Triage Cancer Conference?
A from Joanna Doran: https://TriageCancer.org/Conference