Legacy Health Endowment has launched a fund of up to $125,000 to support individuals with cervical cancer or adults recovering from kidney transplants with high medical expenses. For these patients, out-of-pocket costs are often staggering. The programs cover qualifying patients who live in Stanislaus and Merced counties.
Cervical cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths among women worldwide. Based on the most recent data, 12,536 new cases of cervical cancer were reported in 2021. The rising cost of cervical cancer treatment significantly impacts patients by causing financial distress, potentially forcing them to delay or forgo necessary treatment and affecting their quality of life due to high out-of-pocket costs, co-payments, and deductibles associated with expensive medications and therapies. Cervical cancer survivors may have financial problems for many years after they are diagnosed. This is because they may be paying for ongoing cancer treatment or care for the ongoing effects of their treatment.
Chronic kidney disease affects about 15% of American adults or about 37 million people in this country. One of the largest out-of-pocket costs associated with a kidney transplant is the ongoing cost of immunosuppressant medications needed to prevent organ rejection. The price of those anti-rejection medications can range from $500 to more than $1,000 a month.
“Middle-income families who don’t qualify for Medi-Cal often cover the cost at their financial peril,” said Jeffrey Lewis, president and CEO of Legacy Health Endowment.
The program’s goal is simple: to help middle-income families ineligible for Medicare, Medi-Cal, TRICARE, CHAMPVA or other public insurance.
Anyone may apply who has cervical cancer or who has been a kidney transplant recipient and who is not enrolled in Medicare, Medi-Cal, TRICARE, CHAMPVA, or other public insurance. The program is limited to individuals at or below 500% of the federal poverty level — $13,000 a month for a family of four, $8,516.67 a month for a family of two.
The Legacy Health Endowment fund will cover co-pays and deductibles for doctor’s visits, hospital stays, prescription medication, medical tests, hospital outpatient infusions, and equipment related to cervical cancer or kidney transplant treatment.
Program requirements
• Individuals approved must live within the Legacy Health Endowment geographical area
• Individuals must provide proof of household income at or below 500% of the federal poverty level
• Individuals must provide proof from a licensed medical provider that they are currently being treated for cervical cancer or are a kidney transplant patient
• Itemized expenses submitted for reimbursement may include explanation of benefit forms (EOBs), medical bills, and/or itemized receipts
• Reimbursements will be limited to $7,500 annually
• Program participation must be renewed annually with new documentation
• To sign up, enroll at: https://bit.ly/3WFU8Pu
If you have any questions, email jeffrey@legacyhealthendowment.org or call 209/250-2315 or 209/250-2317
