Patient Advocate Foundation →
Case management, co-pay relief fund, and legal counseling for patients with chronic, life-threatening, or debilitating illness including cancer.
Financial aid
Financial aid for cancer patients
Cancer treatment is expensive even with insurance. The organizations below are the most established, most trusted resources for co-pay relief, drug costs, transportation, lodging, and legal questions. All are free to apply. Some have limited funding windows — apply early.
Where to start: If you don't know where to begin, start with
CFAC (the
search directory) or call Patient
Advocate Foundation (they assign a case manager for free).
Nonprofit
CancerCare →
Professional oncology social workers, limited financial assistance for co-pays, transportation, home care, and child care.
HealthWell Foundation →
Co-pay, premium, and deductible relief for insured patients; fund availability varies by disease.
Good Days →
Premium and co-pay assistance; specific disease funds open and close.
Directory
Cancer Financial Assistance Coalition (CFAC) →
Searchable directory aggregating dozens of cancer-specific financial assistance programs in one place.
NeedyMeds →
Searchable database of patient assistance programs from pharmaceutical manufacturers — often the fastest way to get expensive cancer drugs at reduced or zero cost.
RxAssist →
Comprehensive database of pharmaceutical manufacturer patient-assistance programs.
Nonprofit — disease-specific
The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) Co-Pay Assistance →
Co-pay relief for specific blood cancers when funds are open; enrollment is time-limited each year.
Susan G. Komen Financial Assistance →
Patient navigation and financial assistance for breast cancer patients.
Lustgarten Foundation →
Pancreatic cancer research funding + patient services including clinical trial navigation.
Service
American Cancer Society Road To Recovery →
Volunteer drivers for transportation to cancer treatment appointments.
Corporate Angel Network →
Free flights on corporate jets for cancer patients traveling to treatment.
Air Charity Network →
Free air transportation for patients traveling to medical care.
Joe's House →
Affordable lodging near hospitals for out-of-town patients and families during treatment.
Education
Triage Cancer →
Free legal and financial navigation education — insurance appeals, SSDI, FMLA, employment rights.
Key tactic: ask your cancer center's social worker or financial counselor on day one — most centers have staff dedicated to navigating these programs. Also check the pharmaceutical manufacturer's website for every drug you're prescribed; most have patient- assistance programs not listed in aggregate directories.
We do not receive any compensation for listing these resources. They are here because they help cancer patients.