32 THE QUEENS COURIER • WELLNESS • AUGUST 16, 2018 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
wellness
Cancer care costs on the rise: How to get help
Cancer patients face skyrocketing costs
for their treatment, which adds to the
stress of a cancer diagnosis and living
with a disease. As an unapologetically
patients-fi rst organization, Th e Leukemia
& Lymphoma Society (LLS) is fi nding
ways to lessen the burden. “When cancer
patients are fi ghting for their life, the
last thing they need is fi nancial distress,”
says Gwen Nichols, M.D., LLS chief medical
offi cer. “Th e Leukemia & Lymphoma
Society puts patients at the forefront,
advocating for fi nancial relief and off ering
solutions.”
Take advantage of available
resources.
Nichols suggests a number of resources
to assist with expenses related to treatment,
such as:
• Negotiate with healthcare providers
to reduce medical fees or adjust the
payment schedule in cases of fi nancial
hardship.
• Apply for grants and fi nancial aid from
employers, labor unions, community
service agencies, religious and fraternal
groups or organizations such as LLS.
• Form a committee of volunteers to conduct
fundraising events, sales, raffl es,
canister collections or letter-writing and
publicity campaigns.
• Cash in benefi ts from life insurance
policies through life insurance loans
or accelerated benefi ts, which can provide
cash payouts to seriously ill policyholders.
As the cost of care rises, patients need
up-to-date information and support
to help navigate their complex fi nancial
challenges. Th e LLS Information
Specialists are social workers and nurses
who work one-on-one with blood cancer
patients, connecting them to a variety
of free services and resources, including:
• Financial support - Assistance with the
cost of treatment, transportation and
daily expenses.
• Co-pay assistance - Help for eligible
patients to pay for prescription drug
co-pays and health insurance premiums.
• Clinical trial navigation - LLS educates
patients about the availability of appropriate
clinical trials for patients.
Be an advocate for change.
Your voice is valuable. Advocating for
yourself or a loved one with cancer can
help shape discussions about the cost of
care. Th e LLS Offi ce of Public Policy is
charged with pursuing LLS’ goal to fi nd
cures and ensure access to treatments for
blood cancer patients through advocacy
aimed at governmental decision makers.
You might be interested in advocating
for policies that can provide additional
benefi ts and protections for people who
have cancer, or you might want to support
policies that promote faster progress
toward cures.
Cancer survivor and LLS advocate Paul
O’Hara has been advocating on behalf of
cancer patients since he was personally
aff ected by the debilitating cost of care
when he was diagnosed with chronic lymphocytic
leukemia in 2009. “Legislators
didn’t understand what it was like to
make a decision between medicine you
need to survive and your mortgage or
electric bill,” says O’Hara. “Seeing lawmakers
‘get it’ when I shared my story
with them made me realize I wasn’t just
speaking for my family, but for all survivors.”
To fi nd out more about advocating for
policy changes at the state and federal
level, contact LLS Advocacy at advocacy@
LLS.org or visit www.LLS.org/advocacy.
Courtesy BPT
Finding support when living with a chronic illness
When a person is fi rst diagnosed with
an illness, support from friends and family
can be instantaneous. People want to
know what they can do to help, off er to
lend a hand or an ear to listen, and are
frequently checking in. Th is support can
be key to helping someone cope with a
new diagnosis.
But those living with a chronic condition
may need support beyond the initial
diagnosis. Th is is particularly true for
conditions that are not always well understood,
like rheumatoid arthritis (RA) -
an autoimmune disease of the joints that
impacts approximately 1.6 million adults
in the United States., In fact, people with
RA may fi nd their need for support from
family and friends is even more important
as their disease progresses than when
they were fi rst diagnosed.
Why a “support squad”
is important
Research shows that for people living
with a chronic condition, the support of
family and friends may be associated with
improved health outcomes. Th is could
include additional assistance with everyday
tasks or someone to listen for emotional
support.
Building a “support squad” also means
having someone or several people to lean
on for encouragement, motivation and,
most of all, understanding. Th ese people
can help navigate new obstacles in
the condition over time and remind their
loved one that he or she is more than just
the disease.
Tips for building an
RA support squad
With an “invisible” chronic illness like
RA, someone may not look sick on the
outside, and it can be diffi cult for loved
ones to recognize symptoms such as
joint pain and stiff ness, and fatigue. If
you or someone you know has RA, consider
the following tips for building a
support squad:
Set clear expectations with friends and
family. While some people with RA may
fi nd it helpful if their loved ones ask
them how they are feeling, others may
feel overwhelmed with constant questioning.
Being clear with your specific
needs, and helping friends and family
understand the best way to support the
management of RA, can alleviate confusion
and frustration.
Make it a family aff air. Bringing a
partner or parent to a rheumatologist
appointment can create support in
between appointments and help ensure
the person living with RA does not feel
alone.
Extend support systems beyond
friends and family. Sometimes an immediate
support system doesn’t fully understand
what a person with a chronic condition
like RA is going through and what
he or she may be facing. Support can be
found in other places, whether that be a
social or online community of others living
with the same condition or experts
such as a healthcare provider. A support
squad should include people with all different
types of backgrounds, as each will
have a diff erent perspective and advice
to give.
Encourage loved ones to build their
own support squad. Support squads
aren’t just for a person living with a
chronic condition like RA. Signifi cant
others or loved ones should have someone
to talk to when they’re not sure what
the right approach is for off ering support.
Th is can be a friend, spouse of
someone else living with RA or even a
healthcare provider.
For more tips about building a support
squad and communicating with friends
and family members about living with
a chronic condition like RA, visit www.
Arthritis.com.
Content was provided by Pfi zer.
Courtesy BPT
/advocacy
/www.Arthritis.com
/www.Arthritis.com
