The HealthWell Foundation®, an independent non-profit that provides a financial lifeline for inadequately insured Americans, has opened an Ovarian Cancer Fund to provide copayment and premium assistance to eligible Medicare patients living with ovarian cancer. The new fund will offer up to $3,500 in financial assistance to individuals who have annual household incomes up to 400 percent of the federal poverty level.
Ovarian cancer is a growth of abnormal malignant cells that begins in the ovaries. According to the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund Alliance (OCRFA), ovarian tumors can be benign (noncancerous) or malignant (cancerous). Malignant cancer cells in the ovaries can metastasize directly to other organs in the pelvis and abdomen or through the bloodstream or lymph nodes to other parts of the body. Ovarian cancer is the number one cause of gynecologic cancer deaths. Over 22,000 new cases are diagnosed each year and 50% of those diagnosed are age 63 or older.
"Receiving an ovarian cancer diagnosis is life-altering for the patient and her family," said Audra Moran, President and CEO, Ovarian Cancer Research Fund Alliance (OCRFA). "Treatment and recovery can be traumatic, even temporarily debilitating, and come with the added burden of financial obligations that are out of reach for many, which can have a negative impact on the treatment options they choose. It is comforting to know that there is another option to provide financial relief for women so they can focus on their treatment and recovery."
"Offering a financial lifeline to ease some of the anxiety associated with treatment costs and disease management will hopefully provide peace of mind for women battling this devastating disease," said Krista Zodet, HealthWell Foundation President. "Providing grants to ovarian cancer patients to help them access treatment they otherwise would not be able to afford is paramount to our mission and one we are honored to uphold. Thanks to the generosity of our donors, we are now able to address a critical need for ovarian cancer patients."
To determine eligibility and apply for financial assistance, visit HealthWell's Ovarian Cancer Fund page. To learn how you can support this or other HealthWell programs, visit HealthWellFoundation.org.
About the HealthWell Foundation
A nationally recognized, independent non-profit organization founded in 2003, the HealthWell Foundation has served as a safety net for more than 250,000 underinsured patients in more than 50 disease areas by providing access to life-changing medical treatments they otherwise would not be able to afford. HealthWell provides financial assistance to adults and children facing medical hardship resulting from gaps in their insurance that cause out-of-pocket medical expenses to escalate rapidly. HealthWell assists with the treatment-related cost-sharing obligations of these patients. For more information, visit www.HealthWellFoundation.org.
