The American Cancer Society’s Health Insurance Assistance Service

According to the American Cancer Society (ACS), cancer is one of the five most expensive medical conditions in the country, with better treatments costing significantly more than their alternatives. Anyone diagnosed with cancer wants the best treatment available, however, people with minimal health insurance coverage or no insurance at all are often unable to afford the best cancer care, decreasing their chances of surviving or eliminating their cancer. With health insurance premiums on the rise, people are becoming less and less able to afford adequate care, especially if they have been diagnosed with cancer and require constant treatment, which equals numerous co-pays on top of other bills. Paying medical bills is hardest for those that have had to stop working as a result of their cancer, since the majority of these people lose their insurance along with their jobs. This growing problem prompted the American Cancer Society to create the Health Insurance Assistance Service (HIAS), a call center dedicated to helping cancer patients get medical coverage and interpret confusing insurance information so educated decisions can be made. The HIAS, which reported that about 72 percent of callers are uninsured, assists people by connecting them with specialists who are able to explain complicated insurance paperwork and figure out solutions for cancer patients in need of coverage. For cancer patients that have been told that the lifetime limit on their policy has been reached, HIAS specialists may be able to help straighten out these denials of coverage.

The HIAS currently serves 36 states and the District of Columbia and has specialists that are knowledgeable about insurance coverage in each state. The HIAS specialists can also inform callers of what facilities offer breast and cervical cancer screenings that are funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) so callers can take full advantage of these offerings. The HIAS also suggests ways to make sure certain cancer screenings are covered by the CDC or other organizations. So far, the HIAS has handled an estimated 21,000 cases, providing about 17 percent of those cases with complete solutions to their problems. About 57 percent of the cases taken up by the HIAS have received some form of help for their insurance problems, while about 26 percent of cases could not be helped by the HIAS due to the severity of their insurance troubles. Cancer treatment is most effective when the cancer is caught early on, so regular screenings are recommended for certain types of cancer. If you or someone you love has been harmed by a delay in diagnosing or treating cancer, our malpractice attorneys can help. Your initial consultation is FREE and there is NO FEE to you unless we recover money. Please call Silberstein, Awad & Miklos, P.C. today, or submit an instant inquiry now and we will respond within 24 hours. Our experienced attorneys serve clients with Bronx cancer malpractice, Brooklyn cancer malpractice, Queens cancer malpractice, Nassau cancer malpractice and Suffolk cancer malpractice cases.