This area is the most important to act on immediately. Although filling out forms and gathering personal financial information was daunting, it is the single most important thing in receiving assistance. Unfortunately my insurance did not cover any of my Chemo or Radiation therapy.

I did quite a bit of research on the various breast cancer associations and contacted many agencies only to discover that I made too much money to qualify for State or Federal Aid but did not have enough income to pay my medical bills. If I were not so determined to find the help I needed, I would have given up! DO NOT GIVE UP!!!! There is some assistance out there for all of us. I learned that perseverance would pay off.

I received two co-pay awards, but one was only retroactive 60 days from acceptance. I waited too long to apply... so only the later part of my Chemo was covered. Do not make the same mistake! The other one required some payment from my insurance and unfortuately they did not cover any chemo. Some of these have additional clauses or requirements but don't let that keep you from applying for all. I listed the best contacts and associations on my links and resources page. The Patient Advocate Association was absolutely wonderful! They can help with all kinds of issues and advise.

The more you do to help yourself, the better you will feel! Don't let yourself feel victimized, the more you reach out and learn about your treatment, financial options and assistance, the stronger you will become. It seemed like there was no hope or help when I started, but each contact lead to another and I started building a network. Just don't give up!

1. Once you have made it through the first application, the rest will be much easier! It was difficult and felt invasive to have to submit all of my finacial information, but to get assistance it was worth it.

2. Kill them with kindness and make them want to help you. (Tell them if you are paying yourself and willing to set up a reasonable payment plan if they ware willing to work with you) This has a huge effect on the rate you will be charged.

3. Do not accept the first rejection! I found that going "higher up" makes a huge difference. Writing (a nice but insistent letter) to the CEO, Chairman of the Board or CFO goes a long way! I sent those letters via priority mail and in every case received a quick response.