How to Get Financial Assistance for Head and Neck Cancer Treatment Costs

Financial assistance for head and neck cancer treatment costs is available, and a number of resources can help you afford care.

Transportation Grants and Free Rides

Along with the support that your care team can help arrange, the programs below offer medical transportation assistance:

• The American Cancer Society (ACS) Road to Recovery program provides free rides to and from cancer-related medical appointments. Availability varies by location. Call 800-227-2345 to find out what’s offered in your area.
• Mercy Medical Angels offers free nonemergency, long-distance transportation, including gas cards, bus or train tickets, and airfare. Complete a travel assistant request form to see if you qualify.
• The Southwest Airlines Medical Transportation Grant Program offers free round-trip flights for people who need to travel for specialized care. Applications are handled through partner organizations, including Mercy Medical Angels, Angel Flight West, and Miracle Flights.

Lodging Assistance

These programs can help:

• ACS Hope Lodge With more than 30 locations across the United States and Puerto Rico, the ACS’s Hope Lodge offers free lodging for people with cancer and caregivers who need to stay near a treatment center. Call 800-227-2345 to find a location.
• Extended Stay America Through a partnership with the ACS, Extended Stay America offers free or discounted hotel stays for people who need temporary housing during treatment. This program helps fill the gap when a Hope Lodge location isn’t available. Contact the ACS at 800-227-2345 to check for eligibility.
• Joe’s House Joe’s House is a nonprofit that helps people with cancer find lodging, including discounted medical rates, through a searchable database. Visit its website or call 877-563-7468.
• Healthcare Hospitality Network Through the Healthcare Hospitality Network, patients and caregivers can find free or low-cost lodging near their treatment center. Search its database for available locations.

Along with these programs, ask your treatment center about hotel partnerships or negotiated rates before booking a reservation, says Noonan. A social worker or patient navigator can share options and help you combine resources.

Hotels near major medical centers may offer unadvertised medical or hospital rates. Call the hotel directly to ask and mention that you’re traveling for treatment. You may need documentation from your care team.

If you’re part of a clinical trial, ask your study coordinator what support is included. Some trials, especially those run through the National Institutes of Health, cover travel, lodging, and meals, says Erin Kahn, the senior director of medical oncology at SunState Medical Specialists in Boca Raton, Florida.

Oral Nutritional Supplements

When eating is difficult, oral nutrition supplements or tube feeding can help you get enough calories and nutrients, says Heather Ritter, RDN, an intuitive eating dietitian and counselor at Health Loft, a telehealth company based in Chicago. Insurance may cover tube-feeding supplies, formula, and dietitian visits when medically necessary, though coverage for oral supplements varies, she says.

However, help is available. “Many patients qualify for more support than they realize, but they often need guidance to access it,” Ritter says. She advises starting with your care team. Oncology dietitians may have samples, suggest lower-cost options, and write letters of medical necessity to help with insurance coverage, she says. Social workers and nurse navigators can connect you with local nonprofit or faith-based resources, grants, or emergency funds.

Here are some additional resources that Ritter recommends:

• Abbott Nutrition Patient Assistance Program You may receive products like Ensure and Glucerna at low or no cost through the Abbott Nutrition Patient Assistance Program. It also helps with insurance prior authorization and appeals.
• Nestlé Health Science Nestlé Health Science offers coupons for products like Boost. Your care team can request samples of its tube-feeding supplies for you. Its Formula 4 Success program can help with insurance questions.
• Kate Farms Kate Farms provides plant-based nutrition formulas for drinking and tube feeding. Free samples may be available through your provider. The company also offers coupons and support to check insurance coverage.

Ritter suggests Orgain as a low-cost oral supplement alternative for texture-modified meals, available through bulk retailers and Meals on Wheels in some areas. Local Feeding America food banks also sometimes carry oral nutrition supplements.

The Oley Foundation connects people who need tube-feeding supplies or formula with others who have extra to share. You can browse available items online and contact donors directly to arrange shipment.

Financial Aid for Medication and Copays

Medication costs are one of the biggest financial pressures during treatment, and the available help often depends on the medication you’re prescribed and your insurance status, says Kahn.

If you have commercial insurance, you may qualify for drug manufacturer copay assistance to lower your out-of-pocket costs. The Merck Co-Pay Assistance Program, for example, can help reduce the cost of pembrolizumab (Keytruda), an immunotherapy used to treat head and neck cancer. Some manufacturers offer medications at no cost if you’re uninsured or underinsured and meet eligibility requirements, says Kahn.

To find these programs, search your medication's name, followed by terms like “manufacturer copay assistance” or “patient assistance program.” Your care team or pharmacist can also help you find and apply for these programs.

In addition to manufacturer assistance, these foundations may help:

• CancerCare Co-Payment Assistance Foundation Get help with copayments for cancer treatment through the CancerCare Co-Payment Assistance Foundation. Funds are disease-specific and may not always be open, so consider signing up for alerts.
• Patient Access Network Foundation and Patient Advocate Foundation These organizations provide disease-specific grants to help cover medication costs, copays, and other treatment-related expenses. Funds open and close throughout the year. Apply online or call 866-316-7263.
• Head and Neck Cancer Living Foundation The HNC Living Foundation offers grants for people with head and neck cancer to cover copays, prescriptions, imaging, lodging, dental care, and nutrition support. You can apply online or call 913-402-6028 to verify eligibility.
• HealthWell Foundation If you’re on Medicare, the HealthWell Foundation has a fund specifically for people with head and neck cancer that can help cover prescription drug copays and Medicare Part B premiums. Visit its website to check availability.

How to Get Started

As you prepare to start treatment, experts recommend this checklist to help find financial assistance:

1. Ask to speak with a social worker or financial counselor. They’re your best first stop. Most cancer care facilities have resourceful social workers or financial navigators who can help you find assistance and apply for programs. Talking about your financial situation with your care team can feel awkward, but remember that they can’t connect you to help unless they know what you need.
2. Request a case manager through your insurance. Call the number on the back of your insurance card and ask if a case manager can be assigned to your care. A case manager can help explain your benefits, help with authorizations, identify coverage gaps, and provide additional resources. Many health plans offer this service at no cost.
3. Keep a financial tool kit ready. Most applications will ask for proof of income, a copy of your insurance card, and a diagnosis confirmation. Keep these in one place to help speed up the application process.
4. Apply even if you’re unsure of eligibility. Many funds are first come, first served, so apply early, even if you’re not sure you qualify. If you don’t meet the criteria for a specific grant, representatives may suggest other options that may not be widely advertised.