Lung cancer can be both an overwhelming and expensive diagnosis, and it’s more difficult to cover the cost of treatment if you don’t have health insurance. While attaining health insurance can be a confusing process, it is important to consider your insurance options when faced with a diagnosis like lung cancer to avoid a large hit to your finances.

Medical care for lung cancer includes services like doctors’ visits, follow-up appointments, imaging scans, medications, and outpatient hospital stays, as well as radiation, chemotherapy, and immunotherapy treatments. The cost of these services can quickly add up to tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars. If you do not qualify for any type of health insurance, there are resources that can help cover both medical and nonmedical costs for lung cancer treatment.

Health Insurance Programs

In researching your options for financial assistance for lung cancer care, you may first want to consider health insurance. Several public and private health insurance programs can help to reduce your out-of-pocket costs. Without health insurance, treatment costs may be extremely high.

“I was looking at the bill for immunotherapy. Wow. Hard to believe it cost so much! If not for insurance I would not be able to do this,” wrote one member of MyLungCancerTeam.

Public Programs

Medicaid is a state-based public program that provides health insurance for low-income individuals, families, and children. Medicare is the national health insurance program available to adults over 65 years old or to individuals with disabilities or permanent kidney failure.

If you have worked jobs for which you paid into Social Security and cannot currently work due to lung cancer, you may qualify for Social Security disability benefits. Furthermore, the two main types of lung cancer, non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and small cell lung cancer (SCLC), are included in the Social Security Administration’s list of compassionate allowances. Having a condition from this list will speed up the process of receiving Social Security disability benefits. If you get approved for these benefits, you may be eligible to apply for Medicare, even if you are younger than 65.

You can learn more about Social Security disability benefits, Medicare, and Medicaid by visiting their websites. If you do not qualify for these programs, you can check your eligibility for an individual health insurance policy through your state’s public health insurance marketplace or at HealthCare.gov. State plans may be more affordable, as they are subsidized based on income.

Private Programs

If you do not qualify for a public health insurance program, there are several private health insurance options. If you are employed (or if your spouse is employed), you may qualify for job-based health insurance through your employer.

If you’re a student, check if your school or university offers health insurance plans. If you are a military veteran, you may qualify for Veterans Affairs health care benefits. You can also buy health insurance directly through an insurance company, but this can be a more expensive option.

Affording Lung Cancer Treatment Without Insurance

If you don’t qualify for a health insurance plan or choose not to get one, other resources can help cover the medical expenses of lung cancer treatment. These programs differ by the type of care or services they cover.

Prescription Drugs

Prescription drug assistance programs help provide access to low-cost or free prescription drugs. Different programs have different eligibility requirements, so review each program’s requirements to find a plan that you qualify for. Some resources include:

• The Lung Cancer Initiative maintains a list of patient assistance programs approved for lung cancer therapies. Patient assistance programs are financial assistance programs for drugs offered directly by drug manufacturers.
• The RxAssist Patient Assistance Program Center is a resource that provides information and a comprehensive directory of all available patient assistance programs.
• NeedyMeds is a nonprofit that provides information and resources for affording prescription drugs. The website also offers a list of state-sponsored programs that help with financial assistance for medical care and medications.
• PhRMA’s Medicine Assistance Tool is a free tool that matches insured and uninsured people with resources and programs for affording medications.
• SingleCare is a company that negotiates with pharmaceutical companies to provide discounts on medications. They offer free prescription discount cards that can be used regardless of whether you have insurance.

Medical Services

If you have trouble paying a medical bill for lung cancer, the American Cancer Society recommends that you take the following steps:

• Meet in person with someone in the office or hospital that sent you the bill. Explain the issue and your financial situation to someone in the financial department or the office manager.
• Ask about charity care, discounts similar to those provided through Medicare, or payment plans to help you afford to pay the medical bill.
• Meet with an oncology social worker or financial counselor to explore all of the resources that may be available to help you afford medical care for lung cancer treatment.

Online resources and tools can also help you find financial assistance for your medical bills. These are offered by charitable or nonprofit organizations that provide funding for certain medical expenses. Some resources for finding programs include:

• FundFinder — This resource is accessible via the web or a phone app, developed by the Patient Access Network Foundation. It will notify you when financial assistance (for medication, doctors’ visits, travel expenses, and insurance premiums) from charitable organizations becomes available.
• BenefitsCheckUp — This is a free service from the National Council on Aging. It allows seniors to search for benefits programs that help in covering a range of expenses, from health care to housing.

If you have health insurance but need assistance with copayments (sometimes called “copays”) for medical visits, you can ask your hospital or clinic directly about your options to pay.

Copayment assistance plans like CancerCare’s Co-Payment Assistance Foundation also help cover the costs of copayments for cancer care.

Learn more tips from a financial expert about how to reduce medical bills for lung cancer.

Affording Other Lung Cancer-Related Expenses

In addition to financial resources for the medical expenses of lung cancer treatment, there are resources to help with nonmedical expenses related to treatment. These costs can include short-term housing, transportation, caregiver expenses, housing and mortgage assistance, and food costs. While medical expenses can largely be funded through health insurance, there are also financial assistance options if you need help with nonmedical expenses.

Short-Term Housing

If your nearest cancer treatment center is far from home, know that treatment centers and clinics usually offer free or low-cost short-term housing options at nearby hotels for the duration of your treatment. Contact your clinic’s staff or oncology social worker to ask about these options.

The American Cancer Society’s Hope Lodge program offers free short-term housing if you have to travel far from home for cancer treatment. The Healthcare Hospitality Network also offers options for low-cost housing during cancer treatment.

Transportation for Treatment

If you have Medicaid, transportation costs to and from treatment centers — for things like gas or bus fare — may be reimbursable. Contact your Medicaid caseworker and ask about these options. Through the American Cancer Society’s Road To Recovery program, you may be able to have a volunteer drive you to your medical appointments or treatments.

Resources for other expenses like caregiver costs, food, and mortgage assistance can be found on the American Cancer Society’s website or the American Lung Association’s website.

Consult an Oncology Social Worker

Whether or not you have health insurance, oncology social workers are available to help you navigate the expenses of lung cancer care. If you don’t have insurance, they can help assess your options for enrolling in a plan. They can also connect you to other financial assistance resources you may be eligible for.

Most hospitals and clinics have a team of social workers on staff, so ask your oncologist, nurse, or health care provider about working with a social worker. CancerCare also offers oncology social workers that you can contact by calling 800-813-HOPE (4673). Social workers can help you navigate available financial resources, as well as other aspects of a lung cancer diagnosis.

Get Support From Others Who Understand

Talking to other people who understand what you are going through can be a great source of emotional support. MyLungCancerTeam is the social network for people with lung cancer and their loved ones. On MyLungCancerTeam, more than 4,500 members come together to ask questions, give advice, and share their stories with others who understand life with lung cancer.

Are you uninsured and living with lung cancer? Have you had success getting help with your medical costs? Share your experience in the comments below, or start a conversation by posting on your Activities page.