The Impact of Oncology Financial Advocacy: A Patient Story

By 2030, it’s estimated that the cost of cancer in the U.S. will reach $246 billion, rising from $184 billion estimated costs in 2020. The same study shares that commercial insurance companies are also placing a greater level of direct medical cost on patients. Additionally, insurance premiums, deductibles, and co-pay rates are on a steady increase. As chemotherapy and biopharmaceutical costs have also increased significantly over the past decade, cancer care costs have created a lot of stress for patients. Studies show a positive correlation between cancer treatment and bankruptcy. This current landscape has made the need for financial advocacy services in cancer care more important than ever before. The story of Allen and Rivka Beck exemplifies this point.  

In 2019, Allen Beck was a university student and had just recently married Rivka Beck. Then he got sick. He was diagnosed with myelodysplastic syndrome and was scheduled to complete a bone marrow transplant. Allen had health insurance through his university. When he got sick, he had to withdraw from his classes and subsequently lost his insurance coverage. This occurred in August and Allen’s transplant was scheduled for September.  

Enter Angie
 

Angie Santiago, CRCS, is the manager of Oncology Financial Advocacy at Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center at the Thomas Jefferson University Health System in Philadelphia, Pa. She is also the ACCC Financial Advocacy Network Chair. In April 2019, Santiago met with the Becks to find the best solution for Allen’s care. She helped Allen research and access a new insurance plan through the New Jersey Affordable Care Act. The trio sat down with Summer Johnson from ACCC’s CANCER BUZZ to talk about their experiences together.  

Allen describes Santiago as one of their biggest blessings in life. “I just remember her sitting down with us, and she mapped out our options,” Rivka says, as she details the couple’s journey in seeking out coverage that would cover the cost of her husband’s transplant. Santiago talked to the Becks about Allen’s diagnosis and how his journey back to full health would look. “The message I got from her is that there are people willing to help,” Allen says. Navigating his cancer care, knowing he had the support he needed, was invaluable to Allen as he underwent treatment. “It gave me a lot of confidence to complete the process,” he says.  

To learn more about the Becks’ story, watch the entire interview on the CANCER BUZZ TV website or wherever you access your podcasts.