Legacy Health Endowment has launched a fund of up to $125,000 to support adults with cervical cancer, brain cancer, and patients recovering from kidney transplants who are facing costly medical bills.

Out-of-pocket costs are often staggering for these patients. Legacy Health’s programs cover qualifying patients who live in Stanislaus and Merced counties.

Cervical cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths among women worldwide. Based on the most recent data, 12,536 new cases of cervical cancer were reported in 2021. The rising cost of cervical cancer treatment significantly impacts patients by causing financial distress, potentially forcing them to delay or forgo necessary treatment and affecting their quality of life due to high out-of-pocket costs, co-payments, and deductibles associated with expensive medications and therapies. Cervical cancer survivors may endure financial problems for many years after they are diagnosed. This is because they may be paying for ongoing cancer treatment or care for the ongoing effects of their treatment.

Chronic kidney disease affects about 15% of American adults, or about 37 million people in this country. One of the largest out-of-pocket costs associated with a kidney transplant is the ongoing cost of immunosuppressant medications needed to prevent organ rejection. The price of those anti-rejection medications can range from $500 to more than $1,000 a month.

Middle-income families who do not qualify for Medi-Cal often cover the cost at their financial peril. Our goal is to help middle-income families who are not eligible for Medicare, Medi-Cal, TRICARE, CHAMPVA, or other public insurance.

With more and more families are enrolling in high-deductible health plans through their employer, many face $5,000, $7,500, or $10,000 deductibles they must pay before their insurance kicks in. This does not include the ongoing cost of medications to ensure the kidney is not rejected.