One of the concerns you may have as a skin cancer patient is how you will afford the cost of physician visits, medical procedures, and medications used to treat your skin cancer. Many people lack financial resources or insurance to even pay for preventive skin cancer screenings. And medical costs related to skin cancer can be daunting. SkinCancerConnection is here to help with links to financial assistance resources so that you can get the help you need to prevent and treat skin cancer.
Please Note: Health Central is not responsible for the quality, accuracy, or timeliness of the information provided by the following resources. It is up to you to ascertain which resources are best for your personal situation.
Free Skin Cancer Screenings
Spring is usually the time that many organizations provide free skin cancer screenings. Here are a several resources to get you started.
• The American Academy of Dermatology has a database you can check to see when a free screening is available in your geographic area.
• You can also get a free screening through The Skin Cancer Foundation’s Road to Healthy Skin Tour where volunteer dermatologists will make an estimated 80 stops in 24 states. Check their website to see if the tour bus stops in your city or town.
• The American Society for Dermatologic Surgery also offers free skin cancer screenings through member volunteers. Just enter your zipcode or state into their database to see if a dermatologist volunteer is available in your area.
Finding Low-Cost Medical Treatment
One option is to find a dermatologist and ask if they have a sliding-fee scale. It doesn’t hurt to ask. Another option is to find a free clinic to see if they offer dermatological services. Here are some links to find free clinics in your area.
• The National Association of Free Clinics
• U.S. Dept. Of Health and Human Services Find a Health Center
• Partnership for Prescription Assistance 1-888-4PPA-NOW (1-888-477-2669) Free/Low Cost Clinic Finder
Information and Assistance for Cancer Patients
If you have been diagnosed with skin cancer, the following resources may help provide, information, support and in some cases, financial assistance.
• Cancer Care is a national non-profit agency offering free support, information and financial assistance to assist cancer patients and their loved ones. Telephone: 1-800-813-4673 (1-800-813-HOPE)
• The Patient Advocate Foundation provides patients with arbitration, mediation and negotiation to settle issues with access to care, medical debt, and job retention related to their illness. Telephone: 1–800–532–5274
• The American Cancer Society offers information, support, and programs to help cancer patients and their loved ones. Telephone: 1–800–227–2345 (1–800–ACS–2345)
