Financial uncertainty serves as an additional stressor for many cancer patients and their families. Prior research has documented the monetary challenges that can come with a cancer diagnosis, including the fact that someone with cancer is 2.5 times more likely than another person from the general population to file for bankruptcy. Approximately 3% of cancer patients file for bankruptcy. These patients, in turn, are nearly 80% more likely to die than non-bankrupt cancer patients. So the repercussions from financial issues can be felt far and wide.
In research shared by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), finances were compared between a group of adults without a history of cancer and a group of similarly matched cancer survivors. Financial hardships were documented to be much more frequent among the cancer survivors, which tracks with results seen in many other studies on this topic. The younger the cancer survivor, the more likely there was to be financial challenges related to medical bills. The burden of medical debt did not just impact the pocketbook; patients reported splash-over from financial hardship into their psychological health (e.g., worries about paying the bills) and even affecting their access to medical care.
The patient financial assistance program we’ve developed at BioPlus Specialty Pharmacy helps patients overcome financial roadblocks to their treatment, which in turn could ease the financial stress and risk of bankruptcy. Our financial assistance department is a key part of our Power of 2.
It all starts with our 2 Hour Patient Acceptance Guarantee, which streamlines the first step of the specialty pharmacy process. Our 2 Day Ready 2 Ship program follows close behind, which gets prescriptions ready to ship in just two days. Then our 2 Click prescription refills make it easy for patients to refill qualifying prescriptions. Finally, 2gether means better treatment access with our partnerships with nonprofit foundations and donations to OneWorld Health.
BioPlus is a true specialty pharmacy partner for you and your patients.