Medical Debt Relief

Easing Financial Burdens

At Cancer for College, we understand that a cancer diagnosis not only impacts physical well-being but also brings significant financial challenges. In collaboration with Goodroot’s Emry Health, we are proud to offer a new program dedicated to alleviating medical debt for CFC scholars and other cancer survivors.

Take the first step towards financial support:

If you are a cancer survivor dealing with medical debt, we invite you to apply for our Medical Debt Relief program. Take the first step towards easing your financial burdens and regaining control of your journey. This program is open to all cancer survivors with an annual income of less than $150,000.

Apply For Debt Relief

The Impact of Medical Debt

The Average Cost

The average cost associated with childhood cancer is a startling $833,000.²

1 in 5 Children

1 in 5 CHILDREN who receive a new diagnosis of childhood cancer is already living in poverty.²

47% of Adults

About half (47%) of U.S. adults say it is very or somewhat difficult for them to afford their healthcare costs.¹

1 in 4 Families

1 in 4 families report losing more than 40% of their annual household income as a result of cancer treatment-related work disruption—this figure doesn’t account for out-of-pocket expenses like traveling to the hospital and extra childcare at home.²

Annual Incomes Under $40K

Adults in households with annual incomes under $40,000 are more than three times as likely as adults in households with incomes over $90,000 to say it is difficult to afford their health care costs (69% v. 21%).¹

28% of Parents

More than a quarter (28%) of parents of children with cancer across all income levels said they experienced great economic hardship when going through the cancer treatment process. That number nearly doubles for lower income levels.²

Adults without Medical Care

About four in ten U.S. adults say they have delayed or gone without medical care in the last year due to cost, and about a quarter of adults say they or a family member have not filled a prescription, cut pills in half, or skipped doses of medicine in the last year because of the cost.¹

High Healthcare Costs

High healthcare costs disproportionately affect uninsured adults, Black and Hispanic adults, and those with lower incomes. Larger shares of U.S. adults in each of these groups report difficulty affording various types of care and delaying or forgoing medical care due to the cost.¹

Burden of Health Care Costs

Those who are covered by health insurance are not immune to the burden of health care costs. About one-third of insured adults worry about affording their monthly health insurance premium, and 44% worry about affording their deductible before health insurance kicks in.¹

Sources:

Alex Montero, Audrey Kearney, Liz Hamel, Mollyann Brodie. “Americans’ Challenges with Health Care Costs.” KFF, the Independent Source for Health Policy Research, Polling, and News., 14 July 2022, www.kff.org/health-costs/issue-brief/americans-challenges-with-health-care-costs/.
“The Economic Impact of Childhood Cancer.” NCCS, 2018, thenccs.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/the-economic-impact-of-childhood-cancer.pdf.

Thank you so much for making this happen. Having that paid off is a massive relief and goes a long way in helping me feel financially prepared for starting medical school in the fall. I’m so grateful for the support of such an incredible organization.”

– Preston Willey, Testicular Cancer Survivor

Our Partnership with Goodroot’s Emry Health

This program, in partnership with Goodroot’s Emry Health, is a testament to our commitment to supporting families facing the financial strains of a cancer diagnosis and treatment. Together, we support cancer survivors by equipping them with funding, information, and expert advocates who work tirelessly to reduce or eliminate existing medical debt.

Read the Official Press Release

Donate to the Cause.

Sure, we love big donations.
But we love small, thoughtful ones, too.
Every dollar puts deserving cancer survivors closer to realizing their dreams.

Donate

Apply for a Scholarship.

A fast and easy process.
Because you’ve been through enough challenges. Share your story, make your case and we’ll do our best to help.

Apply

Volunteer Your Time.

It takes more than money.
So we’re always looking for enthusiastic, caring volunteers to help with events, planning & behind the scenes work.

Volunteer