A diagnosis of ovarian cancer brings not only physical and emotional challenges but often financial, legal, and logistical burdens. Managing everything efficiently and accessing the right resources can significantly ease the journey. This guide has compiled a comprehensive list of organizations and programs providing financial support, legal assistance, community resources, and more for women facing ovarian cancer.
Financial Guidance and Tools
Cancer Insurance Checklist
An online worksheet to track provider visits, services, and costs, helping you compare insurance plans in the federally funded Marketplace.
CancerCare.org
An online toolkit designed to assist in managing finances after a cancer diagnosis.
Triage Cancer Guides and Checklist
Quick guides and checklists by Triage Cancer offer practical information on finances, health insurance, employment, and work. Also available in Spanish.
Compassionate Allowances for Ovarian Cancer: Disability Benefits Center
Describes the Social Security Administration’s Compassionate Allowances program for stage 4 ovarian cancer, reducing financial burdens.
Healthcare.gov
Research different insurance plans, find the best fit, and sign up during open enrollment or a Special Enrollment Period.
Medicaid
An overview of the Medicaid program and its eligibility requirements.
Medicare
An overview of Medicare, its eligibility requirements, and the application process.
Social Security Administration: Overview of Disability Programs
Detailed descriptions of disability programs, including SSI, SSDI, and returning to work.
Social Security Disability Income
Information for women with all stages of ovarian cancer on qualifying for social security disability income.
SSI and SSD: Disability Benefits Center
A questionnaire evaluating eligibility criteria for supplemental security income and social security disability.
Legal Resources
Americans with Disabilities Act
Information and technical assistance for individuals with questions about the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
Appeal Insurance Decisions: US Department of Health and Human Services
Explanation of internal and external appeal rights for decisions or benefit cancellations by your insurance carrier.
Cancer Legal Resource Center: Disability Rights Legal Center
Information on legal issues post-cancer diagnosis, including insurance appeals, employment rights, and more.
Disability Rights Legal Center
Offers disability rights advocacy through legal assistance.
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
Federal agency enforcing laws preventing workplace discrimination based on disability, including cancer-related illnesses.
Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA): Department of Labor
Information on FMLA, providing job-protected, unpaid leave during any 12-month period to eligible, covered employees.
National Women’s Law Center
Dedicated to achieving policies that affect women throughout their lives, advocating for those facing discrimination.
Triage Cancer’s Legal Navigation Program
A program offering free one-on-one help in health insurance, disability insurance, employment, finances, and more.
Community Organizations for Financial Assistance
2-1-1 Services
Provides assistance to find local resources, including crisis, food, health, and housing.
Allyson Whitney Foundation
Offers “Life Interrupted grants” between $500-1500 for women undergoing treatment for rare cancer (ages 16-36).
Bright Spot Network
Grants available for cancer patients caring for a child aged 0-6 through Bright Spot.
CancerCare
Provides limited financial support for transportation, home care, and child care for eligible women cancer patients.
Cleaning for a Reason
Provides the “gift of a clean home” for cancer patients, allowing focus on healing.
Dollar For
Offers education and navigation help for patients seeking financial assistance with medical bills through hospital charity care programs.
Entertainment Community Fund
A safety net for those in the entertainment industry, providing support for disabled individuals.
FamilyReach
Financial assistance and resource navigation for cancer patients and caregivers needing support with non-medical expenses.
Good Days
Provides financial assistance and advocacy for people pursuing life-saving and life-extending treatment.
Healthwell Foundation
Offers financial assistance towards medical treatments and other costs.
Homeownership Preservation Foundation
Aims to help people avoid mortgage foreclosure.
Hill-Burton Free and Reduced Cost Health Care
Provides free or reduced-cost care at obligated healthcare facilities nationwide.
Keep Swimming Foundation
Offers financial assistance for inpatient treatment for 21 or more consecutive days at accredited U.S. hospitals.
Nutrition Assistance Programs
Describes SNAP, WIC, and other programs providing access to food/nutrition.
OvarCare Program (through Ovarcome)
OvarCare, a program by Ovarcome, offers financial, psychosocial, and informational support for ovarian cancer patients in active treatment.
Patient Access Network (PAN) Foundation
Provides up to $3700 annually in co-payment assistance to ovarian cancer patients enrolled in Medicare.
Patient Advocate Foundation (PAF)
PAF case workers work one-on-one with patients, caregivers, or providers to resolve healthcare issues and offer co-payment assistance.
Patient Resource
An extensive list of organizations providing financial help to patients with cancer.
Patients Rising Concierge
Connects patients and loved ones to personalized, low-cost services.
The Samfund
Provides financial assistance and online support to young cancer survivors.
Vital Options Grant Program
Grants for those experiencing financial hardship due to a cancer diagnosis.
Lodging
Fisher House
Comfort homes providing free lodging for military and veterans’ families during treatment.
Healthcare Hospitality Network
Links to affiliate lodging programs across the US.
Hope Lodge: American Cancer Society
Nationwide lodging offering for cancer patients by the American Cancer Society.
Hosts for Humanity
Connects friends and family of people traveling for treatment with hosts offering accommodation.
Hotel Keys of Hope: Extended Stays America
A partnership program between the American Cancer Society and Extended Stays America provides discounted lodging for patients needing access to treatment.
Joe’s House
Links to lodging across the US for patients to stay during treatment.
Transportation
Air Care Alliance
Offers a list of nonprofit volunteer flying groups providing help to patients, communities, and others with needs.
Air Charity Network
Provides free air flights to specialized medical care.
Angel Flight Program
Facilitates free air transportation to those in need of medical treatment far from home using volunteer pilots.
Corporate Angel Network
Arranges free air transportation for cancer patients traveling to treatment using empty seats on corporate jets.
DAV Veterans Benefit
Helps veterans connect with health care, disability, employment, education, and financial benefits, offering a transportation assistance program.
Mercy Medical Angels
Provides gas cards and train or bus transportation assistance to those traveling more than 50 miles to treatment.
Southwest Airlines Medical Transportation Grant Program
Offers roundtrip air travel to select hospitals for cancer treatment.
Information and Support for Drug Co-Pay
Cost Plus Drugs
Offers multiple medications at the lowest cost possible.
NeedyMeds
Provides information about programs helping people facing problems paying for medications and health care.
NiceRx
Helps individuals access over 1,500 FDA-approved brand-name medications.
Partnership for Prescription Assistance
Helps qualifying patients without prescription drug coverage get medicines they need for free or nearly free.
RxHope
Lists information about patient assistance programs offering free or reduced-cost medication.
Workplace Support
Cancer and Careers
Provides information on legal and financial issues affecting cancer patients, offering advice and support.
Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA): Department of Labor
Information on FMLA, offering up to 12 weeks of job-protected, unpaid leave for eligible, covered employees.
We Are Capable
An advocacy organization working to remove the fear and stigma of living with chronic illness or disability from the hiring process.
Scholarships and School Resources
Fastweb
Offers lists of scholarships for patients, survivors, children of a cancer patient or survivor, students who lost a parent to cancer, and those pursuing careers in cancer treatment.
The Samfund
Provides financial assistance, graduate school scholarships, and online support to young cancer survivors (ages 21-39).
National Collegiate Cancer Foundation
Provides need-based financial support to young adults (ages 18-35) diagnosed with cancer, as well as for bereaved children.
Support for College Students with Cancer
Provides information on accommodations, scholarships, and strategies to manage treatment-related symptoms while in school.
