Medical Financial Assistance Grants

For the 46.3 million Americans without health insurance, it can be very difficult to afford medical care. Even those with insurance may have trouble affording all the co-pays if they have a serious health condition that requires extensive treatment. Medical financial assistance grants help pay for treatment not covered by insurance. A number of organizations and foundations offer grants that cover everything from medical care for children to cancer treatments to pain medications.

American Kidney Fund

• The American Kidney Fund offers several grants for patients with kidney disease, including grants to help pay health insurance premiums and grants to help pay for treatment-related expenses that insurance does not cover, like the cost of over-the-counter medications, nutritional supplements, and durable medical equipment.

  American Kidney Fund
  6110 Executive Blvd., Suite 1010
  Rockville, MD 20852
  800-638-8299
  kidneyfund.org

Brenda Mehling Cancer Fund

• The Brenda Mehling Cancer Fund helps cancer patients between the ages of 18 and 40 pay for things like home health care and insurance co-pays, as well as helping with practical expenses like rent and utilities. The Fund's website reports that the typical grant is about $600.

  Brenda Mehling Cancer Fund
  24152 Lyons Ave., #157
  Santa Clarita, CA 91321
  661-310-7940
  bmcf.net

The CAIR Project

• The CAIR Project provides funding to women in the states of Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington that need help paying for an abortion. Eligibility is based on self-reported financial need. The CAIR Project website provides information about similar grants available in other states.

  The CAIR Project
  PO Box 17121
  Seattle, WA 98127
  888-644-CAIR
  cairproject.org

Cancer Care

• Cancer Care offers a number of grants for medical assistance, including grants to help cover chemotherapy and other medications for breast-cancer patients, and grants to help pay for home care and pain medication for other cancer patients. Applicants must provide information about their income, savings, and expenses.

  Cancer Care
  275 Seventh Ave., Floor 22
  New York, NY 10001
  1-800-813-HOPE (4673)
  cancercare.org

United Healthcare Children's Foundation

• The United Healthcare Children's Foundation makes grants to families with children whose medical needs are not covered by their commercial health insurance plans. Only children covered by commercial health insurance plans are eligible for these grants. Those covered by government sponsored plans like Medicaid will not qualify. Families must meet certain income guidelines to obtain grants.

  United Healthcare Children's Foundation
  MN012-S286
  PO BOX 41
  Minneapolis, MN 55440-0041
  952-992-4459
  uhccf.orgc

VNS Therapy Access Program

• The VNS Therapy Access Program provides free VNS (vagus nerve stimulation) systems for epileptic patients who do not have insurance coverage for these devices and cannot afford to pay out of pocket for them. The program only provides the devices; patients must arrange and pay for their own doctors to surgically implant them.

  VNS Therapy Access Program
  Cyberonics, Inc.
  100 Cyberonics Blvd.
  Houston, TX 77058-9798
  877-610-1180
  vnstherapy.com/epilepsy/patient