Now she too is getting her care at the Ralph Lauren Center for low-income women, where both women pay a $50 co-pay for doctor visits, with costs mounting. Family and friends are helping out.
But one concern they don't have, in a city filled with studios renting at $2,000 or more per month, is how to pay for their living space.
The women have been living in two cozy rooms near New York's famed Penn Station, free of charge, since November. They're at the American Cancer Society's Hope Lodge, where cancer patients referred by their medical team can stay, first come, first served, for as long as treatment is ongoing. In addition to private rooms, the lodge offers communal kitchens, computer rooms, open areas, meditation rooms and even cooked dinners a few times a week.
"The cancer, that's a shock," D'Acosta says, "but we're blessed to be living in this place while we get our care."
Don't assume your income is too high to ask for help, says David Knowlton, a board member of the Healthwell Foundation, based in Gaithersburg, Md., which provides financial assistance for insurance premiums and co-pays for patients with many different conditions. Knowlton says grants might even be made to families with a yearly income of $80,000 or higher, depending on family size and other circumstances.
"This is a tough time for too many people," Knowlton says, "and funds are trying to help as much as they can."
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health@latimes.com
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Where to get help
Assistance to cancer patients can come in many forms -- funds for care, free stays, transportation and even personal grooming items such as wigs and makeup. Here are some good places to start your search.
NATIONAL CANCER INSTITUTE
www.cancer.gov or (800) 422-6237
Besides offering information on cancers and clinical trials, this federal institute offers support information. From the home page, click on "Cancer Topics," then look for "Support and Resources."
CANCERCARE
www.cancercare.org or (800) 813-4673
This nonprofit agency has social workers who can refer you to sources of financial aid and other assistance.
CANCER.NET
www.cancer.net/managingcostofcare
This patient-focused site, sponsored by the American Society of Clinical Oncology, offers a guide on managing costs of care. For organizations that help with such costs, click on "Financial Resources" from the guide's home page.
AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY
www.cancer.org or (800) 227-2345
Operators can provide information on assistance, or you can key in "financial assistance for the cancer patient" in the search engine.
-- F.L.K.
