HealthWell Foundation to Support Cancer Moonshot
The HealthWell Foundation was honored to recently have been recognized by the Cancer Moonshot Initiative for its past efforts and future commitments to assist oncology patients. The Cancer Moonshot Initiative, coordinated through The White House, is mobilizing efforts nationally to prevent more than four million cancer deaths by 2047 and to improve the experience of people who are touched by cancer. The goal is to “end cancer as we know it.”
Cancer Moonshot brings together private companies, non-profit organizations, patient groups, federal agencies and more. It seeks to cut U.S. cancer deaths in at least half by 2047 and improve the experience of people who are touched by cancer.
Alan Klein
“HealthWell is committed to supporting oncology patients who cannot afford their often lifesaving medications,” said Alan Klein, Chief Development Officer, HealthWell Foundation. “We are truly honored to be recognized by the highest office in the country for our efforts to provide a positive impact on people living with cancer.”
As part of the Cancer Moonshot initiative, in 2024 HealthWell Foundation will:
- Provide more than $300 million to underinsured oncology patients to offset out-of-pocket medication costs. The financial support will enable patients to adhere to prescribed treatment regimens and improve their survival.
- Begin to provide financial assistance to qualified clinical trial patients to address disparities in participation in oncology clinical trials.
- Support oncology caregivers through a new fund to help individuals with certain out-of-pocket financial needs, seeding $500,000 for the program and encouraging additional donations from corporate and individual donors.
“We hope to soon see the day when cancer becomes a manageable chronic disease,” Klein said. “For that to happen, and for cancer patients to have an improved quality of life, they must be able to afford the proven treatments their doctors prescribe.”
Klein added that underinsured cancer patients face special challenges in accessing novel cancer therapies only available in clinical trials. He pointed to the ancillary costs involved with participating in a clinical trial – costs that are not reimbursed by the trial sponsor or site – which HealthWell plans to help patients cover.
“Our hope is that by removing barriers for underinsured patients to participate in clinical trials, we will help to diversify trials so they increase inclusion of underrepresented patient groups,” he said.
HealthWell has a long history of supporting oncology patients. Since its inception in 2003, as part of the over $3.3 billion in total patient grant awards across over 90 disease areas, HealthWell has awarded over $1.66 billion in medication copayment and insurance premium assistance across 39 oncology funds through more than 440,000 grants to over 310,000 underinsured patients who may have otherwise forgone critical medication treatments simply because their health insurance was not enough.
To learn more about how HealthWell supports oncology patients and donate to a HealthWell oncology fund, visit www.healthwellfoundation.org. And check back here at Real World Health Care for more news about HealthWell’s Cancer Moonshot activities throughout 2024.
