A cancer diagnosis is one of the most terrifying and sobering moments of anyone’s life. Cancer will wage a war against you, your family, and your loved ones – mentally, physically, and financially. And in this terrifying moment, health insurance, or cancer insurance, should be the last thing on your mind.

If you are already covered under a group health insurance or individual health insurance plan at the time of your diagnosis, your insurance plan should cover your expenses (see your specific plan for coverage details). However, if you do not have health insurance at the time of your cancer diagnosis, what do you do?

While various insurers offer cancer insurance, most policies require you to be cancer-free at the time you apply, and typically have a waiting period (usually two years) before coverage begins. Unless you decide to purchase cancer insurance well before a diagnosis, just in case, you will most likely not be able to find coverage after the diagnosis.

We just recently heard about a Chicago-based nonprofit organization whose sole purpose is to help people with their expenses while they are undergoing cancer treatment. The organization is called No Wooden Nickels and it was established in 2005. Their goal is to provide financial assistance to lower-income families struggling with the costs of treatment, including indirect expenses, such as transportation to treatment facilities, meals, lab costs, or special clothing/equipment. Rather than using a standard formula to calculate the financial assistance provided, they evaluate each application on a unique case-by-case situation.

Like many nonprofit organizations, No Wooden Nickels is always searching for additional funding. They accept donations on their website, and are also looking for new corporate alliances or partnerships. The organization hopes to never have to turn a family away.

While they are currently only offering assistance to Illinois residents, they do hope to expand across the nation within the next few years. You can find more information or apply for aid at the No Wooden Nickels website.

Cancer has touched many of our lives in one way or another. Our goal at RxHealthQuotes is to provide our customers with the resources they need to live a happy and healthy life. We’re interested in your feedback about this topic. Do you know of any other states or organizations that provide financial assistance for cancer patients? Please leave a comment if you have any information on No Wooden Nickels or a similar cancer-assistance organization.