fbpx
Donate Toggle Menu

The Kidney Cancer Association (KCA) is pleased to launch a Patient Assistance Fund (PAF) to support people with kidney cancer and relieve some of the financial burdens that accompany a diagnosis.

“This program is a huge step forward in our ability to support people with kidney cancer through the tremendous financial burden a diagnosis places on families,” said Gretchen E. Vaughan, President and CEO of the KCA. “We want people to get the best care so they have the best possible chance at a good health outcome, and financial issues should never get in the way of that. The focus of patients and families should always be on health, not finances.”

The PAF addresses one of the kidney cancer community’s urgent needs. Financial assistance is the most common query among those who contact the KCA’s Patient Navigator Program – a one-on-one service to provide education and connect those with kidney cancer to relevant resources – and financial toxicity is a documented issue for people impacted by any type of cancer. Cancer care and treatment may mean unsustainable out-of-pocket costs that are often compounded by ancillary costs like transportation, childcare, hotel stays, or lost income.

People with a kidney cancer diagnosis who meet the PAF eligibility criteria can apply for up to $250 in assistance – given as a VISA gift card – through a dedicated portal on the KCA’s website. One gift card is available per applicant per year.

These are the PAF eligibility criteria:

  • Patients must be a US citizen or a permanent resident of the U.S. or U.S. territory
  • Patients must have a physician-verified primary kidney cancer diagnosis
  • Patients are only eligible to receive assistance one time in a 12-month period

“We are so excited to launch this necessary program, and this is just the beginning,” said Ashley Ruggieri, Director of Patient Advocacy and Partnerships. “Right now, a gift card might cover the cost of parking, gas, or other daily necessities. Our hope is that the fund will grow to the point where we would be able to assist with treatment and we could expand the eligibility criteria.”

Access the KCA’s Patient Assistance Fund here.

###

About the Kidney Cancer Association

The Kidney Cancer Association is a global community dedicated to serving and empowering patients and caregivers, and leading change through advocacy, research, and education in order to be the universal leader in finding the cure for kidney cancer. Founded in 1990 by Eugene P. Schonfeld and a small group of patients and doctors in Chicago, Illinois, the KCA has grown into an international non-profit organization based in Houston, Texas. The KCA promotes scientific advances through two annual research symposiums and a robust grant program, participates in legislative advocacy, and seeks to be a source of education and resources for patients, caregivers, and anyone impacted by kidney cancer.

Media Contact

Radha Chitale
Director of Communications
847.332.1051 ext. 113 | [email protected]