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Patient Assistance
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one of the hardest parts of treatment with a bone marrow transplant was the time he had to spend away from his home and his three children. During his treatment, he also managed problems with eating, tolerating his pain medication and loss of energy and strength. As he began to recover, Mohan faced another challenge -- managing the extra costs that came with his transplant. He had always been able to pay his own bills and did not want to ask for help. The good news is that the help was there when he asked.
Mohan was first diagnosed with chronic lymphocytic leukemia. He was treated with chemotherapy, but his disease developed into myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS). His doctors advised him a transplant was his best treatment option. They began to search for a suitable donor or cord blood unit for him. Mohan received an unrelated donor transplant facilitated by the National Donor Program. He also received help for his post-transplant bills through the Patient Assistance Program .
Like many patients, Mohan faced costs connected with his transplant that seemed overwhelming. He had health insurance to cover his treatment costs, but there were many other costs insurance did not cover. The closest health center was 150 km from his home. Mohan and his wife, Shama, were in Delhi for the 30 days of Mohan’s stay in the hospital and another 37 days of outpatient treatment. During that time they had to cover costs for two households -- Mohan and Shama in Delhi and their children at home, where they were cared for by Shama’s mother.
- In Delhi, they had costs such as rent, food, hospital parking fees and long-distance phone calls.
- At home, there were the usual household bills.
- Once Mohan and Shama returned home, there were still payments for doctor visits and the many medicines he had to take.
The family faced these extra costs without their usual income from Mohan’s work. He received disability pay, but it was not as much as his usual wages. It was not enough to cover all their extra expenses. Shama had her hands full with nursing school and caring for him and their children. Mohan was eager to start earning an income again. By nine months after his transplant, Mohan’s recovery was going well. He felt ready to work again. But his job as a machinist required long hours on his feet. Mohan’s doctors advised him it was in his best interest to wait a full year before going back to work.
In the meantime, Mohan and his family needed a way to pay the bills. Mohan felt uncomfortable asking anyone for money, but he says now that learning to ask for help was an important part of his recovery. And when he asked, the help was there. His family's many friends from work and the community rallied to help with funds.
The Patient Assistance Program is a resource to support patients like Mohan who need help with certain treatment-related costs.
The program can help with post-treatment costs, such as lodging near the health center, food, drug co-pays and insurance premiums. The Patient Assistance Program can also help cover costs of the search for an unrelated donor or cord blood unit before transplant. Like many patients, Mohan found his insurance did not pay for testing unrelated donors to find the most suitable match. However, through his health center, he received help covering these search costs from the Patient Assistance Program.
The funds from the Patient Assistance Program along with the financial support of the community helped Mohan’s family avoid going deep into debt. Avoiding severe financial hardship gave Mohan more time and energy to focus on regaining his health. At nine months after his treatment, Mark said he was doing well. He was glad to be home with his family, where he was regaining his energy and his appetite. He was also eager to return to work and grateful for the resources that helped his family manage expenses during the long months of his recovery.
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