If you have cancer, the last thing you want to think about is how much treatment most cost, but it’s a reality you have to face. If you’re dealing with something like mesothelioma, just as one example, it could cost between $11,000 and $12,000 a month. These costs would include testing, chemotherapy and/radiation, and, if necessary, surgery.

The following are financial considerations to keep in mind if you or your loved one will be undergoing chemotherapy.

Does Insurance Cover Chemotherapy?

If you have cancer, there are requirements under the Affordable Care Act as far as what your insurance has to cover. Your insurance can’t be canceled because you have cancer, and you can’t be denied insurance if you have cancer.

However, this doesn’t mean that even with insurance, you won’t have out-of-pocket costs.

The costs of chemotherapy vary depending on what type of cancer you have, the drugs used, where you’re treated, how often, and for how long you need treatment and your health insurance.

If you receive chemotherapy in an outpatient department of a hospital, for example, it’s going to cost significantly more than if you received treatment in a doctor’s office.

If you have insurance, you should keep up with everything related to your treatment. You may need them if your claim is denied and you want to file an appeal.

What If You Can’t Pay?

If you’re already dealing with cancer, it can be panic-inducing to think then you can’t pay for your treatment, but there are steps you can take.

First, go to your doctor’s office administrators or the hospital and ask what the options are. They’re almost always going to be able to work with you. They may also be able to point you in the direction of third-party resources.

What If Certain Medicines Aren’t Covered?

If you need a certain type of cancer medicine and your insurance does not cover it, the company might offer you assistance. Almost all drug companies have medication-assistance programs and help insured patients who aren’t covered for the particular medicine. They also help uninsured patients.

Typically you would need to provide information about your medical insurance status and your income and assets. Many of these programs will require that you don’t have third-party prescription coverage.

Your doctor can work with the drug company to help you with these programs. They may coordinate it altogether for you, depending on the situation.

Financial Assistance Programs

Whether you have insurance or not, you may need to turn to third-party programs for financial assistance paying for your treatment or the associated out-of-pocket costs. There are many options available.

You can look for government assistance geared toward low-income households, for example.

There are also pharmaceutical patient assistance programs like we touched on above. Drug manufacturers can help you with insurance reimbursement, referrals to relief programs for co-pays, and they can provide help with the application process. As was specifically mentioned, a drug company may also be able to help you with discounted or free medicines if you don’t qualify for other types of assistance.

Your doctor is the best person to check with as far as drug companies and their options, but there’s also the Partnership for Prescription Assistance, which has a list of pharmaceutical programs.

There’s a website called CancerCare, and they have an Online Helping Hand. It’s a searchable database of assistance available if you have cancer. You’ll find contact information and organization descriptions.

There are nonprofits like the National Organization for Rare Disorders and the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s Co-Pay Assistance Program.

Personal Loans

If you’ve exhausted every other avenue, you might apply for a personal loan, but this should be your last option.

If you’re applying for personal loans, be careful about terms and interest rates.

What you have to realize ultimately is that you aren’t alone, and yes, cancer treatment is expensive. If you’re middle class even it can be challenging to cover these costs, and this includes if you have insurance.

The best thing you can do is create a plan for the resources you want to explore and be open and honest with your health care providers about your financial concerns. You should also keep detailed records of every part of your treatment because you may need those later on.

Resources are there, and they can help. You may also find that people are much more willing to help than you would even think initially.