Vice President Joe Biden Selects Family Reach Foundation for Cancer Moonshot Partnership
WASHINGTON, DC - (PRWEB) October 17, 2016 -- Family Reach Foundation, a national non-profit dedicated to eliminating the financial burden of cancer for patients and their families, today announced that it has joined the Cancer Moonshot initiative led by Vice President Joe Biden. Cancer Moonshot was launched in June 2016, following a commitment from President Obama at the 2016 State of the Union Address to accelerate progress towards prevention, treatment, and a cure for cancer.
Family Reach offers a financial lifeline to families fighting cancer, helping them pay the everyday bills - rent, groceries, gas, and more - that quickly become overwhelming in the face of treatment. Cancer patients are 2.65 times more likely to go bankrupt than people without cancer, and 46 percent of cancer patients cut back on basic necessities like food and clothing to pay for cancer care, with some skipping medication to save money. In response to the Vice President’s call for collaboration, Family Reach will launch the Family Reach Financial Treatment Project - providing families fighting cancer with the resources and support they need to address their whole financial health. This includes:
- Financial planning - counseling patients and their families on their current financial situation to better plan for existing and upcoming expenses
- Financial navigation - helping patients and their families navigate the complexities of health insurance and identify the best options available for their specific medical needs
- Education - ensuring patients and their families are aware of opportunities for financial assistance that are available to them
- Direct monetary assistance - covering the everyday costs that families face when caring for a child with cancer, from living expenses to hospital parking costs and more
The project will kick off in January 2017 as a pilot at Seattle Cancer Care Alliance and Tufts Medical Center. By intervening at the clinical level, the Family Reach Financial Treatment Project aims to remove financial barriers - ensuring access to care and adherence to life-saving treatment, ultimately increasing a patient’s chance of survival. The impact on each patient’s financial health and medical outcomes will be measured and reported on by clinical research experts from the Hutchinson Institute for Cancer Outcomes Research and Tufts Medical Center. Evidence generated through this program will support policy transformation designed to reduce cancer treatment-related financial burden and improve cancer patients’ outcomes.
“We see families lose everything because they miss work or lose their jobs all together; they incur travel costs to and from the hospital and have countless medical expenses added to their daily budget. Families report having to choose putting gas in the car to access treatment over buying groceries or paying the utility bill,” said Carla Tardif, CEO of Family Reach. “We are beyond honored to partner with the Vice President and his Cancer Moonshot Task Force, to bring attention and support to the millions of families who are struggling financially simply because they are trying to care for themselves or a sick child.”
Since its launch in 2003, Family Reach has raised more than $16M in support of more than 10,000 families across the US. Under Tardif’s leadership, Family Reach has gained increased recognition on the national stage, adding celebrity chef Ming Tsai to its National Advisory Board, and earning support from celebrities such as Matt Damon, Emily Blunt, John Krasinski, and David Ortiz.
On October 17, Tardif will join Vice President Biden at the White House complex to share Family Reach’s mission and stories of families they have helped. Vice President Biden will present the final report of the Cancer Moonshot Task Force, along with his own Executive Findings after traveling to many of the major nerve centers in the cancer community. He will also unveil a new set of Federal actions, private sector actions, and collaborative partnerships to further advance the goals of the Cancer Moonshot Task Force. More information on the Cancer Moonshot can be found here https://www.whitehouse.gov/CancerMoonshot.
To interview Carla Tardif, a family who has received support from Family Reach, or a representative from the pilot hospitals for the Family Reach Financial Treatment Project, contact Ashley Willis at 609-279-0050 x105 or ashley(at)resoundmarketing(dot)com.
About Family Reach
Family Reach Foundation is a national non-profit dedicated to eliminating the financial burden of cancer for patients and their families. Family Reach offers families a financial lifeline, helping them manage the overwhelming financial and emotional barriers of the disease. Family Reach believes no family should be forced to choose between buying groceries or paying for their cancer treatment. Working in close collaboration with more than 145 hospitals and cancer centers nationwide, Family Reach provides immediate financial assistance, education and outreach to qualified families in need. For more information, visit http://www.familyreach.org.
Ashley Willis, Resound Marketing LLC, +1 (609) 279-0050, [email protected]
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