Lung Cancer

CASE MANAGEMENT

Discover how case management can work for you

A valued, and often untapped, resource is case management, usually a free program designed to help manage the practical issues and problems associated with a cancer diagnosis and treatment. Your case manager is your personal advocate, acting on your behalf by collaborating with medical professionals and non-medical personnel to help overcome various financial, logistical and other common barriers to care.

Your case manager, who may be a social worker, trained financial counselor, nurse or some combination of these areas of expertise, works in various ways to ensure you receive quality services, from screening and assessment to care coordination and discharge planning. Dealing with a serious illness involves much coordination, such as filing insurance claims, paying medical bills and arranging for transportation. It is difficult to focus on these items when you are more concerned with understanding your diagnosis and making treatment decisions. Although these issues may feel secondary, they often become critical. Your case manager helps navigate and address these responsibilities to reduce or eliminate your stress and anxiety so you can focus on healing.

Case management comes in many different forms. It is sometimes very specific and short term, confined to a period of time or specific issue, or it may be a long-term engagement based on a particular patient’s needs. 

Alan Balch, PhD, Chief Executive Officer at Patient Advocate Foundation (PAF), understands the value of helping patients find solutions to the problems they face during treatment.

“Our case management program is a process of directly assisting patients and their caregivers in finding and securing appropriate resources or dealing with specific barriers. In our experience, the areas in which patients need help most are transportation, paperwork and finding financial assistance to cover various costs.”

Fran Castellow, MSEd, PAF, believes no patient should have to struggle with financial obstacles alone. “Our expert case managers work alongside the patient or caregiver to identify solutions to problems surrounding insurance, medical debt and many other challenges, as well as helping them better
afford their out-of-pocket costs.”

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Your case manager can help you carefully review your insurance policy, including the items covered by Medicare Parts A, B, C and D, so you know the rules and procedures to follow and what is covered. You are encouraged not to dismiss potential treatment options until you’ve looked into the financial resources that are available, even if you are uninsured or underinsured.

Case management sometimes offers indispensable services surrounding end-of-life needs. If you choose to be at home at this time, a case manager may be available to arrange for door-to-door transportation from the medical facility to your home and ensure a hospice company, necessary equipment and a nurse are on site before you arrive. The goal is to help you feel secure and comfortable, surrounded by people who care, in the last moments of life. If your health care team doesn’t offer case management services, ask for a referral.

 

SIDEBAR: NEED HELP WITH ADDITIONAL RESOURCES?

Much of the information available to help you is found online, but not everyone has a computer. If you don’t have access to one or if you need assistance searching for information, ask your case manager, nurse navigator, family members or friends to help you. You’re not in this alone. A variety of resources are available, from helping you learn more about your specific diagnosis and offering valuable suggestions for caregivers to connecting you with support programs so you can talk with someone who has had a similar experience. To ensure everyone has access to trusted resources, the following organizations also offer phone numbers. Most are staffed weekdays during standard business hours.

  • American Cancer Society, Cancer Helpline: 800-227-2345
  • American Lung Association: 800-586-4872
  • GO2 Foundation for Lung Cancer, Lung Cancer Helpline: 800-298-2436
  • LUNGevity, Lung Cancer Helpline: 844-360-5864
  • National Cancer Institute: 800-422-6237
  • Patient Empowerment Network, Cancer Support Helpline: 888-793-9335

 

SIDEBAR: MYTHS VS. FACTS

If immunotherapy is recommended as a treatment option for your lung cancer, you’ll want to know the facts about this leading-edge cancer therapy.

MYTH: Immunotherapy is a risky treatment because it’s so new.

FACT: Immunotherapy is not new. The first immunotherapy to treat cancer was approved more than 30 years ago by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Using the body’s immune system to fight disease was first considered in the 1890s.

MYTH: Doctors reserve newer treatments for younger cancer patients.

FACT: Age alone is not a determining factor when considering immunotherapy. A result of a recent research study evaluating the effectiveness of an immune checkpoint inhibitor on more than 530 cancer patients indicated that the responses in people older than 62 were as good as or considerably better than in younger patients; however, side effects may be more severe in the elderly.

MYTH: Doctors recommend immunotherapy only as a last resort.

FACT: Today, immunotherapy is often the first choice of treatment. In 2008, only four immunotherapies were approved to treat six types of cancer. By mid-2019, several FDA-approved immunotherapy agents were available – alone or in combination with other therapies – for a variety of cancer types and any solid tumor with a specific biomarker. Some immunotherapies are now first-line treatments being used before other types of cancer therapy.

MYTH: Immunotherapy is way too expensive for the average person.

FACT: All cancer therapies have associated costs and some are greater than others, so it’s essential to know this information before you start treatment. However, your health insurance, Medicare or Medicaid (in some states) may cover or partially cover the costs. Financial resources may also be available through patient assistance programs from pharmaceutical companies, your treatment facility or cancer advocacy groups.