On World Cancer Day we have Great News for Spanish Speakers Suffering with Cancer

WASHINGTON - Feb. 4, 2014 - PRLog -- As part of the World Cancer Day (http://www.worldcancerday.org/) celebrated today, Men’s Health Network (MHN) announced the recent release of a Spanish language version of the Cancer Insurance Checklist (http://www.cancerinsurancechecklist.org/) - a resource originally launched in September 2013 by The Cancer Support Community and a group of 18 partnering cancer and patient advocacy organizations, to help people who have cancer, a history of cancer or are at risk for cancer, choose insurance plans in the new state-based health insurance marketplaces that opened on October 1, 2013.

The Cancer Insurance Checklist: Guía de Cobertura Médica para Personas con Cáncer (http://www.cancerinsurancechecklist.org/es/)

(http://www.cancerinsurancechecklist.org/es/) guides Spanish-speaking consumers to review the coverage within each insurance plan they are considering, including coverage for services provided by their health care team, where care is delivered, medications and various common cancer treatments and services they may need. The Checklist also provides a worksheet to help the consumer detail the costs associated with each plan.  The Checklist is designed to be used while evaluating insurance plans and also when discussing them with a navigator or health care provider.

"Cancer can be a sudden and devastating diagnosis that can leave patients feeling hopeless and having many questions," said Brandon Leonard, Director of Strategic Initiatives at Men's Health Network.  "When they face challenges to accessing coverage and care due to language barriers, the burden is even heavier. We are excited about this new resource, the Spanish version of the Cancer Insurance Checklist, and we believe it will be a useful tool for many Americans impacted by cancer as they look for the coverage that best meets their needs."

Nearly a third (31.1%) of Hispanics and Latinos under age 65 in the U.S. do not have health insurance, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 10.2 million Hispanics and Latinos are eligible for coverage under the health insurance exchanges, 3.7 million of whom speak Spanish as their primary language.

In addition to the Cancer Insurance Checklist, the Cancer Support Community’s toll-free Helpline at 888-793-9355 is available for telephone support in Spanish during the cancer experience. For more information, please visit www.cancersupportcommunity.org.

You can also access a MHN brochure, Breast Cancer – It can Happen to Men too (http://www.menshealthnetwork.org/library/BCabrochure.pdf)(http://www.menshealthnetwork.org/library/BCabrochure.pdf)

and another comprehensive resource for men’s health, Blueprint for Men’s Health (http://www.menshealthnetwork.org/library/blueprint.pdf)  (http://www.menshealthnetwork.org/library/blueprint.pdf)

The Cancer Insurance Checklist was created through a partnership of the following organizations: The Assistance Fund, Association of Community Cancer Centers, Avalere Health, Cancer Support Community, Chronic Disease Fund, Cutaneous Lymphoma Foundation, International Myeloma Foundation, The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, Living Beyond Breast Cancer, Lung Cancer Alliance, Melanoma Research Foundation, Men’s Health Network, National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship, National Patient Advocate Foundation, Oncology Nursing Society, Ovarian Cancer National Alliance, Patient Advocate Foundation, Patient Services, Inc. and Prevent Cancer Foundation.  Production and translation costs for the Cancer Insurance Checklist were supported by a grant from Novartis Oncology.