Dear Gateway to Hope Friends & Supporters,
We have been monitoring a very important issue that affects Gateway to Hope patients and women with breast cancer everywhere — and we want to tell you about it, as well as some great ways for you to get involved.
Right now, when a woman is diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer, she must wait at least two years to receive Medicare coverage.
She must also wait five months for Social Security Disability pay.
Too often, women with metastatic breast cancer are dealing with very difficult treatments which prevent them from being able to work. This means loss of income and insurance, two things that Medicaid and Social Security Disability could cover. Instead, women are left waiting — depleting their savings, going into medical debt, and making heartbreaking decisions about skipping treatments.
While Gateway to Hope’s services go a long way toward supporting women facing these difficult issues, we know more can be done.
That is why we are advocating for a piece of legislation, currently before Congress, that would eliminate these wait periods. We are working with the National Breast Cancer Coalition, which has organized a nationwide effort to get this legislation passed.
Click below to read stories of women affected, and get involved!
Sincerely,
Katie Manga, CEO
Gateway to Hope
