Patient and Survivor Programs

Through the Patient Emergency Fund, Lung Cancer Initiative offers financial assistance to provide support for lung cancer patients to help with healthy food costs, transportation and other non-medical expenses to assist with emergencies associated with a lung cancer diagnosis.  

Directions to Apply

1. Download the application here or call the LCI office at 919-784-0410 to request an
application to be mailed to you.
2. Bring the application to your next appointment to fill out with a representative from your cancer center.
3. Utilize the instructions on the application to return it to LCI.
4. All questions must be answered in order to be considered for fulfillment.

Guidelines

1. Applicants must be a resident of North Carolina.
2. Applicants must currently be in treatment for lung cancer.

Applications are now closed.

Access to Care Gas Card Program

The Lung Cancer Initiative Access to Care Gas Card Program provides assistance to lung cancer patients who are seeking treatment including clinical trials. The goal of the program is to lessen the financial burden for patients so they can receive appropriate lung cancer treatment by providing gas cards. To be eligible for a gas card, the applicant must be a resident of North Carolina and currently undergoing treatment for lung cancer. An application must be completed and signed by both the applicant and the healthcare facility.

Directions to Apply

1. Download the application below or call the LCI office at 919-784-0410 to request an
application to be mailed to you.
2. Bring the application to your next appointment to fill out with a representative from your cancer center.
3. Utilize the instructions on the application to return it to LCI.
4. All questions must be answered in order to be considered for fulfillment

 

 

“As a lung cancer survivor, I felt this need to find a tangible way to support patients on a very local level. It’s been gratifying to see how successful this gas card program has been at getting people to treatment.”

Tomma Hargraves

Lung Cancer Survivor

Questions about our gas card program? Contact Patient and Community Outreach Specialist, Emily Edmondson.

Interested in supporting this program? Contact Chief Mission Delivery Officer, Jenni Danai.

Thank you to our Gas Card program sponsors!

Survivor Engagement Events

Survivor Engagement Events are programs designed to build a community of survivors who offer support and camaraderie to one another. Whether you were diagnosed yesterday or 20 years ago, you are welcome and encouraged to attend! Most of these events are social. Occasionally, guest speakers or doctors will join and share relevant information for survivors. Each June, LCI hosts an annual Survivors Day Celebration for lung cancer survivors and their families.

Meet and fellowship with other lung cancer survivors at our Online Survivor Luncheons which are on the first Wednesdays of every month. This is a perfect time for us to come together from across the state and socialize while we’re apart.

Reserve your spot by viewing the luncheon dates below and registering! These events will be held on Zoom.

View 2023 Dates

May 3rd – Register

June 7th – Register

July 5th –Register

August 2nd – Register

September 6th- Register

October 4th – Register

November 1st – Register

December 6th – Register

Thank you to our luncheon sponsors!

Wellness Retreats

LCI partners with Wind River Retreats to offer an annual wellness retreat designed to support lung cancer survivors by providing them with coping mechanisms to enhance their quality of life while battling lung cancer. Through the retreat programming, the Wind River staff uplifts survivors with techniques to battle stress, tools to check in on their well-being, and a community of other survivors that truly understand what it means to live with a lung cancer diagnosis.

This year we will be hosting our 5 annual Lung Cancer Survivor Wellness Retreat on September 22 – 24, 2023.

This retreat is open to North Carolina Lung Cancer Survivors (both in treatment and out) and is designed by survivors, for survivors!

Sessions will include:

  • Tai Chi, Qigong and breath-work
  • Nutrition and Healthy Eating guidance, (all meals are plant-based, whole food)
  • Individual Healing Touch Sessions
  • Creative Intuitive Art
  • Drum Circle by the Lake
  • Meditation
  • Therapeutic Journaling

To apply go to… www.WindRiverServices.org

 

Therapy Assistance Programs

If you or a loved one needs help with paying for your treatment, consider the patient assistance program for the therapy you are taking. Below are the patient assistance programs for approved lung cancer therapies.
AstraZeneca

Lung cancer is at the forefront of AstraZeneca’s research and development focus. Our expanding portfolio aims to provide medicines that can improve outcomes at every stage of the disease. But we know if we are to make meaningful progress for lung cancer patients, we cannot work alone. We have partnered with the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC), the Global Lung Cancer Coalition (GLCC), and Guardant Health to form the Lung Ambition Alliance.  Together we are taking urgent action to double five-year survival in lung cancer globally by 2025 – prioritising research and projects that increase screening, deliver innovative medicine and improve quality care

 (AstraZeneca, 2023)

Boehringer Ingelheim
Boehringer Ingelheim

For assistance with our program, please call our toll-free number Monday – Friday from 8:30 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. Eastern time:
BI Cares Patient Assistance Program (includes several medicines) 1-800-556-8317
BI Cares Patient Assistance Program- Gilotrif 1-855-297-5904
BI Cares Patient Assistance Program- Ofev 1-855-297-5906

Lung Cancer Therapy: Gilotrif® and Ofev®
In keeping with our commitment to do the most good for the most people, we work hard to ensure our medicines are accessible to patients, including senior citizens and families on limited incomes. Through the BI Cares Foundation our Patient Assistance Program helps those in need obtain medications free of charge.
Bristol-Myers Squibb
Bristol-Myers Squibb

Lung Cancer Therapy: Empliciti®, Nulojix ®, Onureg ®, Opdivo ® and Opdivo Combination,
Orencia ®, Sprycel ®, Yervoy ®
Support Center: 1-800-861-0048
8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. EST, Monday – Friday
Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMS) is committed to helping patients get better access to their
prescribed BMS medications. That’s why we offer the BMS Access Support® program, which
provides resources that help patients with their reimbursement challenges.

Eli Lilly & Co
Eli Lilly & Co

Call 1-866-472-8663
Monday – Friday, 8:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m. EST
Lung Cancer Therapies: ALIMTA® (pemetrexed for injection), CYRAMZA® (ramucirumab),
Portrazza® (necitumumab), RetevmoTM (selpercatinib)
Lilly TruAssist is the collection of Lilly patient assistance programs that offer assistance to help people obtain the Lilly medicines they need. This site includes all of Lilly’s patient assistance programs with individual program details.

G1 Therapeutics

G1 Therapeutics

Call: 1-833-418-6663
Therapy: COSELA™ (trilaciclib)

G1 to One™ Patient Support Program is here to help eligible patients who need COSELA™ (trilaciclib) gain access to it.  We can help you with getting started on COSELA quickly, benefits investigations, out-of-pocket assistance, and getting COSELA for people who are uninsured for underinsured.

Genentech
Genentech

Call: (877) 436-3683
Lung Cancer Therapies: Avastin® (bevacizumab), ROZLYTREK™ (entrectinib), TECENTRIQ®
(atezolizumab), ALECENSA® (alectinib), COTELLIC® (cobimetinib)

Genentech Access Solutions is here to help when a Genentech medicine is prescribed. We offer a full range of programs and services to meet the needs of patients and health care professionals. What patients need for access—from benefits investigations through patient assistance options—is available through Genentech Access Solutions.

Janssen

Janssen Oncology

Call: 1-833-9119-3510
Therapy:  RYBREVANT®

The Johnson & Johnson Patient Assistance Foundation, Inc. (JJPAF) is an independent, nonprofit organization. JJPAF gives eligible patients free prescription medicines donated by Johnson & Johnson. Patients may be eligible if they don’t have insurance, if their medicine is not covered by insurance, or if they have Medicare coverage and can’t pay for their medicine.

 

Merck
Merck

Call: 855-257-3932
Lung Cancer Therapy: Keytruda (pembrolizumab)
The Merck Patient Assistance Program provides certain medicines free of charge to eligible patients.

Novartis
Lung Cancer Therapy: Zykadia® (ceritinib)
http://www.us.zykadia.com/patient/support.jsp
Call: 1-888-669-6682
Co-pay assistance is available for eligible patients with a prescription for ZYKADIA.

Novartis

Novartis

Call 1-800-282-7630
Monday – Friday, 9:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m. EST
Lung Cancer Therapies: Tabrecta(capmatinib)
The Novartis Patient Navigator Program is staffed by a team of specialists who are available to support you during your treatment journey. Once enrolled in the program, you will receive a series of phone calls from a specially trained navigator who will help you understand the results of your benefits investigation, educate you about financial assistance options, and help you get started on your Novartis medicine(s).

Pfizer
Pfizer

Call: 1-866-706-2400
Lung Cancer Therapy: Xalkori®(crizotinib) LORBRENA® (lorlatinib) VIZIMPRO® (dacomitinib)
XALKORI® (crizotinib) VIZIMPRO® (dacomitinib)

Pfizer RxPathways, formerly Pfizer Helpful Answers, is a comprehensive assistance program that provides eligible patients with a range of support services, including insurance counseling, co-pay assistance,* and access to medicines for free or at a savings.

Takeda

Takeda

Call: 1-844-817-6468
Lung Cancer Therapy: EXKIVITY(mobocertinib) and ALUNBRIG(brigatinib) 

From finding financial assistance that may be right for you to understanding your disease, Takeda Oncology Here2Assist™ can provide the information you need throughout your treatment.

Did you know that survivors are able to attend LCI events for free? No registration fee required! Check out our upcoming events and join us for a celebration of survivorship and to meet other survivors and families impacted by lung cancer

Peer Mentor Program

Receiving a lung cancer diagnosis can be an overwhelming experience.  LCI created the Peer Mentor Program so lung cancer patients would have ongoing support from a peer who has walked in their shoes.  Mentors will share their experience and hopefully ease the stress, anxiety and fear that comes with a lung cancer diagnosis.

 

Interested in becoming a peer mentor? Contact Emily Edmondson

Our next training will be held on 4/25

 

Resources for Children and Families

Children respond differently to hearing news of a cancer diagnosis or when going through a hard transition. Here are a list of resources that can help you and your family during this time. 

For additional questions, please contact Emily Edmondson, CCLS, MHL Patient and Community Outreach Specialist.