Patient Advocate Foundation Joins Breakaway from Cancer to Raise Awareness of Services for Cancer Patients, Family Members

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Jul 21, 2010, 09:00 ET

Nonprofit Partner Organizations Share Program Information at Capitol Hill Educational Reception

WASHINGTON, July 21 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Patient Advocate Foundation (PAF) – a national non-profit organization that provides professional case management services to tens of thousands of patients every year who are unable to obtain access to care because of financial limitations or insurance denials – along with Prevent Cancer Foundation, Cancer Support Community and National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship, which provide a full continuum of services from prevention to survivorship, joined Breakaway from Cancer for an educational reception on Capitol Hill to share information on the continuum of care to help people fight cancer. Breakaway from Cancer is a national fundraising and educational initiative founded by Amgen in 2005 to raise awareness of the important resources available to cancer patients including prevention, education, patient care, advocacy and financial support.

"Patient Advocate Foundation has been honored to partner with Breakaway from Cancer for the past two years, as Amgen demonstrates its commitment and dedication to helping people affected by cancer and continues to raise awareness of the many beneficial resources available to cancer patients during what can be an uphill battle," said Nancy Davenport-Ennis, President and CEO of Patient Advocate Foundation. "Seventy-six percent of the patients who contacted PAF in 2009 were diagnosed with cancer, so we know first-hand the importance of educating cancer patients and family members about their options. It is crucial for patients to know they are not alone in this fight as there are numerous resources and supporters ready to help them through a challenging time."

There are nearly 12 million cancer survivors in the United States today and in 2009, more than 1.5 million Americans were diagnosed with cancer. This annual initiative highlights the importance of access to support networks for cancer patients and the myriad of free support services available to help them in their fight against this devastating disease.

Last year alone, PAF received in excess of 4 million contacts from patients, family members and care professionals requesting access to care information and assistance. Of those contacts, PAF's professional senior case managers successfully resolved 55,384 cases for patients that required direct, sustained mediation and arbitration services. PAF services are available to all patients, patient families and medical professionals and offer a variety of patient assistance programs including Co-Pay Relief and Colorectal CareLine, as well as insurance claims intervention, job retention services and debt crisis management. For more information about Patient Advocate Foundation, please visit www.patientadvocate.org or call toll-free (800) 532-5274.

Patient Advocate Foundation is a national non-profit organization that seeks to safeguard patients through effective mediation assuring access to care, maintenance of employment and preservation of their financial stability.

SOURCE Patient Advocate Foundation