Reduce Financial Toxicity. Improve Treatment Adherence. Protect Revenue.
For Cancer Treatment Centers & Health Systems
THE INSTITUTIONAL CHALLENGE
Financial Toxicity Is Your Clinical & Operational Problem
→ Financial toxicity doesn't just affect patients. It affects your bottom line, your clinical outcomes, and your team's capacity to deliver care.
THE CASCADING THE PROBLEM:
Patients delay or skip treatment due to cost concerns
→ Treatment nonadherence reduces clinical outcomes and patient satisfaction
→ Revenue cycles are disrupted by denials and unpaid balances
→ Your social work and navigation teams bear the burden of managing financial crises they're not trained to solve
THE GAP IN YOUR CURRENT APPROACH:
Most hospital financial-assistance programs are built around charity-care eligibility (income under 300% of Federal Poverty Level).
This creates a dangerous middle: insured, employed patients who appear "well-off" on paper but face catastrophic co-pays, lost income, and debt—without formal support and no path back to stability once treatment ends.
THESE PATIENTS ARE:
- Most likely to delay or skip treatment
- Most likely to become nonadherent
- Most likely to default on balances
- Most likely to need the support you don't currently offer
HARRIS COUNTY & TEXAS IMPACT:
- 13,529 new cancer cases per year in Harris County
- 148,598 new cancer diagnoses per year statewide (Texas Cancer Registry)
- 56.1% experience financial toxicity
- 30% are uninsured (and others are underinsured)
- Average monthly treatment cost: $20,000–$30,000
THE 7 OUTCOMES YOU NEED
Cancer centers have told us clearly: effective financial support must deliver measurable, integrated outcomes across clinical and operational domains. Financial Chaplain Group is designed to deliver all seven.
1. IDENTIFY FINANCIAL DISTRESS EARLY
Proactive screening, not reactive crisis management. Catch patients at risk before cost concerns derail treatment decisions.
2. IMPROVE QUALITY OF LIFE & PATIENT SATISFACTION
Reduce financial stress, anxiety, and overwhelm. Patients who feel supported are more satisfied with their care experience.
3. SCREEN MORE PATIENTS AT SCALE
Reach beyond the few who self-identify as struggling. Systematic identification of at-risk patients across oncology departments.
4. IMPROVE TREATMENT ADHERENCE
Keep patients engaged in treatment. Financial stability and confidence directly support completion of care plans.
5. REDUCE TREATMENT DELAYS CAUSED BY COST CONCERNS
Remove financial barriers that stall care. Support rapid access to treatment options without delay.
6. PROTECT INSTITUTIONAL REVENUE
Reduce denials. Improve prior authorization success. Support patient eligibility verification. Protect cash flow and minimize write-offs.
7. INTEGRATE INTO ONCOLOGY WORKFLOWS & ACHIEVE SUSTAINABILITY
Seamless integration with minimal team burden. Documented outcomes for accreditation. Reimbursable services that sustain the program.
HOW IT WORKS:INTEGRATED SERVICES + RIGOROUS MEASUREMENTS
What Your Team Receives:
FINANCIAL EDUCATION AND COACHING
INDIVIDUAL SESSIONS AND WORKSHOPS:
- "The Key to Resilience" — Introductory workshop (60 min)
- "How to Take Your Power Back" — Lunch & learn format (60 min)
FOUR-PART SIGNATURE SERIES: FAITH, FAMILY & FINANCIAL FITNESS
(Each 90 minutes, offered weekly or customized to your schedule)
- Session 1: Spiritual Care — Faith & Fitness
- Session 2: Building Support — Creating Community
- Session 3: Managing Your Financial Health
- Session 4: Taking Care of Yourself During Treatment
1:1 FINANCIAL COACHING
- Budget building tailored to treatment costs
- Medical bill negotiation
- Assistance program application and access
- Post-treatment financial recovery planning
- Removes barriers to care completion
FINANCIAL RESILIENCE HANDBOOK & WORKBOOK:
"Start From Zero — Overcome Financial Hardship and Rebuild with Confidence"
- Step-by-step crisis-to-stability guide
- Budget worksheets and financial tools
- Assistance program navigator
- Bill negotiation templates
- 30-page financial and job-training appendix
SIMPLE REFERRAL INTEGRATION
- Any staff member (physician, nurse, social worker, chaplain) can submit referrals in under 2 minutes via online form
- No EMR integration required
- Seamless workflow—minimal operational burden
SYSTEMATIC ASSESSMENT AND MEASUREMENT
- Financial Toxicity Navigator Assessment Form (identifies at-risk patients)
- Denial Prevention Form (systematic review of eligibility, prior auth barriers)
- Navigation Outcomes Form (documents impact across all seven outcomes)
- Quarterly reporting: patients served, assistance identified, adherence improvements, quality-of-life changes, staff & patient satisfaction
CMS-REIMBURSABLE SERVICES
- Principal Illness Navigation codes (CPT codes recognized by CMS as of 2024)
- Billable services support long-term program sustainability
EVIDENCE & ROI
Evidence-Based, Results-Driven
FRED HUTCHINSON CANCER CENTER STUDY (AJMC):
Trained financial navigators helped 4 U.S. hospitals secure $39M in patient financial assistance over 11 years
→ Avoided average of $2.1M/year in write-offs and charity-care losses
→ Clear ROI: investment in navigation pays dividends
UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY MARKEY CANCER CENTER (JCO Oncology Practice):
Patients enrolled in financial navigation program saved average of $2,500 each
→ Largest gains among blood-cancer patients
→ Documented improvement in financial stability
NATIONAL DATA (National Library of Medicine):
→ 56.1% of cancer patients experience financial toxicity
→ Financial stress directly predicts treatment nonadherence
→ Early intervention prevents cascade of delays and complications
CMS RECOGNITION:
→ 2024 Principal Illness Navigation codes now recognize navigation services as billable, reimbursable part of cancer care delivery
→ Pathway to program sustainability through insurance reimbursement
THE FOUNDING PARTNER PILOT
Let’s Build the Future Together
We're inviting 2–3 Houston-area cancer treatment centers to become Founding Partners—helping shape and strengthen this program while gaining first access to its full benefit.
WHY PARTNER EARLY?
✓ First-mover advantage: be part of building the model
✓ Priority pricing: secure favorable terms on expanded partnerships
✓ Data ownership: proven outcomes in YOUR setting become your competitive advantage
✓ Tailored design: we co-develop based on YOUR patients' specific needs
✓ Minimal risk: 60-day pilot before any long-term commitment
THE 60-DAY FOUNDING PARTNER PILOT
Limited to 2–3 partner sites
SCOPE:
- One department or unit (oncology social work, infusion center, navigation team, or other area most impacted by financial distress)
- 2 on-site or virtual introductory workshops (for staff and/or patients)
- Up to 10 hours of 1:1 patient financial coaching
- Digital ecosystem license (handbook, workbook, templates, appendix) for staff use and patient distribution
- Simple referral form integration—no EMR build required
- Documented outcomes: patients served, financial assistance identified, improved adherence metrics, staff & patient feedback
WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR:
- A designated staff champion (social worker, navigator, or chaplain) to coordinate referrals
- Permission to collect de-identified outcome data and (with consent) patient or staff testimonials
- Commitment to a 60-minute pilot debrief to evaluate expansion into full Program or System-Wide Partnership
AFTER THE PILOT:
Founding Partners receive:
- Priority pricing on expanded partnerships
- First right to expand into full Program or System-Wide Partnership
- Full partnership pricing details available on request
NEXT STEPS
Let's Explore This Together
We'd welcome a 20-minute conversation to understand your patients' greatest financial-stress points and explore how a Founding Partner Pilot could fit into your existing care model—with no disruption to clinical workflow.
THREE SIMPLE STEPS:
1. DISCOVERY CALL (20 minutes)
→ Short conversation with your oncology leadership, social work team, navigation program, or community outreach director
→ We learn about your patients' needs and your operational priorities
→ You learn whether partnership is a good fit
2. PILOT DESIGN
→ We tailor the 60-day pilot scope to your unit's referral volume, patient demographics, and greatest points of need
3. LAUNCH
→ Workshops and coaching begin—typically within 2–3 weeks of partnership agreement