Episode Details

This time on Code WACK! What does it take to survive cancer in America? Working multiple jobs during treatment, withdrawing money from your 401K, launching a GoFundMe, or rationing cancer medication because you can't afford the copayment? For Garrina Ross, the answer was all of the above, and then some. Diagnosed with inflammatory breast cancer eight years ago, the Michigan resident soon discovered that fighting for her life also meant fighting to stay financially afloat, despite having what she describes as very good health insurance. Now the founder and executive director of MyBreastFriend, a nonprofit supporting women diagnosed with cancer, Garrina shares how mounting medical bills, financial uncertainty, and a staggering $13,000 monthly medication copayment have affected her life. Why does surviving cancer have to mean a lifetime of debt? Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more! And please keep Code WACK! on the air with a tax-deductible donation.