A child is diagnosed with cancer every three-and-a-half minutes and only a staggering 4 percent of U.S. federal funding is earmarked for childhood cancer research. That is why Phoenix Children’s Hospital Foundation is asking the Community to Go Gold this September during Pediatric Cancer Awareness Month. With your help this September, we can bring focus to pediatric cancer by painting the town gold.
Phoenix Children’s Hospital Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders is one of the top pediatric Cancer Centers in the country. Last year alone Phoenix Children’s Hospital newly diagnosed 309 patients. Although Phoenix Children’s might be top in the nation for cancer treatment, we have not reached 100 percent survival rate. Until that is reached the hospital will work tirelessly to provide the best treatments and resources available for our sickest patients.
Arizona Benefit Plans and National Benefit Consultants, in partnership with National Benefit Partners, are corporate sponsors of PCH. We want to bring awareness to the amazing care PCH provides the children of Arizona and support their efforts to save more children’s lives. Please join us in GOING GOLD by talking to your clients and prospects about the “Benefits That Benefit Children” campaign which creates a recurring donation to Phoenix Children’s Hospital.
As we bring awareness to the needs of Phoenix Children’s Hospital it’s also a good time to provide awareness of how Critical Illness and Cancer insurance can help families who face cancer and other catastrophic illness.
A critical illness is a life-changing event, not just for the patient, but the entire family. The patient will be out of work for weeks, maybe months. Some medical care will not be covered by insurance and out-of-network and non-covered treatments can be cost prohibitive. Imagine what it must be like to make these decisions for yourself or a family member. Income is likely reduced by 35-50%, even with short-term disability insurance. Most Americans live paycheck to paycheck and can’t afford to be out of work. Approximately 50% of bankruptcies are due to a critical illness. Of those, 75% had health insurance. Many of your clients will need to choose between life-saving care and affordability. Critical Illness insurance provides a lump sum payment to help with expenses at this stressful time. Many policies also offer a mortgage payment rider and a concierge service. The concierge will help guide the patient to an appropriate course of treatment and help optimize outcomes.
I’m sure some people will say “I’m healthy. I don’t need critical illness insurance”. Here’s another interesting fact. 75% of people over 40 will have a critical illness at some point in their life. We all want to be well and get well. None of us want to lose a family member to a critical illness. Thankfully, we live in a time when life-saving medical treatment is available. A Critical Illness policy can help pay for the best treatment available.
The GO GOLD awareness in the community makes this a great time to discuss adding Critical Illness or other policies supporting Phoenix Children’s Hospital to your next enrollment.