{"title":"Patient Advocate Foundation","summary":"National nonprofit offering free one-on-one case management for insurance problems, copays, access to care, living expenses and workplace issues, plus TotalAssist financial aid funds for treatment costs.","body":"Patient Advocate Foundation is a national nonprofit that helps people with serious illness, including cancer, deal with the practical problems around treatment. Its case managers work one-on-one with you to sort out insurance, costs and access.\n\n## What they offer\n\n- Free case management for insurance denials and appeals, copays and access to care.\n- Help with living expenses and workplace issues during treatment.\n- Carelines for specific conditions.\n- TotalAssist financial aid for eligible out-of-pocket costs: medication copays, coinsurance and deductibles, insurance premiums and some treatment-day charges.\n\n## How to join and what it costs\n\nCall or apply online. Case management is free. PAF lists these eligibility rules: a confirmed diagnosis; in treatment, starting within 60 days or finished within the last six months; and U.S. citizen or permanent resident (checked October 23, 2026). PAF and the PAN Foundation merged in 2026. Since July 1, 2026, new financial aid applications and renewals go through TotalAssist, a single program with nearly 150 disease-specific and health equity funds covering cancer and many other conditions. Funds open and close, and you can ask to be notified when a closed fund opens (checked October 24, 2026).\n\n## How it fits with other groups here\n\nThis is the place to go for money and insurance problems rather than medical questions. For lung cancer support, see [LUNGevity](/companies/lungevity/) and [GO2 for Lung Cancer](/companies/go2-for-lung-cancer/). My [find support](/resources/find-support/) guide has more.\n\n## Questions I would ask\n\n- Can you help me appeal an insurance denial for a test or drug?\n- Is any copay or financial aid fund open for my diagnosis right now?\n- What should I gather before my first call?\n\n## Contacts\n\n- Website: [patientadvocate.org](https://www.patientadvocate.org/)\n- Case management: [Case management services](https://www.patientadvocate.org/connect-with-services/case-management-services-and-carelines/)\n- Phone: 800-532-5274\n- Financial aid: [TotalAssist](https://totalassist.org/)\n- TotalAssist phone: 866-512-3861","topics":["expert-support","getting-started"],"capabilities":["patient-support","research-support"],"organizationType":"nonprofit","services":["advocacy","research-navigation"],"communityFocus":["People in cancer treatment","People with chronic illness","Caregivers"],"sources":[{"id":"cm","label":"Case management services and carelines","url":"https://www.patientadvocate.org/connect-with-services/case-management-services-and-carelines/","publisher":"Patient Advocate Foundation","checkedAt":"2026-10-23","supports":"Free one-on-one case management for insurance, copays, access, living expenses and workplace issues; eligibility: confirmed diagnosis, in treatment or starting within 60 days or ended within 6 months, US citizen or permanent resident; 1-800-532-5274 (site returned 503 to automated fetch on Oct 23, 2026; confirmed via search listing).","type":"official"},{"id":"home","label":"Patient Advocate Foundation","url":"https://www.patientadvocate.org/","publisher":"Patient Advocate Foundation","checkedAt":"2026-10-24","supports":"National nonprofit; case management and TotalAssist financial aid funds; phone (800) 532-5274; July 1, 2026 news: PAF launches TotalAssist.","type":"official"},{"id":"merger","label":"Patient Advocate Foundation and PAN Foundation announce merger","url":"https://uniting.patientadvocate.org/news/patient-advocate-foundation-pan-foundation-announce-merger/","publisher":"Patient Advocate Foundation","checkedAt":"2026-10-24","supports":"March 3, 2026 announcement of the merger; combined program TotalAssist to begin enrolling patients in July 2026.","type":"official"},{"id":"story","label":"About our merger: our story","url":"https://uniting.patientadvocate.org/our-story/","publisher":"Patient Advocate Foundation","checkedAt":"2026-10-24","supports":"Timeline: TotalAssist launched in July as a single unified financial assistance program; all new enrollments and renewals from each legacy program are within TotalAssist; legacy grant holders keep access for their 12-month period; integration work continuing.","type":"official"},{"id":"launch","label":"Patient Advocate Foundation launches TotalAssist","url":"https://www.panfoundation.org/patient-advocate-foundation-launches-totalassist-nations-largest-and-most-comprehensive-charitable-patient-assistance-program/","publisher":"Patient Advocate Foundation (PAN Foundation site)","checkedAt":"2026-10-24","supports":"July 1, 2026: following the 2026 merger, TotalAssist launched with nearly 150 disease-specific and health equity funds from cancer to rare and chronic illnesses; covers medication copays, coinsurance, deductibles, premiums, treatment-day office visit and administration charges; phone 866-512-3861.","type":"official"},{"id":"totalassist","label":"TotalAssist","url":"https://totalassist.org/","publisher":"Patient Advocate Foundation","checkedAt":"2026-10-24","supports":"Find your fund by disease or medication; apply online 24/7 or by phone 866-512-3861, Monday to Friday 8:30am to 5:30pm ET; get notified when a closed fund opens; Spanish help.","type":"official"}],"applicability":"For patients facing insurance denials, high costs or other money and access problems during treatment. Inclusion is not a recommendation or a finding that this service is right for your situation.","limitations":"Program details and eligibility are reported by the organization unless noted, as of October 2026. TotalAssist funds open and close as funding changes. Confirm current programs and eligibility directly. Case managers do not give medical or legal advice.","disclosure":{"type":"none","text":"I have no financial or business relationship with Patient Advocate Foundation."},"reviewedAt":"2026-10-24","relatedIds":["656030c7-047a-40e9-b47b-14b19f3fd2bd","d6751647-28f6-42b0-a0de-56b30c69790b"],"assetIds":["42b355fa-2cbb-4c91-9b37-a0befbd6d963","7e8d4587-39ea-40a0-aa6a-1b1d40cf1c7e"],"relatedX":[],"website":"https://www.patientadvocate.org/","serviceStatus":"available","access":{"label":"Case management services","url":"https://www.patientadvocate.org/connect-with-services/case-management-services-and-carelines/"},"regions":["United States"],"facts":[{"label":"Cost","value":"Case management is free (checked October 23, 2026).","sourceIds":["cm"]},{"label":"Eligibility","value":"Confirmed diagnosis; in treatment, starting within 60 days or ended within 6 months; U.S. citizen or permanent resident.","sourceIds":["cm"]},{"label":"Phone","value":"800-532-5274.","sourceIds":["cm"]},{"label":"Financial aid","value":"Since July 1, 2026, new applications go through TotalAssist (nearly 150 funds).","sourceIds":["launch","story","totalassist"]},{"label":"Merger","value":"PAF and the PAN Foundation merged in 2026 (announced March 3, 2026).","sourceIds":["merger","launch"]}],"id":"9626bcca-14a1-465f-a727-413f7285391e","kind":"company","slug":"patient-advocate-foundation","revision":"3d839a6d-d7cb-4ce0-8caa-f3ddf2615725","canonicalUrl":"https://kevinwimer.com/companies/patient-advocate-foundation/","publishedAt":"2026-10-25T03:24:34.854Z","updatedAt":"2026-10-25T03:24:34.854Z","previewOnly":false,"logoAssetId":"42b355fa-2cbb-4c91-9b37-a0befbd6d963","logoBackground":"light","logoSource":{"pageUrl":"https://www.patientadvocate.org/","assetUrl":"https://www.patientadvocate.org/wp-content/uploads/PAF_MainLogoRGB_FINAL.png","checkedAt":"2026-10-25T02:39:21.816Z"},"shareImageAssetId":"7e8d4587-39ea-40a0-aa6a-1b1d40cf1c7e"}