How Triage Cancer Can Help on a Health Journey

When you or a loved one is diagnosed with cancer, it can be an overwhelming time with so many questions.

Triage Cancer is a national, nonprofit organization that provides free education on the legal and practical issues that may impact individuals diagnosed with cancer, and their caregivers, through events, materials, and resources. Their vision is a world where everyone has access to information and resources needed to find their best path forward.

CaringBridge recently sat down with CEO Joanna Fawzy Morales to discuss the legal side of a cancer diagnosis, and how Triage Cancer can help.

Almost everything. From whether a treatment is approved by the FDA, to whether your insurance has to cover that treatment, to whether you can take time off work to get that treatment and not lose your job and health insurance. These are all legal issues. We just don’t often think of them as such. But they are rooted in the law, and there are laws that may protect you. At Triage Cancer we talk about the laws that apply to someone’s situation, and the options and programs that they might have access to, relevant to anyone with a serious medical condition, or just everyone—understanding your health insurance options, how to manage medical bills, and making sure that you plan ahead to have documents in place.

What are the most common topics that come up for someone diagnosed with a serious medical condition? 

The most common topics are around how to manage work, insurance and finances, for individuals with a serious medical condition and also for family members and family caregivers.

“[Triage Cancer] has been a blessing. [They] have motivated me to take the next step.”

Individual diagnosed with cancer

What is an example of how Triage Cancer has helped someone on a health journey?

Recently, an individual from California diagnosed with lung cancer contacted us because she was concerned about how to balance work and cancer. She shared that she loves her job and would like to continue working, but that it is a very demanding position and her doctors have already suggested that she’ll need to quit or at least reduce her hours. She is still waiting to learn about her treatment options.

We spoke at length with the individual and her husband. We were able to explain reasonable accommodations and protection from discrimination under the Americans with Disabilities Act, as well as how to use the Family and Medical Leave Act. We were also able to address misunderstandings the individual and her husband had about these laws—for example, the idea that once an employer knows you have cancer, it is impossible to fire you.

We were also able to address questions about her privacy concerns and whether and when she is obligated to share certain information about her diagnosis with her employer. Additionally, we also provided information about disability insurance and health insurance that may become relevant to her.

At the end of the call, she let us know how grateful she was for the information. “I’m so glad to have talked to you…I would never ever have thought of [some of the options provided]… this is super, super helpful. It is so nice to have someone who knows the practical tips!” She shared that she felt less rushed to tell her employer about her situation, and had actionable steps to take for both exploring her employer-specific policies and speaking with her healthcare providers.

Does Triage Cancer have resources available on their website?

We offer free events, materials and resources that take lots of different formats based on how you like to learn and how much time you have.

Take a look at these articles to get you started on all that you can learn with Triage Cancer:

We also offer regular webinars that are all available on our website. Join us for our upcoming webinar, Medical Bills: Tips, Taxes, Appeals & Financial Help, on March 22, 2023. More information and registration is available here.