Financial help before, during, and after your child’s epilepsy surgery

Raising a child with complex medical needs can bring various challenges, including financial burdens. You may have to pay for doctor’s visits, hospital stays, medications, and more. While you are struggling to care for your child, you should not have to struggle to pay the bills.

Fortunately, numerous financial resources are available to support individuals and families in managing the costs associated with caring for medically complex children while also addressing your family’s needs. 

Today, we provide an updated list of resources and organizations to help you with your financial needs.

Please note that we are providing these resources for informational purposes only. We cannot verify these programs; check out any organization carefully before sharing personal information.

Before you start

• Talk to your child’s doctor or the hospital’s social worker. The hospital may be able to connect you to charity programs affiliated with the hospital. Your child may qualify for a clinical trial. Most hospitals have a payment plan option if your bills are unmanageable.
• Contact your state or local social service agencies to learn about helpful programs in your area.
• Look through this excellent resource tool, the Patient Advocate Foundation’s National Financial Resource Directory. 
• See our previous blog post on prescription medication and copayment assistance: Patient Assistance Programs.

Our new guide

We’re pleased to include our newest resource, Quick Guide: Financial And Medical Resources For Families, a detailed guide containing resources on:

• transportation and medical travel help
• grants and scholarships for medical and therapy expenses, equipment, and camps
• emergency financial needs
• respite supports
• federal benefits
• funding for medical costs, therapies, equipment, camps 
• additional resources

Some essential resources include:

• The Neurology Social Services Network is our new partnership with Child Neurology Foundation and Unite Us. By entering your needs on the intake form, you can be matched with needed resources and services near you (note that services are unavailable in some areas).

• Our Dreams for Danny Surgical Evaluation Travel Scholarship provides financial assistance to families seeking surgical evaluation for their child. This scholarship aims to alleviate the financial burden associated with travel expenses, enabling families to access specialized evaluation centers. To learn more about this scholarship and the application process, visit: https://epilepsysurgeryalliance.org/about/parent-and-caregiver-resources/dreams-for-danny-surgical-evaluation-travel-scholarship/

• The Pediatric Epilepsy Surgery Alliance offers an extensive resource guide called The (Almost) Everything List, which provides comprehensive information and support for families of children on the epilepsy surgery journey. This guide contains a wealth of information, including the listed resources in this guide and much more. 

• The Child Neurology Foundation’s Digital Access Program provides laptops and hotspots to families with a child living with a neurologic condition to ensure connectivity and access to essential services.  These resources ensure that families can stay connected for various purposes, including telehealth visits, school-related activities, learning games, and more. Parents and caregivers can also use the provided laptops and hotspots for job-related activities, staying in touch with family and friends, and other essential tasks. To apply for this program, interested individuals can fill out the application form available at: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/CNFDigitalAccess2023

• The HealthWell Foundation is a non-profit organization that provides financial assistance to individuals who cannot afford their medical expenses. They offer grants to eligible individuals to assist with the cost of epilepsy medications, insurance premiums, and other healthcare-related expenses. To apply for assistance, visit their website at www.healthwellfoundation.org and navigate to their “Apply for a Grant” section.

• NeedyMeds is an online resource that provides information on various patient assistance programs, discount coupons, and resources to help individuals afford their medications. They offer a comprehensive database of available programs and guide eligibility criteria and application processes. Visit their website at www.needymeds.org to explore their available resources.

• The Epilepsy Foundation offers financial assistance programs to help individuals with epilepsy manage the costs associated with their condition. They provide grants and scholarships for medication and treatment-related expenses and educational scholarships for students with epilepsy. Visit their website at www.epilepsy.com to learn more about their available programs and application processes.

Remember to explore each program’s eligibility criteria and application process to determine the best fit for your needs. Reach out to the respective organizations for further information and assistance. Take advantage of these resources to help ease the financial strain.