New York Office | 546 Fifth Ave, 4th Floor | New York, NY 10036
Contact the Law Firm of Belluck & Fox Now 888.690.0887

Help for Mesothelioma Victims and Families

Coping with the diagnosis and paying the medical bills

Mesothelioma is a costly disease. It inflicts devastating physical and emotional pain and major financial hardships on its victims and their families. Mesothelioma diagnosis and treatment are expensive, and sometimes patients must travel long distances to get help from experts. It can easily cost hundreds of thousands of dollars and consume a family’s life savings. Fortunately, there are some resources available to help mesothelioma victims and their families.

Government assistance for mesothelioma patients

Because mesothelioma has such a long latency period, many people do not come down with the disease until later in life, often when they are retired. The Medicare program provides some coverage for people over the age of 65. If your financial resources are limited, you may also qualify for assistance from Medicaid. And if the illness comes at a time when you are still working, you may be able to receive Social Security disability benefits for living expenses while you are being treated and for your dependents after your death.

Special government assistance for mesothelioma patients who contracted the disease as a result of their service in the U.S. Navy are administered through the U.S. Veterans Administration (VA). To qualify for these veterans benefits, you must have been honorably discharged and you must prove that you were exposed to asbestos fibers during your military service. Surviving spouses and dependent children may also qualify for monthly VA Dependency and Indemnity Compensation.

Mesothelioma clinical trials

  • Prevention trials—If you have been exposed to asbestos and are considered at risk for mesothelioma, these trials may test medications or other treatments designed to keep you from developing the disease.
  • Screening trials—These involve testing of tools and procedures designed to find mesothelioma before it causes symptoms, as early detection offers the best chance for effective treatment.
  • Diagnostic trials—Here people with signs or symptoms of mesothelioma are tested to determine what procedures could be used to diagnose the disease more accurately.
  • Treatment trials—For patients who have active mesothelioma, these clinical trials evaluate the standard treatments already in use and test treatments such as new cancer drugs or immunotherapies.
  • Quality of life trials—For patients suffering from the effects of mesothelioma or its treatment, these trials look for ways to improve comfort and quality of life.

Mesothelioma clinical trials are usually led by physicians who specialize in the disease and who are very well informed about all of the most up-to-date research on mesothelioma. Clinical trials may offer you the best available treatment as well as the opportunity to receive new, potentially more effective therapies.

Help from an asbestos disease awareness organization

Organizations including the National Cancer Institute, the American Cancer Society, and the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization also provide websites and other information to support mesothelioma victims and their families.