Abstract LB-36: The Whole Cancer Patient: Addressing the Legal Concerns

Abstract

Abstract ORGANIZATION: The Cancer Legal Resource Center (CLRC) is a national, joint program of the Disability Rights Legal Center and Loyola Law School Los Angeles. The mission of the Disability Rights Legal Center (DRLC) is to champion the rights of people with disabilities through education, advocacy and litigation. The CLRC provides free information and resources on cancer-related legal issues to cancer survivors, caregivers, health care professionals, employers, and others coping with cancer. A cancer diagnosis may carry with it a variety of legal issues, including employment discrimination and taking time off work, insurance coverage, access to health care and government benefits, and estate planning. These legal issues can cause people unnecessary worry, confusion, and stress, and can be overwhelming. When these legal issues are not addressed, people may find that although they have gotten through treatment, they have lost their homes, jobs, or insurance coverage. The Cancer Legal Resource Center addresses these cancer-related legal issues by providing free information and resources to people coping with cancer. The CLRC has a national, toll-free Telephone Assistance Line (866-THE-CLRC) where callers can receive free and confidential information about relevant laws and resources for their particular situation. Members of the CLRC's Professional Panel of volunteer attorneys, insurance agents, and accountants can provide additional assistance. Throughout its 15-year history, the CLRC has served over 310,000 people through the national Telephone Assistance Line, Cancer Rights Conferences, seminars, workshops, education and outreach programs, and other cancer community activities throughout the country. For more information about the CLRC and cancer-related legal issues, visit www.CancerLegalResourceCenter.org. PURPOSE: The cancer community and health care professionals alike have increasingly focused upon the need to provide cancer care for the “whole patient.” This means that care should focus not just on the medical needs, but also on other needs such as the psychological and social concerns of the individual, including legal, employment, insurance, and financial concerns. The CLRC addresses these needs by providing free information and resources on cancer-related legal issues to people with cancer, their families, friends, health care professionals, and others coping with cancer. The CLRC gathered information from cancer patients and caregivers_as well as health care professionals - to examine the common legal issues cancer patients face. METHODS: Between 2009 and 2010, the CLRC surveyed 201 health care professionals about the legal issues facing their clients and patients. The survey asked the professionals about the demographics of the cancer patients they saw and the types of legal questions posed by patients. In addition to the survey, we analyzed data from the calls that we received to our Telephone Assistance Line (TAL) from 2009 through 2011. In 2009, the CLRC received 4,075 calls to the TAL. In 2010, the numbers increased to 4,227. In 2011, the CLRC received 3,985 calls to the TAL. The CLRC analyzes the calls that are received by categorizing each call by legal issue. Each call is labeled by a primary legal issue, and if applicable, a secondary legal issue. Therefore, some calls can span multiple issue areas in the data. FINDINGS: This poster will include graphs depicting the major legal issue areas and the frequency that both professionals and the CLRC were asked about them. The vast majority of health care professionals felt that both an individual's socio-economic status and his or her insurance status created disparities in treatment once there was a diagnosis of cancer. These professionals also felt, on average, that better information, on 16 out of 19 issue areas we asked about, would contribute to fewer disparities in care after a diagnosis. CONCLUSION: In order to successfully care for the whole cancer patient, there is a need to provide legal information and education for patients, caregivers, and health care professionals. Furthermore, access to this information may help to decrease disparities in care arising from an individual's socio-economic and insurance status. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 103rd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2012 Mar 31-Apr 4; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2012;72(8 Suppl):Abstract nr LB-36. doi:1538-7445.AM2012-LB-36