Last spring, Peniquia “Pinky” Russell called PHMC affiliate Linda Creed with a desperate request. She had a lump in her breast that had tripled in size within the span of a month and she was not sure what to do next. “I didn’t have any insurance at the time,” recalls the 29-year-old. “When I first called Linda Creed, they asked me if I had a primary doctor. But because I didn’t have health insurance, I would go to free clinics, but only if I had to, not for routine checkups.” Donna Duncan, executive director of Linda Creed, comes across clients like Russell everyday—women whose status as uninsured and underinsured patients prevents them from receiving regular, much-needed care.

I didn't have any insurance... I would go to free clinics, but only if I had to, Not for routine checkups.”

The new healthcare reform legislation seeks to target these very clients who lack appropriate insurance by extending benefits and, over time, relaxing restrictions that previously prohibited such patients from receiving care. While policymakers continue to explore the effects the new legislation will have on Americans, Linda Creed remains a vital link to screening and diagnostic direct care services for uninsured and underinsured women in the Delaware Valley.

“The passing of the healthcare reform bill will have a major impact on everyone—not just the women whom we serve at Linda Creed, but all the people we serve through PHMC’s programs and health centers,” says Duncan. “However, the effects of the bill will phase in over time. For instance, it could be up to four years before our uninsured clients have access to insurance.” In the meantime, Linda Creed continues to help clients like 54-year-old Patricia Evans, who works part-time and thus does not qualify for health insurance. Thanks to Linda Creed, she was able to receive a mammogram for the first time in years.

Roxanne Stockdale, a stay-at-home mom raising six children with her husband, a small-business owner, is also uninsured. “Our income is such that our children qualify for the State Children’s Health Insurance Program but the program they have for adults isn’t available for us. To pay for it on our own is impossible,” says Stockdale. She called Linda Creed’s toll-free hotline and obtained a free mammogram. When the test showed an abnormal result, Linda Creed arranged for a follow-up biopsy. Says Stockdale, “People can be condescending if you don’t have insurance, but Linda Creed saw our needs.”

The passage of the bill may help meet the needs of clients like Evans and Stockdale. According to Duncan, the legislation’s provision that insurance companies can neither deny coverage to patients with pre-existing conditions nor set lifetime caps on coverage will significantly alter the state of women looking to maintain optimum breast health. It will especially help those women currently undergoing treatment. “If you are a woman with breast cancer, often you have been stuck in the healthcare system. Some insurance companies do not cover pre-existing conditions such as breast cancer, while others have a waiting period for coverage. Therefore, you have to pay out-of-pocket for treatments. I’ve come across women with breast cancer who have gone bankrupt paying for their treatments,” says Duncan.

I’ve come across women with breast cancer who have gone bankrupt paying for their treatments.”

To meet that need, Linda Creed established the Patient Assistance Fund, which provides nonmedical financial assistance to help women fill the gaps that can occur in insurance coverage, as well as other incidental expenses related to recovery. “Most of the women who apply for our Patient Assistance Fund, even if insured, still face financial hardships including co-pays, money for medication and time off from work. Many have difficulty keeping up with living expenses such as rent and utilities,” says Belda Chan, project coordinator at Linda Creed.

Linda Creed client Johanna Madigan worked for six years as a housekeeper at a resort in the Poconos until she was diagnosed with breast cancer. After undergoing a mastectomy, she was unable to work as she continued radiation and then chemotherapy treatments. She moved in with her daughter to reduce her living expenses and reached out to Linda Creed after her savings started to run out. “I had been calling around and I needed some assistance,” says Madigan. “Linda Creed understood my situation and I really appreciate it.”

Duncan notes that although healthcare reform will benefit millions, it still includes co-pays that add up for patients with breast cancer. “Breast cancer is an expensive disease with all the chemotherapy and radiation treatments. The cost can easily run into six figures. Every doctor’s visit, medicine and some tests still require co-pays. There are a lot of out-of-pocket expenses.”

As for Russell, Linda Creed was able to connect her with a healthcare provider, PHMC’s Rising Sun Health Center, where she learned her cancer was growing quickly and that she needed a mastectomy immediately. Linda Creed found her a breast cancer surgeon at a local hospital partner and she is currently in recovery and undergoing follow-up radiation treatments. As the recent legislation continues to expand coverage to patients such as Russell, public health partners such as Linda Creed and PHMC’s other programs continue to provide much-needed support and care.

For more information about Linda Creed, visit LINDACREED.ORG or call toll-free 1.877.99.CREED.