Get Help
You are not alone.
If you are facing cancer in Central Texas, there is somebody here to help with the cost of it. No fee, no catch, and a real person on the other end. Start by telling us what you are facing.
Let's Get You Qualified
Start here before the application
If these sound like your situation, the next step is to send the application or call the office. You do not have to be certain before you apply — this is only a quick way to see whether CCA may be a fit.
- You live in McLennan County or the surrounding Central Texas area
- You are facing cancer treatment, recovery, or ongoing cancer-related costs
- You need help with prescriptions, co-pays, medical supplies, nutritional supplements, wigs, or treatment travel
- You are comfortable sharing basic household, medical, and financial information so Terry can review your situation
How We Help
Three programs, and one open invitation
We want to ease the financial burden of cancer patients so you can focus on the medical part, the healing part, as well as the emotional part — because the families are all affected with it.
Program 1 · Prescriptions
Survivorship
The biggest thing we do is buy medication. Meds are the number one thing we do — but they are the start of the relationship, not the whole of it.
- Outpatient cancer drugs
- Medicine for the effects of treatment
- Pain control and symptom management
- Prescription co-pays
Program 2 · Supplies
Disease Maintenance
Managing the disease, not just the symptoms. These are the day-to-day items treatment makes necessary and insurance often will not cover.
- Nutritional supplements — Ensure, Boost, Jevity, Glucerna
- Wigs
- Bras and breast forms
- Ostomy and mastectomy supplies
- Compression garments
- Wound care items
Program 3 · Getting there
Access to Care
Helping you get to your appointments. Distance should never be the reason a treatment is missed — including when care means driving out of the area.
- Necessary medical travel, including out-of-area treatment centers such as MD Anderson
- Gas cards
- Bus passes
- Transportation to treatments, consultations, and appointments
Something not on the list?
If there are any financial concerns regarding an aspect of your treatment, please reach out and let us know how we can help.
“It's hard to express the many ways you have made a difference in our lives. Thank you for keeping me alive.”
After the Bell
We don't forget about you after you ring the bell.
Our job is to help you get to ringing the bell — and to continue to thrive after. The costs of cancer rarely stop the day the treatment does.
Chemo and radiation end. The journey does not.
Ringing the bell is the milestone, not the finish line. CCA stays with you afterwards, for as long as the costs keep coming.
Hormonal therapy can run five to eight years
Long after active treatment stops, the prescriptions often continue. Those refills are still cancer costs, and we still help with them.
Supplies that are needed for years
Breast cancer patients may need specialized bras and breast forms long after treatment. Hair takes about six months to grow back — a three-month course of treatment can mean six more months without it.
If it comes back, we are still here
Relapses happen. Multiple myeloma, skin cancers, and lip cancers can all return later. Coming back to CCA is not starting over.
Wait — This Is A Thing?
Yes. And it is available to you.
Most people have never heard of an organization that simply pays for this. Here is exactly what you are dealing with.
It costs nothing to ask
There is no fee to apply and no fee for assistance. CCA pays approved vendors directly — we are not a loan and there is nothing to pay back.
It is a real local organization
CCA is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit and a United Way agency, based at 2911 Herring Ave. in Waco, serving McLennan County and Central Texas since 1959.
You speak to a person, not a call center
The staff is one person — Terry Hunt, the Executive Director. He reads what you send and he is who you talk to.
Your information stays private
Medical and financial details are used only to work out how CCA can help and to coordinate with your pharmacy, provider, or vendor. Nothing is sold or shared beyond that.
Common Questions
The Things People Ask First
Is this really free? What is the catch?
There is no catch and no cost. CCA is a non-profit funded by donations from people and businesses in Central Texas. We do not charge for applying, and assistance is not a loan.
Who qualifies for help?
Eligibility is based on your diagnosis, where you live, and financial need. Clients may need to requalify once a year. Final decisions are made by the Executive Director, and requirements can change as funding changes.
How much can CCA cover?
That depends on the funds available and the monthly limits in place at the time, which step down over the years you are with us. The exact figures are set out in the Terms of Service you sign when you apply.
Does CCA pay me, or pay the pharmacy?
We pay approved vendors directly rather than reimbursing you, unless something different is agreed in advance. The vendor confirms with us before releasing the item, so allow a little time.
I have insurance. Can CCA still help?
Often, yes. CCA helps with the costs insurance leaves behind — co-pays, supplements, supplies, and travel. We will not pay for something another organization is already covering for you.
Is CCA the American Cancer Society?
No. It is not the American Cancer Society, where they do research and education. We actually offer tangible financial support to individual patients here in Central Texas.
What if I cannot fill in a form online?
Call (254) 202-8082 or email info@wacocancer.org and we will take it from there. The office is small, so an appointment is strongly recommended if you would like to come in.
What happens after I apply?
Terry reviews your application personally and gets in touch, normally within one to two business days, to talk through what CCA can cover in your situation.
Let's work out what we can cover
Start with the quick qualification check, then apply online in one sitting or call and we will fill it in together. Either way, Terry reads it himself.