Patient treatment fund terms & conditions

Revised 16 July 2018

The Rare Cancers Australia (RCA) “Patient Treatment Fund” (PTF) is an initiative to help Australian cancer patients pay for their cancer treatments and other expenses which are a direct consequence of cancer. The only treatments covered by the Patient Treatment Fund are those which have been recommended or prescribed by a qualified practising clinician. Requests for other (non-treatment) assistance must be demonstrably linked to the diagnosis of cancer. Grants will be made only for the payment of direct expenses or for re-imbursement of expenses previously incurred.

The PTF does not provide financial support to patients or families other than to assist with cancer treatment and associated expenses. 

General Conditions

The following conditions apply to all patients supported by the PTF and any payments made in assistance of patients’ treatment and related expenses:

1. Patients must be referred to the PTF by their clinician and only treatments recommended by a clinician in writing will be funded.
2. Funds will, where possible, be paid directly to those entities supplying medicines or other treatments to the patient and will not be paid to the patient. Exceptions to this may include reimbursement for previously incurred expenditure relating to cancer treatment.
3. Participation will be restricted to patients with rare or less common cancers.
4. The RCA Board shall, in it’s discretion, determine each applicant’s eligibility to participate in the PTF.
5. All donations to the fund will attract an administration fee of 6% that will go to bank fees, credit card fees, web hosting fees and other administration costs.
6. Patients may be requested from time to time to assist promotion of the PTF with media participation. Such participation is optional.
7. Patients will be encouraged to consult with RCA’s financial advisory team to better understand how they might realise existing assets or policies in support of their treatment.
8. RCA reserves the right to deny a request made to the PTF for any reason in its sole discretion.

Specific Patient Support Program Conditions

Where a patient has a supporter page established on the RCA website, the following conditions will apply:

1. All monies pledged through the supporter page are donations to Rare Cancers Australia Ltd (RCA).
2. The board of RCA will determine, in its sole discretion, how these funds will be dispersed but will, as a matter of course, take into account the wishes of the donors as expressed on the supporter page.
3. If for any reason, the funds pledged through any particular supporter page are not able to be disbursed to the benefit of a nominated patient then those funds will be subsequently used to support other patients being assisted through the PTF.
4. A copy of these terms appear on the RCA web pages and donors are required to acknowledge acceptance of these terms prior to making a donation through a supporter page.

Approved Payment Areas

Funds raised through the PTF can only be used for the following cancer treatments and related expenses:

• Medicines as prescribed by patients’ cancer clinician including, but not limited to chemotherapy, targeted medicines, immunotherapy, anti-nausea medication that are not reimbursed through the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme.
• Surgical Procedures and associated out of pocket costs
• Radiotherapy procedures and associated costs
• Travel and Accommodation costs associated with the provision of patient care and treatment
• Expenses related to the provision of care, for example, nursing costs associated with in-home care
• Counselling or other psychological therapy 
• Genetic or molecular testing
• Direct end of life expenses (e.g. Hospice, Funeral)