When cancer strikes, the battle isn’t just medical—it’s financial. For many families, insurance covers standard treatments, but it doesn’t always pay for everything. That leaves patients asking: “What if I want to try more? What if I want to explore integrative or supportive care that helps me feel stronger?”
This is where living benefits make all the difference. They give families real power, real choice, and peace of mind during one of life’s toughest journeys.
Even with good insurance, patients still shoulder a surprising share of costs:
Annual out-of-pocket spending for cancer patients often lands between $2,000–$5,000 depending on deductibles and co-pays.
Over two years of treatment, families may pay $15,000–$25,000 or more out-of-pocket on top of what insurance covers.
Add in travel, childcare, hotel stays near treatment centers, and lost wages—and the financial pressure mounts quickly.
For many, that means hard choices: put off treatment, dip into retirement savings, or rack up credit card debt.
More and more patients are seeking treatments that complement traditional medicine or provide additional comfort. These may include:
Advanced therapies like proton beam therapy or immunotherapy, sometimes only partially covered by insurance (average proton therapy costs can exceed $30,000–$50,000 per course).
Integrative clinics at places like MD Anderson, offering acupuncture, nutrition counseling, and mind-body practices.
Wellness and holistic therapies such as specialized diets, IV vitamin drips, or naturopathic support (many patients spend $500–$1,000+ monthly).
Medical cannabis, which patients credit with reducing pain, nausea, and stress. While increasingly accepted, it often requires cash payments where insurance doesn’t cover it.
Trending global options, such as integrative cancer centers in Mexico or Europe, which may run $20,000–$60,000 or more out-of-pocket.
These costs are out of reach for many families — unless they have access to cash.
Living benefits give policyholders the ability to accelerate a portion of their life insurance death benefit—while still living—if they’re diagnosed with a qualifying illness like cancer.
That means:
Up to $1,000,000–$1,500,000 can be accessed, typically income tax-free.
No restrictions on how funds are used (outside of a few state-specific rules).
The freedom to pay for treatment, supportive care, travel, or simply cover the bills that never stop coming.
The choice to accelerate part of the benefit, keeping the rest in place for family protection.
In short: it’s not just insurance—it’s empowerment.
Imagine Samantha, 52, who chooses to pursue standard treatment but also wants to explore supportive options. Her insurance covers surgery and chemo, but she wants to add:
Medical cannabis: $400/month
Acupuncture & integrative therapies: $250/session, twice a month
A specialized nutrition program: $500/month
That’s nearly $15,000 per year in additional care—out-of-pocket. Without living benefits, she’d face stress and sacrifice. With them, she can accelerate part of her policy, pay for these choices confidently, and focus on healing instead of worrying about bills.
Celebrities often highlight the importance of access:
Tom Brokaw shared that his cancer drug costs reached nearly $10,000 per week, and he acknowledged his financial privilege in being able to afford them.
Melissa Etheridge openly discussed how medical cannabis helped her manage side effects during breast cancer treatment, giving her quality of life while she continued standard care.
Their stories remind us that options matter—and living benefits can help ordinary families access the care they believe in, too.
Cancer care is never one-size-fits-all. Families deserve the ability to explore every path—whether it’s standard medicine, supportive therapies, or innovative treatments that bring hope.
Living benefits turn life insurance into more than just a safety net for tomorrow. They give families the peace of mind, flexibility, and resources to live fully and fight bravely today.