Donate to Vakkas

How does it work?

Eligible patients can register at Vakkas.org and send the additional required documentation to be considered for eligibility. Approved patients will be posted online. Please see the Patient Eligibility Requirements and Terms of Use.

 

Contributors donate to VAKKAS in honor of patients or for specific disease-related criteria. Donations are sent by VAKKAS to the approved patients’ hospital accounts for their outstanding hospital balances.

 

Pharmaceutical companies can donate medication coupons to VAKKAS, which will send them to the hospitals where approved patients receive treatment.

 

Hospitals and Pharmaceutical companies can donate to VAKKAS in honor of patients or for specific disease-related criteria; and they can also donate in-kind, such as clinical treatment and trial programs and psycho-social therapies.

 

VAKKAS does not charge any fees or commission for its services. It does not take any percentage off of donations.

 

The only cuts will be the fees charged by financial intermediaries like Paypal, possible bank transaction fees and any other financial / accounting or other service intermediaries that may charge fees.

 

Patients:

Cancer patients or patients with other catastrophic illnesses who cannot afford to pay for their hospital bills for treatment at qualified hospitals in the United States can register online at Vakkas.org. You must also provide the additional documentation to be considered for eligibility to become patient profiles at VAKKAS Site.

Additional documentation that must be submitted to VAKKAS P.O. Box 8313 Princeton, NJ 08543:

1. A copy of the outstanding hospital balance after all insurance, gifts and charities are taken into account, which can be obtained from the Billing Department or the Financial Counselor in your hospital

2. A copy of the determination letter by the treating 501(c)(3) hospital as required by the Patient Financial Assistance Policy.

3. If you receive your treatment at a non 501(c)(3) United States Hospital, you will have to submit, in addition to the item under (1) above, a written and signed document from the Billing Department of your hospital that you are charged Medicare rates for your treatment.

4. If you have a catastrophic illness other than cancer, you will have to submit a written and signed document from your main hospital physician that you are diagnosed with a “catastrophic illness.”

The amount stated in your hospital billing statement that you submit to VAKKAS as required under item (1) above must match the amount indicated on your online registration at vakkas.org.

Once your registration is approved, this amount cannot be changed even if and when additional cost is incurred for additional treatment you may need after you register at Vakkas.org

The Patient puts the following information when he/she registers at Vakkas.org:

 

Name*: _______________________________________

Email*: _______________________________________

Phone number*: _______________________________________

Date of birth: _______________________________________

Country of origin: _______________________________________

Alumnus of University/ College: ____________________________

Gender: ___F                       ___M

Diagnosis: _______________________________________

Stage (if applicable): _____________________________________

Date of Start of Clinical Treatment: _______________________________________

Hospital (name and location) where treatment takes place: ___________________________________

Outstanding Hospital Bill: _______________________________________

Psycho-social therapy Yes or No: (if Yes, could be eligible to receive up to $600,00 in donations toward psycho-social therapy or free-of-charge therapy session donations by recognized medical institutions or providers)______________________________________

Are you open to clinical trials? ___Yes    ___No....

List of medications most urgently needed and not covered by insurance: _______________________________________

_______________________________________

 

Photo/ Tweet of the Patient: --------

Photo/ Tweet of the Hospital: --------

Patients must consent to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy to register and be eligible to benefit from VAKKAS’ services.

 

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

 

Q1. What is VAKKAS?

VAKKAS is an online platform of crowdfunding charity for the financial implications for the treatment of cancer and other catastrophic illnesses as certified by qualified hospitals in the United States and determined by VAKKAS. It enables anyone to donate to directly fund clinical treatments for financially eligible patients receiving treatment in hospitals in the United States. VAKKAS is a registered U.S. tax-exempt 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.

 

Q2. Why cancer? What about other equally catastrophic diseases?

Cancer patients and patients with catastrophic illnesses receiving clinical treatment at qualified U.S. Hospitals, and who lack adequate insurance coverage are eligible to apply to VAKKAS. We believe that patients with cancer and other catastrophic illnesses should only worry about fighting the disease and getting better, not their finances. The problem of not having adequate insurance coverage often leads patients with catastrophic diseases to make unhealthy decisions  such as not getting the necessary treatment. Many become bankrupt even though their cancer or other catastrophic illness goes into remission. Some are denied treatment because they do not have the proper insurance coverage.

 

VAKKAS aims to serve as a clearinghouse for these patients to find the needed treatment without financial worries.

 

Q3. If there is universal health coverage ensured by the Affordable Care Act, why donate?

Even with the increased coverage ensured by the Affordable Care Act, treatment of cancer and other catastrophic diseases is still very costly and unaffordable by many patients with financial needs. In 2014, cancer patients were still 2.65 times more likely to declare bankruptcy.[1] About 64 million Americans struggled to pay medical bills in 2014.  38 million – or 59 percent – of the 64 million were insured the whole year.[2] 1 in 3 Americans had MEDICAL DEBT in 2014, and 70% of them were insured.[3] Insured patients can face large bills when they must see doctors out of their network or the expensive medications they need to survive are only partially covered by their plan.[4]

 

Q4. What does VAKKAS mean?

Dr. Blind lost her father to multiple myeloma in February 2006, after an arduous battle of three years of treatment. This journey taught her that cancer is inhumane not only physically but also financially. After her father passed away, Dr. Blind's attempts to donate to a young male patient with a diagnosis similar to her father's proved very hard to realize. This experience led to the birth of VAKKAS, which is her father’s middle name.

 

Q5. How does VAKKAS fund its day-to-day operations?

100% (minus the commission charged by PayPal and possibly other financial and administrative intermediaries as needed) of every donation made through VAKKAS directly funds medical treatment for the person in need you choose or the cause(s) you indicate, and is sent by VAKKAS, in honor of that person to the patient's hospital account for his/her outstanding hospital balance for clinical treatment. We cover our overhead separately through self-funding, grants, private donors, foundations, and corporations. We are a completely volunteer-run organization. Nobody gets paid at VAKKAS.

 

Q6. Does VAKKAS plan to become financially sustainable?

Yes. Financial sustainability is very important to us. We will never take a cut of donations made in honor of patients. Despite being a new organization, we are already implementing various activities to raise organizational funds, including asking donors for an additional contribution to VAKKAS when donating in honor of  a patient or toward a cause.

 

Q7. Can I see your financial statements?

VAKKAS makes all financial statements and associated formation documents available to the public upon request. We are a completely volunteer-run organization. Nobody gets paid at VAKKAS. If you have any questions, please email us at information@vakkas.org.

 

Q8. Is there a charge to use VAKKAS?

VAKKAS does not charge any fees for its services and does not take off any portions of tax-deductible donations toward patients and/or cancer/catastrophic illness-related causes. The only deduction from donations are the fees charged by PayPal and other financial and administrative intermediaries that VAKKAS may use to provide its charitable services.

 

Any financial and other intermediary that charges fees to VAKKAS for the processing of donations will be made public on the website.

 

Q9. Who is eligible for VAKKAS funding? What are the required documents for patients to be eligible to register on VAKKAS?

 

Only financial aid eligible patients can register at Vakkas.org and they can only ask for donations toward their outstanding hospital balances after all insurance and gifts have been taken into account.

 

Cancer patients receiving treatment at 501(c)(3) hospitals in the United States and who can provide a copy of

1. their approved financial eligibility as result of the Patient Financial Assistance Policy process and requirements of the Affordable Care Act, and

2. a copy of their hospital bill showing an outstanding balance after all insurance and gifts have been taken into account, are eligible to register with VAKKAS for a chance to be matched with philanthropist contributors.

 

If a cancer patient satisfying the above requirements receives treatment at a non 501(c)(3) Hospital, he/she should submit, in addition to the documents stated above, a written and signed note from their non 501(c)(3) hospital's billing department stating that they are being charged Medicare rates for their treatment.

 

Patients diagnosed with a catastrophic illness other than cancer must submit, in addition to the above-stated documents, a written and signed note by their primary hospital physician that they are diagnosed with and undergoing clinical treatment for a "catastrophic illness."

 

All required documents can be submitted to VAKKAS, P.O. Box 8313, Princeton, NJ 08543.

 

Q10. Who decides which patients receive VAKKAS funding?

When patients register at Vakkas.org and send us the required documentation (as described above), VAKKAS verifies whether all criteria have been met. We cannot see and evaluate patients ourselves. Donations made in honor of qualified patients whose profiles appear on the website are sent directly to the patients’ hospital account and not to the patients.

 

At any point, we may have more patient profiles than we can fund. No patient or disease is more important than another. We are committed to posting patient profiles on a first come first served basis.

 

Contributors to VAKKAS can also donate to VAKKAS in honor of specific illnesses and other illness-related criteria. With regards to donations made in honor of specific illness-related causes and other donations made in honor of patients, VAKKAS will have full control and discretion over the contribution, and will not be not bound by a commitment or "understanding" that the contribution will benefit a designated individual. VAKKAS, however, will take into full consideration the advice of the contributors in helping those patients with financial needs.

 

Q11. What does the cost of cancer / catastrophic illness care include?

Donations are only for clinical cancer treatment or the treatment of catastrophic illnesses as corroborated by the hospital physician at recognized United States hospitals. They are not for out-of-pocket travel, food and other non-medical expenses of patients. They are not for non-hospital expenses of treatments that may or may not be related to the cancer or other qualified catastrophic illness.

 

Q12. Who decides which illness is catastrophic and which is not?

A catastrophic illness is defined as severe illness requiring prolonged hospitalization or recovery; usually involving high costs for hospitals and doctors and medicines. A written and signed note attesting that the patient is diagnosed with and treated for a “catastrophic illness” is required as proof.

 

Q13. What if a profile is not funded?

Profiles are posted on VAKKAS until they are fully funded. If a profile receives no funding for 60 days after first posting, VAKKAS reserves the right to verify with the patient his/her status. VAKKAS does not fund patients. It is only an open platform of public charity for crowdfunding.

 

Q14. How do I know that treatment will be successful?

We do not. The goal is to ensure that patients who are financially vulnerable are able to focus on their treatment only, while philanthropists donate toward the cost of their hospital treatment that they cannot afford. Patients are strongly encouraged by VAKKAS to post thank you notes after donations reach their hospital accounts.

 

Q15. What if a patient passes away or decides against funded treatment at the last minute?

It is possible that a patient passes away or decides against treatment before receiving a treatment funded by VAKKAS. In this case, VAKKAS will reallocate the donation toward another VAKKAS patient profile, and will notify the contributor. If a patient passes away after receiving a treatment funded by VAKKAS, VAKKAS will reallocate the remaining unused donation toward another VAKKAS patient after being notified by the hospital about the passing of the patient and the amount of the unused donation. Concerned VAKKAS contributors will receive an update notifying them.

 

Q16. What is VAKKAS's Privacy Policy?

You can find our Privacy Policy at www.vakkas.org/privacy. We take privacy very seriously. It's important to us that every patient and user registered with VAKKAS understands what VAKKAS is and how it works. We never share information with anyone. We do not post email or contact information. If a patient or any other user doesn't wish to be featured on the website, we give them the option to have their profile "private." A private profile is one where there is no photo and no name. Only the registration information, if and when disclosed by the user (diagnosis, gender, etc.), will be made public with the aim of increasing the chances of finding matching contributions. By using VAKKAS as a guest and by creating an account, you agree to abide by its Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.

 

Q17. How much do treatments cost?

There is no way to predict the cost of any treatment as every patient and every disease is unique. Also different are the financial needs of patients depending on their coverage and individual situations. VAKKAS does not compare nor does it support a comparison of cost of treatments across patients, diseases, hospitals or any other variable.

 

Q18. What is the clinical treatment and trial component of VAKKAS?

If patients indicate on their registration form their willingness to receive information and offers on clinical trials, hospitals and pharmaceutical companies can contact VAKKAS for the possibility of having the relevant patients contact them, and not the other way around. Clinical treatment and trial programs are donations to the accepting patients because they are provided by the offering institution at no cost to them. In the case of a successful match, the patient must post thank you notes on the VAKKAS website.

 

Q19. What is the Pharma component of VAKKAS?

Medications needed by cancer patients and patients with other catastrophic illnesses can be very costly, and often, they are not entirely covered by insurance. Profiles have the option to list their needed medications that they cannot afford. Pharmaceutical companies can donate medication coupons in bulk for the needed medications and VAKKAS will distribute the coupons to the requesting profiles on a first come first served basis.

 

Q20. Do I have to register to use VAKKAS?

If you are a patient, you must register with VAKKAS, submit the required documentation (See Q19) and create a profile. If approved, your profile will be displayed on the Site.

 

If you are a hospital, the social worker/oncology can register or use VAKKAS as a guest.

 

Pharmaceutical companies and philanthropist donors can register with VAKKAS. They may also use VAKKAS as a guest, if they wish.

 

If interested in exploring donating clinical treatment or trial programs, hospitals / pharmaceutical companies must register with VAKKAS.

 

If using the VAKKAS website as a guest, you will not be able to benefit from VAKKAS statistics services that keep track of donations.

 

Q21. Do you use cookies?

No, the VAKKAS website does not use cookies.

 

Q22. What is the relation between VAKKAS and Pharmaceutical Companies and

Hospitals?

VAKKAS is an independent non-profit corporation. As a public charity, it does not have, and does not profess to forge, any formal or informal relationship with pharmaceutical companies or hospitals. The latter may choose to use VAKKAS to increase their social corporate responsibility and philanthropic donation activities by donating medication coupons and/or clinical treatment or trial programs to VAKKAS.

 

 

Q23. How does VAKKAS reach out to CONTRIBUTORS?

VAKKAS uses online ads and search engine optimization, and utilizes other conventional fundraising through networking, phone and email communication to increase the tax-deductible donations to help relieve the financial stress born by eligible and qualified patients.

 

Q24.How many qualified patients does VAKKAS provide its charitable services to?

VAKKAS does so only to keep within the limits of its limited administrative, financial and technical resources. We hope to increase our charitable support of eligible patients as our organization is able to receive grants, increase its donor base and strengthen its administrative and operational structure and experience.

 

VAKKAS PATIENT PROFILES

Q25. I have cancer. How can VAKKAS help me?

If you have a verification letter from your 501(c)(3) hospital about your financial eligibility status, you can register at VAKKAS.org to be a potential recipient of tax-deductible donations toward the cost of your cancer / catastrophic illness  treatment hospital bills. Donations, if found, will be sent by VAKKAS to your hospital account.

 

If you are treated at a non 501(c)(3) hospital, you must submit an additional written and signed note by your hospital's billing department that you are being charged Medicare-rates for your treatment (See Q9).

 

Q26. I have another disease. Not cancer. Can I register with VAKKAS?

If your hospital physician can provide a written and signed note that you are diagnosed with and are being treated with a "catastrophic illness," you might be eligible provided that all other required documentation is satisfactorily submitted (See Q9) and VAKKAS has the administrative means to accept your application.

 

Q27. Can my caregiver/social worker/legal representative register me with VAKKAS?

If you are not physically and/or mentally capable of registering at VAKKAS.org, you may delegate the registration to your caregiver or your social worker. This must be stated on your registration form. If you are under 18, your legal representative must register on your behalf.

 

Q28. Are there required documents in addition to the online registration form to create a Patient Profile at Vakkas.org? (See Q9)

 

Yes. In addition to the online registration form, you must send us a copy of your (i) financial aid eligibility approval letter which you received when you applied for financial aid at your 501(c)(3) hospital (Patient Financial Assistance Program); and (ii) hospital billing statement showing your diagnosis and the amount that you cannot afford to pay after all insurance and gifts are taken into account—which can be obtained from the Billing Department of your hospital.

 

If you are diagnosed with and are being treated with a "catastrophic illness" other than cancer, you must also submit a written and signed note by your primary hospital physician that you are diagnosed with and are being treated for a "catastrophic illness."

 

If you receive treatment at a non 501(c)(3) hospital, you must also submit a written and signed statement from your hospital's billing department that you are being charged Medicare rates for your treatment.

 

You can send your documents to VAKKAS, P.O. Box 8313, Princeton, NJ 08543.

 

Q29. I want to use VAKKAS but I do not have my financial eligibility verification. What should I do?

You must obtain a verification letter or statement of your financial eligibility from your hospital (See Q9 and Q28). VAKKAS cannot accept registration of patients whose financial eligibility is not verified.

 

Q30. I have financial verification from an organization other than my hospital. Does that count?

You must provide the name of the institution and the title and the name of the signing person, as well as the name of your social worker / oncology nurse of your treating hospital, who should also sign your verification statement. The final decision will be made by VAKKAS, in its sole discretion.

 

Q31. I made a mistake when I registered at VAKKAS.org. Can I correct it?

Please contact us via email and we'll do our best to assist you to resolve your issue. Once a registration has been completed, the stated hospital bills, medication details and your choice for social therapy support cannot be changed.

 

Q32. I have registered and sent my required documents to VAKKAS but I still do not appear on the website. When can I be approved?

VAKKAS approves and posts patient profiles on its website in line with its administrative, financial and operational capacity. As our resources grow and we are able to successfully match patient profiles with philanthropic contributors, we are hoping to expand and accelerate our patient population who need charitable help.

 

Q33. My hospital bills increased since the time I registered with VAKKAS. What should I do?

Once you register and state your hospital bill that you cannot afford, you cannot make changes to it. After matching contributions are donated to cover your entire stated hospital bill, and you still need help because of a new treatment, you can start a new application to be considered again as a VAKKAS patient profile. You cannot create a second account until your first donation request has been fully matched. You must provide an explanation in the message box if registering with VAKKAS for a second time.

 

Q34. I am now in remission but still have an outstanding hospital bill for my recent treatment at my hospital. Am I eligible?

Yes, your previous outstanding hospital bills for your prior cancer / catastrophic illness treatment are eligible provided that you satisfy the patient eligibility requirements, submit the required documentation, and comply with the VAKKAS Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

 

Q35. I have been matched fully with a contributor. But now I have another cancer / catastrophic illness related treatment. Can I re-register?

Yes, you can re-apply to be considered as a VAKKAS patient profile a second time once and after you have been matched with a donor for the full amount of your cancer / catastrophic illness treatment cost that you stated when you first applied.

 

Q36. I have been donated psycho-social support. Can I ask my hospital to use this money for another purpose?

No, psycho-social donations are solely for the purpose of your stated need for psycho-social therapy. If you no longer need psycho-social therapy, please contact VAKKAS at information@vakkas.org with Subject line: Need to refund psycho-social therapy donation. We will arrange for this donation to be transferred to another patient in need.

 

Q37. Will VAKKAS verify my information with my hospital?

Yes, as stated in the Terms of Use and as you agreed prior to registering at VAKKAS.org, you pledged to provide truthful information when registering. VAKKAS reserves the right to contact your hospital to check on the veracity of your submitted registration information and supporting documents.

 

Q38. I do not want my name to be public but still want to register with VAKKAS. What should I do?

You can chose "make my profile private" on the VAKKAS registration page. This will hide your name and photo.

 

Q39. I forgot to post my thank you note promptly after receiving my donation to my hospital account. What should I do?

If a thank you note is not posted within 10 days of receiving donations to your hospital account, you forego your opportunity to re-register at VAKKAS.org.

 

Q40. My account has been deleted by VAKKAS. What can I do?

VAKKAS reserves the right to delete registrations in line with its administrative, technical and other capacity-related issues as well as discrepancies with eligibility requirements. If your account has been deleted and you feel that there has been a mistake, you can send us an email at information@vakkas.org Subject line: Account deletion question. Final decision about your account and continued registration at VAKKAS.org will be made in the sole discretion of VAKKAS.

 

Q41. Can I reach out to other VAKKAS patients?

VAKKAS does not promote any services nor does it aim to connect VAKKAS patients with each other. VAKKAS does not share information concerning VAKKAS patients with other VAKKAS patients, or with any other party within or outside VAKKAS. If VAKKAS patients would like to reach out to other VAKKAS patients, they can do so on their own initiatives and not through VAKKAS. VAKKAS will not have any liability if any VAKKAS patients attempt to contact one another.  

 

Q42. Can I reach out to contributors and VAKKAS hospitals and pharmaceutical companies?

VAKKAS does not promote any services nor does it aim to connect VAKKAS patients with each other or with their contributors, hospital representatives or pharmaceutical companies. VAKKAS does not share information concerning VAKKAS patients with other VAKKAS patients, or with any other party within or outside of VAKKAS. If VAKKAS patients would like to reach out to other VAKKAS patients, contributors, hospitals or pharmaceutical companies, or vice-versa, they can do so on their own initiatives and not through VAKKAS. VAKKAS will not have any liability if any VAKKAS patients attempt to contact contributors, hospitals or pharmaceutical companies, and vice-versa.

 

Q43. Will I receive spam from VAKKAS and VAKKAS-related actors?

VAKKAS does not send spam nor does it share your contact information or any information you provide when you register with VAKKAS.org. VAKKAS may from time to time send you short surveys about your experiences of using VAKKAS and how to improve our charitable services.

 

Q44. I have not been matched with a contributor for the last 60 days. What are my options?

If you have not received any contributions after sixty days of registering and being approved at VAKKAS.org as a VAKKAS patient profile, our system will alert us automatically and we will contact you to inquire about your status and your continued interest in VAKKAS.

 

Q45. My contributor stopped its monthly donations. What can I do?

There could be sudden and unexpected changes in the financial situation of contributors, which might preclude them from making their previously agreed monthly donations. VAKKAS is not able to force its contributors to continue to make donations.  If your adoption status changes due to changes in your contributor's financial situation, VAKKAS will allow you to remain as a VAKKAS patient and will reactivate your status as a current VAKKAS patient needing donations.

 

Q46. I received in-kind psychosocial therapy sessions from a hospital other than my treating hospital. I would like to switch my hospitals. Can VAKKAS help?

No. VAKKAS does not promote, encourage or interfere in patients' healthcare choices. If you decide to switch hospitals for any reason, VAKKAS cannot be held responsible for your decision or implications. Unused donations on your first hospital account, if any, cannot be switched to your new hospital. It is in VAKKAS's sole discretion as to how to use these donations toward any patient on a first come first served basis.

 

Q47. I listed my medication needs but have never received any. What can I do?

Medication donations could be monetary and in-kind. If monetary, they will go toward the payment of your hospital bill, which may include the fees for these medications, as stated on your registration form. If in-kind, it will be in the form of medication coupons donated to VAKKAS by pharmaceutical companies. Since these coupon donations are made in bulk, VAKKAS distributes them to the patients who need them on a first-come and first-served basis. But there can be no guarantee that VAKKAS will be able to distribute medication coupons that cover your specific medication, or that it will receive enough coupons to cover all of its patients. 

 

 

VAKKAS HOSPITALS

 

Q48. I have referred my patient to VAKKAS who says he/she received a donation but the donation has never reached the hospital. Why?

Please call us immediately, or email-us and provide us with your account information and we will check with our bank about the legitimacy and the routing of the donation.

 

Q49. Can we use the psychosocial support donation toward the payment of hospital bills?

No, the psycho-social support donation is only intended to assist the patient in coping with the treatment-associated stress and other myriad cancer / catastrophic illness related pressure. It cannot be channeled to or used for any other purpose. If you have any questions, please email VAKKAS at information@vakkas.org.

 

Q50. Our patient passed away, and the donation he received for his hospital bills does not cover the entire outstanding balance.

VAKKAS does not accept requests for donations for deceased patients, and hospitals cannot make requests for donations, including for their deceased patients even if they were once VAKKAS patients. Your will have to look elsewhere for payment of the unpaid bill. 

 

Q51. Our VAKKAS patient has left our institution but there is still extra donation money left. Can we channel this to another patient?

Please contact VAKKAS right away. Only VAKKAS can decide how donations are used, including any decisions in a case such as this one.

 

 

Q52. How do I deal with patients who I think might benefit from VAKKAS?

You could advise them to visit www.vakkas.org for an answer and/or ask them to email us directly to inquire.

 

Q53. How do I refer patients to VAKKAS? What are the eligibility requirements?

You can give them our website address. Patient Eligibility Requirements are found at www.vakkas.org and should be read together with the VAKKAS Terms of Use and the Privacy Policy.

 

Q54. How can I search the database for patients open to clinical trials?

If you are a registered hospital with VAKKAS, simply use our Search Patient Database tool and choose "Patients interested in Clinical Trials" to sort the data accordingly. You CANNOT contact patients directly or indirectly. You should contact VAKKAS and we will contact the relevant patient profiles, and reconfirm their interest. Interested patients will get in touch with you if so they choose.

 

Q55. Can I contact patients open to clinical trials directly?

No. Contact us so that we can confirm with the patients as to their continued interest.

 

Q56. How can I send clinical trial offers?

Once VAKKAS contacts and confirms the continued interest of your potential VAKKAS patient profiles in clinical trial offers, and once we have received the written consent of those patients, VAKKAS patients will be able to contact you directly, if so they choose.

 

Q57. My hospital does not have a cancer center. Can I refer patients to VAKKAS?

Currently, VAKKAS accepts patients only from qualified hospitals as determined by the required documentation.

 

 

VAKKAS CONTRIBUTORS

 

Q58. I have made a donation to VAKKAS in honor of a patient profile. When will I see that my donation has reached the patient’s hospital?

Once you have made a donation, VAKKAS will make a donation to fight cancer taking your advice into consideration. You should see a thank you note posted on VAKKAS.org within 10 business days from when the donation reaches the hospital account. If you do not, please contact us via email or by phone.

 

Q59. Can I contact the patient in honor of whom I have made a donation to VAKKAS?

VAKKAS does not promote any services nor does it aim to connect VAKKAS patients with each other or with their contributors, hospital representatives or pharmaceutical companies. VAKKAS does not share information of VAKKAS patients with other VAKKAS patients, or with any other party within or outside VAKKAS. If VAKKAS contributors would like to reach out to VAKKAS patients, other contributors, hospitals or pharmaceutical companies, they can do so on their own initiatives, and not through VAKKAS. VAKKAS will not have any liability if any VAKKAS patient attempts to contact contributors, hospitals or pharmaceutical companies, and vice-versa.

 

Q60. I have signed up to adopt a patient through monthly installments, but there has been a change in my financial situation and I want to stop it. What can I do?

Please call us or email us right away and we will stop charging you for your future installments and let the affected patient(s) know.

 

Q61. Will I be informed about the health of my adopted patient?

No. VAKKAS does not share any health information. The patient in honor of whom you have made a tax-deductible donation to VAKKAS will post a thank you note once your donation reaches his/her hospital account.

 

Q62. Are the hospital bills for VAKKAS patients based on Medicare rates, or are they rates charged to non-insured patients?

The rates that different hospitals charge to different cancer / catastrophic illness patients with different insurance status and financial eligibility differ for different procedures as well as for the same procedures. VAKKAS does not aim to disclose the pricing system of any hospitals. VAKKAS only accepts patients from 501(c)(3) hospitals which are required by the Affordable Care Act to charge reasonable rates and other hospitals that provide their patients with written statements that they charge Medicare rates.

 

Q63. Are VAKKAS patients uninsured or underinsured?

Both. Sometimes, depending on the hospital, uninsured patients are covered by different private or foundational charity options while under-insured patients are not. Even with insurance within the framework of Affordable Care Act, the treatment cost of cancer and other catastrophic illnesses can still be overwhelming for many insured patients. All VAKKAS patients' financial eligibility for aid is verified as result of the Patient Financial Assistance Policy/Program of the Affordable Care Act and/or by their hospital.

 

Q64. How do I know that the VAKKAS patient is financially needy?

VAKKAS patients must submit to VAKKAS their financial eligibility approval determination letter for aid as verified by their hospitals as result of the Financial Aid Policy for 501(c)(3) hospitals, and a written statement that the rates charged are Medicare rates in the case of non 501(c)(3) rates.

 

Q65. I do not want to adopt a patient. What are my options?

If you do not want to fully adopt a patient, you can make one-time contributions. You can also make one-time or recurring donations to a specific cancer / catastrophic illness cause by clicking on "Donate to a Cause".

 

Q66. What is "Donate to a Cause"?

If you do not want to make donations in honor of patients, you can donate in honor of a specific illness, a specific cancer type, a specific region of the United States or a specific age group. VAKKAS will take your advice into consideration in providing its charitable services to patients in need. Thank you notes will be sent by VAKKAS in such case.

 

Q67. Can I only donate to a specific category of expenses for many patients?

Yes, you can. If you want to help patients in need for psycho-social support, for example, you can click and pledge to contribute to that category of need in honor of a patient or patients. You can also choose "Donate to a Cause" if you would like your donations for psycho-social support to go to a specific type of cancer or region of the United States.

 

Q68. How do I know my money will go to fund the treatment(s) or the cause(s) I choose?

Donations are sent to patients' hospital accounts (not the patients or individuals related to them) and you will receive thank you notes from VAKKAS or the patients or patient representatives. We also make our financial statements available to the public upon request.

 

Q69. Why was my credit card declined?

Credit card companies and banks decline cards for many reasons. VAKKAS only uses PayPal and does not collect credit card information. Unfortunately, this means that we are not able to resolve the problem for you. If your card is declined, please contact your credit card company or bank for help completing your donation.

 

Q70. What security measures do you take to protect my credit card?

We only use PayPal and do not have access to or store any credit card information. Read more about PayPal's privacy policies here. https://www.paypal.com/us/webapps/mpp/ua/privacy-full

 

Q71. Do I have to use PayPal to fund a treatment?

Yes. PayPal will process your payment so that your financial information is secure.

 

Q72. Is my donation tax deductible?

Yes. All donations are tax deductible in the U.S. After making a donation, you will receive an official tax-deductible receipt at the email address that you provided.

 

 

VAKKAS PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANIES

 

Q73. Can I send medication coupons to VAKKAS and let VAKKAS decide where and when to send these coupons?

Yes, you may.

 

Q74. I must remain anonymous when I send medication coupons. Is this possible?

Yes, the contact person at the pharmaceutical company can choose to create a private profile or simply make a medication coupon donation as a guest..

 

Q75. Can I obtain data about how much each pharmaceutical company is contributing to VAKKAS?

VAKKAS can from time to time publish comparative statistics which may or may not include your specific inquiries. If you are interested in certain variables, contact us at information@vakkas.org.

 

Website problems:

• Please contact webmaster@vakkas.org for any questions, concerns, or inquiries.

   

  How to deal with problems/complaints

   

  Harassing and obscene or irrelevant language/tweets will be deleted by VAKKAS.

  VAKKAS has an Ethics Officer who deals with complaints on a case–by-case basis.

   

           

To download the Frequently Asked Questions:

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS