Navigating the Cost of Treatment
- James Van Der Beek, 48, is auctioning items from “Dawson’s Creek” and “Varsity Blues” to help fund his treatment for stage 3 colon cancer.
- The father of six will offer fans a chance to bid on career-defining wardrobe pieces, props, and set items at an auction taking place in December.
- Medical bills can burden anyone, but if you’re facing enormous health costs, it’s important to understand you’re not alone and there are resources to help you pay your bills and ensure you get the care you need.
- You can negotiate payment plans, seek out government assistance programs, or look to advocacy groups.
- SurvivorNet offers lists of resources available to you for help paying your health bills.
The 48-year-old dad of six, whose cancer journey began last year after getting a colonoscopy, is giving fans the chance to own a piece of nostalgia from his personal collection. These “treasures” will be up for grabs in the upcoming Winter Entertainment Memorabilia Live Auction, as reported by People.
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From the auctions “James Van Der Beek Collection,” fans will have a chance to purchase a necklace from the show, which is projected to sell for anywhere between $26,400 and $52,800.
A white jumper costume, a flannel shirt, a bedroom set decor, and a chair back are also up for auction.
Also listed for sale are two items from the 1999 film “Varsity Blues” — cleats, expected to bring in up to $2,500, and a West Canaan Coyotes hat.
In “Varsity Blues,” Van Der Beek played Jonathan ‘Mox’ Moxon and wore the hat during the West Canaan Coyotes’ game against the Greenville Hornets, where he stepped in for star quarterback Lance Harbor, played by Paul Walker, who had suffered a severe knee injury.
Propstore Auction explains on the description page for the hat, “Originating from the collection of star James Van Der Beek, this lot consists of a white and blue wool blend Big Boy Head Gear snap-back hat (one size) featuring a white and blue embroidered West Canaan Coyote patch and a green underside bill. This lot exhibits minor discoloration.”
The hat is estimated to bring in between $ 1,300 and $2,600.
Helping You Find Financial Resources for During Treatment
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- A Quick Guide to Getting Help Paying The Cancer Bills– Now That Treatment Is Expected to Rise 30% In A Decade
- ‘Strong in Cancer’: How To Combat Financial Anxiety, Plus Tips For Making Difficult Treatment Decisions
- Other Ways to Get Help Paying The Cancer Bills as New Research Finds Crowdfunding Sites Often Fall Short
- Where Cancer Caregivers Can Get Help With Finances: Coping With the Bills
- How Patient Navigators Help With Finances, Transportation & More During Your Cancer Journey
Van Der Beek said in a statement, “I’ve been storing these treasures for years, waiting for the right time to do something with them, and with all of the recent unexpected twists and turns life has presented recently, it’s clear that the time is now.
“While I have some nostalgia tugging at me as I part with these items, it feels good to be able to offer them through Propstore’s auction to share with those who have supported my work over the years.”
Van Der Beek’s Colon Cancer Journey
The actor learned he had colorectal cancer in 2023, after getting a colonoscopy. He told People in a tell-all interview that his bowel issues led him to get checked.
“I thought maybe I needed to stop coffee. Or maybe not put cream in the coffee. But when I cut that out and it didn’t improve, I thought, ‘All right, I’d better get this checked out,'” he said.
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Before Van Der Beek’s interview was published, the beloved actor wrote the following alongside an Instagram post, “‘It is cancer…’ Each year, approximately 2 billion people around the world receive this diagnosis. And I’m one of them.”
Colorectal cancer occurs when polyps in the colon become cancerous. It can take up to 10 years for a colon polyp to become cancerous, according to SurvivorNet experts, which is why it’s so important to undergo regular screening and get polyps removed before they progress.
“We know that colon cancers can be prevented when polyps are found early,” Dr. Heather Yeo, a surgical oncologist who specializes in colorectal cancers at Weill Cornell Medicine, told SurvivorNet.
“Lowering the screening age helps somewhat with this, but access to care is a real problem,” Dr. Yeo added.
In recent years, the American Gastrointestinal Association lowered the recommended initial age for colorectal screening from 50 to 45.
The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends guidelines that state colon cancer screenings should begin at 45 years old. This is in response to the increase we see in colon cancer diagnoses in younger adults.
However, many insurance companies still do not cover the cost of screenings for those under 50. In the past, the disease had predominantly been found in adults 50 years or older, but for those predisposed to getting it at a younger age, these new guidelines could help catch it earlier.
Financial Help: Where To Look
When it comes to paying for cancer, there are people specifically designated to help you navigate the process. Social workers and patient navigators often work at cancer centers or hospitals, or other organizations associated with these facilities. These employees can assist people with many aspects of the cancer journey, including navigating medical bills and other finances.
RELATED: How Can Doctors Help by Advocating for Patient Care?
“Patient navigators can function differently at different hospitals,” Dr. Kathie-Ann Joseph, a surgical oncologist at NYU Langone Health’s Perlmutter Cancer Center, told SurvivorNet.
“We have a really wonderful program at [NYU] where we use lay navigators … that pretty much help newly diagnosed cancer patients through the continuum of care.”
These navigators can meet with patients right after the diagnosis and can also:
- Attend appointments
- Provide an assessment for the next steps of care
- Assist with housing, transportation, or immigration issues
- Help with financial issues
- Provide direction on legal issues
“They really will help them get through these barriers that we think could impact their care,” Dr. Joseph added. “Because the goal is we want them to complete their care.”
Dr. Kathie-Ann Joseph explains how patient navigators can help patients.
Financial Resources to Consider
If you’re having difficulty finding resources or answers about how to get help paying for a disease or cancer you are battling, there are a few options you can consider. You can negotiate payment plans, seek out government assistance programs, or look to advocacy groups.
These are a few of the options cancer patients and their loved ones have to get help covering costs associated with treatment (from drug co-pays to travel assistance):
For Help With Treatment Bills
- The Cancer Financial Assistance Coalition can direct patients and their families to available local services.
- Many treatment centers offer extended payment plans, and some may offer temporary payment delays, according to the American Cancer Society.
- CancerCare, which connects patients with oncology social workers, may be able to assist with co-pays, transportation, and other costs associated with care.
- The HealthWell Foundation may be able to help uninsured patients pay for treatment.
- The American Cancer Society may be able to link patients and their families up with local resources (they offer a 24/7 helpline).
- The Patient Advocate Foundation (PAF) works with patients and their insurance companies to resolve issues and may provide direct financial support to some patients.
- The Patient Access Network Foundation may be able to help with out-of-pocket costs associated with cancer treatment.
Living with Cancer & Finding Joy Every Day
Making time for things that bring joy is crucial when living with cancer. For James Van Der Beek, that means letting go of things he no longer needs in order to bring happiness to others.
RELATED: Learn to Forgive Yourself: Dealing With the Psychological Aspects of Cancer
Dr. Dana Chase, a gynecologic oncologist at Arizona Oncology, emphasizes the importance of working on your emotional health during a cancer journey.
“We know from good studies that emotional health is associated with survival, meaning better quality of life is associated with better outcomes,” Dr. Chase told SurvivorNet.
Sometimes Bad Things Happen — Enjoying Life, Even With Cancer
Having the unwavering support of a partner is monumental during cancer treatment.
“So working on your emotional health, your physical well-being, your social environment [and] your emotional well-being are important and can impact your survival.”
Having the unwavering support of a partner is monumental during cancer treatment
“So working on your emotional health, your physical well-being, your social environment [and] your emotional well-being are important and can impact your survival.”
Dr. Chase recommends jotting down ten things that make you happy and making the time to do those activities throughout the day. She told SurvivorNet in an earlier interview, “Sometimes I will talk to a patient about making a list of the top ten things that bring them joy. And trying to do those ten things to make at least 50 percent of their experiences positive throughout the day.”
Even if you’re working hard to prioritize your mental health by doing activities you love, it can still be quite overwhelming to think of the things you can’t control during a cancer battle.
Dr. William Breitbart, chair of the department of psychology and behavioral sciences at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, says acceptance is an important part of living with cancer.
“What the task becomes is having the courage to live in the face of uncertainty, realizing that you cannot necessarily control the uncertainty in life, the suffering that occurs, limitations, challenges both good and bad,” Dr. Breitbart said.
“You may not be able to control those, but you have control over how you choose to respond to them and the attitudes you take towards them.”
Remember, challenging oneself can actually help people facing cancer, chronic disease, or other problems to develop resilience, which is an essential coping tool. However, it’s also important to understand that rest and recovery also play a huge role in overcoming a health battle.
That process of pushing oneself to try new things is one of the “three wellsprings of vitality,” according to Dr. Samantha Boardman, a New York-based psychologist. The other two are connecting with others and contributing to the lives of people around you.
“Those are the cores of vitality, and the core pathways to enhance your everyday resilience,” Dr. Boardman explains.
Mental Health Understanding the Three Wellsprings of Vitality
These pathways can help someone develop the strength needed to survive or manage a difficult situation, but they all come back to having a positive outlook.
According to Dr. Boardman, these three wellsprings of vitality are:
- Connecting. This involves how you’re connecting with others and having meaningful interactions. It involves being a good listener and being engaged with the people around you who you care about.
- Contribution. How are you adding value to the people around you? Are you helping them in ways that feel meaningful to them? Basically, this entails contributing/engaging with others in a meaningful way.
- Feeling challenged. Being “positively challenged” could involve learning something new (perhaps by taking a new class or reading an interesting book) and expanding your mind in some way.
“Those are the cores of vitality, and the core pathways to enhance your everyday resilience,” Dr. Boardman said.
Contributing: SurvivorNet Staff
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