/PRNewswire-USNewswire/ - The Saralee and Carol Foundation, a new nonprofit dedicated to helping women with cancer get treatment when health insurance delays or denies it, is competing for a $50,000 grant from Pepsi this August. The foundation is one of a select group of programs vying for a total $1.3 million this year in the Pepsi Refresh program. Public voting determines where the money goes. People can vote for the Saralee and Carol Foundation at http://www.refresheverything.com/cancerhope.

Founder Terry Kaye was inspired to start the charity after her mother's death from metastatic endometrial cancer. "My mother fought long and hard, not only against the disease, but also against her health insurance company," says Kaye. "They repeatedly overrode her doctors' decisions, often delaying treatment for months. One of those delays caused the complication that took her life."

The foundation addresses a problem that has, until now, been largely overlooked. While many agencies exist to help the uninsured, there are few solely devoted to helping the growing number of people who have insurance but still cannot get access to care.

According to the American Cancer Society, one in four cancer patients covered by insurance put off health care in 2009, and three in ten families affected by cancer had trouble paying for necessities like food and shelter. The financial strain of cancer care has been linked to post-traumatic stress syndrome, and half of the country's bankruptcies are related to medical debt. Three quarters of these bankrupt people had insurance.

While the new health insurance law requires companies to cover individuals with preexisting conditions, it does not require them to honor claims for care. "They are responsible to their shareholders, not their policyholders," says Kaye. "Decisions are made based on what is most cost-effective, not what is best for the patient."

Kaye hopes that the grant will turn her idea into a sustainable program. A portion of the funds will be used for legal, administrative and public relations expenses. The lion's share, however, will fund the foundation's first grants to women in need.

The Saralee and Carol Foundation is a program of Congressional District Programs, Inc., a registered 501(c)(3) public charity. More information is available at http://www.saraleeandcarol.org.

Saralee and Carol Foundation (The)

Saralee and Carol Foundation (The)

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