This Saturday: National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day

Posted October 22nd, 2021

Have you taken a look at your medicine cabinet lately? Aside from cotton swabs, mouthwash and makeup remover, are there old, outdated prescription drugs in your cabinet? How do you dispose of old, outdated, expired or unneeded medications? Flush them down the toilet? Throw them out with your household trash? Not sure? Well, the DEA […]

Medicare Open Enrollment Starts Tomorrow!

Posted October 14th, 2021

Medicare open enrollment is upon us for 2022. If you are a Medicare recipient, this is the time of year when you can make (some) changes to your Medicare coverage. What can I change? You can change your Medicare part D (drug) plan. You can change to a different Medicare advantage plan. You can switch […]

Breaking News: Supreme Court Upholds the Affordable Care Act

Posted June 17th, 2021

It’s a great day for cancer survivors. The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) upheld the Affordable Care Act (ACA), commonly known as Obamacare. This means The ACA is still the law of the land. Folks who rely on the ACA Marketplace or their state-based exchanges will continue to have access to purchase health […]

Checking in on our Mental Health

Posted May 14th, 2021

May is Mental Health Awareness Month. Over the next few weeks, OncoLink will feature blogs about common mental health challenges faced by cancer patients, caregivers, and healthcare professionals. Please remember, if you are in crisis, help is available. National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 800-273-8255 National Alliance on Mental Health (NAMI) Helpline 800-950-6264 How are you doing? […]

The American Rescue Act: What You Need to Know

Posted March 16th, 2021

On March 12, 2021, President Biden signed the third COVID-19 related relief bill, the American Rescue Plan. Most Americans will benefit in one way or another from this bill. Let’s unpack what it may mean to you. Stimulus Payments Individuals earning less than $75,000 and couples with income less than $150,000 will receive $1400 per […]

Today is Random Acts of Kindness Day

Posted February 17th, 2021

What can you do TODAY to make someone’s day a little brighter? Why not think about making kindness the norm, rather than the exception? Here are some ideas from the OncoLink team to #choosekind and #explorethegood today—or any day. And remember, it’s not about recognition— it’s just about doing something out of the kindness of […]

Breaking News: The Healthcare Marketplace Re-opens TODAY!

Posted February 15th, 2021

The COVID-19 Pandemic has brought great instability to the job market and, as a result, a large number of folks have lost their insurance due to losing their jobs. Today, February 15th, the Healthcare Marketplace, healthcare.gov, will reopen for a three-month special enrollment period. This means that if you do not have insurance OR want […]

COVID-19 Vaccines: Considerations for Special Populations

Posted February 4th, 2021

The COVID-19 vaccine is currently recommended for most adults. However, some individuals should not have the vaccine OR should talk with their healthcare provider about potential vaccine risks before they receive the vaccine. These special populations include: People with Cancer-In Active Treatment Considered to be at a higher risk for severe COVID. Should be vaccinated […]

COVID-19 Vaccine: Distribution and Administration

Posted January 25th, 2021

The development of two vaccines for COVID-19 that have received Emergency Use Authorization happened at “warp speed.”  Sadly, the plan for vaccine distribution has not been well planned out. The goal was to vaccinate 20 million people by the end of 2020. We are running behind this schedule. (see here.) For the purposes of this […]

Good-bye, Old Friend

Posted January 8th, 2021

It’s been a year of lots of losses. Lots of sadness and grief and pain. And also strength, grit, resilience and hope. All of this is what I’m feeling today, as I prepare myself mentally to watch Alex Trebeck’s last episode of Jeopardy tonight. I’m grieving another loss—of someone I never met, never personally knew—but […]