An $8.35 million grant from three groups will provide breast cancer treatment for low-income Californians. The California Endowment, California HealthCare Foundation and California Health Collaborative jointly have agreed to pay for services to those who would otherwise go without care.

"We feel it is of critical importance to step in and fund vital treatment services for those who are uninsured or without money to pay for proper care," says Lew Reid, interim chief executive officer of the California Endowment.

The money is going to the California Breast Cancer Treatment Fund, which provides care to low-income, uninsured breast cancer patients. It will provide services for 18 months and fund a policy action plan designed to obtain long-term funding.

Treatment Fund staff have estimated that the $7.1 million in funds allocated from the California Endowment will cover treatment services for 954 new patients, based on an average annual cost of $9,000 per patient.

The California Breast Cancer Treatment Fund is managed by the California Health Collaborative in cooperation with the Breast Cancer Early Detection Program, funded by the California Department of Health Services.

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