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A PRIEST'S FIGHT FOR MORE GOOD DAYS

Read Father Deegan's Story

Father Jim Deegan grew up in Richfield, Minnesota, not far from where he serves as a parish priest today. The retreat center where he ministers serves around 7,000 people each year and is open to everybody, especially poor and needy individuals. Father Deegan looked forward to a lifetime of serving others, but during an annual physical in September of 1997, he noticed a frown on his doctor’s face.  

“He was looking at the blood counts,” says Father Deegan. “It was cancer of the blood. I was told I had 10 years to live.”

Faced with that grim news, but glad for what time he had left, Father Deegan began a medication regimen that worked very well for him. For the next 15 years he was able to put the disorder out of his mind. 

“I try to live each day as fully as I can. I try to be grateful, I try to be positive. I’ve seen it in the lives of the people I’ve ministered to,” says Father Deegan. “People who have been sick and down and out, recovering from surgery, those with the positive attitude just seemed to get better a lot quicker.”

Then in December of 2015, Father Deegan began to feel very ill. His hematologist would explain that although his medication had done a good job up until then, it was no longer working. He offered samples of a new medication and Father Deegan could not believe how much better he felt. The good news was short lived when he found out the out-of-pocket costs for the treatments.

“I think I went into the first depression of my life, because I knew that was impossible for me,” says Father Deegan. “I remember spending time with my brother, and I would say to myself, I wonder if I will be here next year to see this same sight.”

When Father Deegan learned about Good Days, it started the spark of hope he needed. Within two days Father Deegan was glad to find out that he was fully approved to have his medication covered by Good Days. 

“I don’t know who that woman was on the phone at Good Days but she had the voice of an angel from God, kind, compassionate.” Father Deegan says. “I am so grateful to Good Days, because they have literally saved my life. Thank God for Good Days!”

PARTNER PROFILE 

AMERICAN MACULAR DEGENERATION FOUNDATION

Macular degeneration is the leading cause of vision loss, affecting as many as 11 million people in the United States. This number is expected to double to nearly 22 million by 2050. The biggest risk factor is age – the disease is most likely to occur in those 55 and older. There is currently no known cure, but treatments can slow the progress of the disease in some cases, allowing affected individuals to see more clearly and for longer. However, even with insurance, these treatments can be prohibitively costly for the average American. 

That is why Good Days supports patients across the country with macular degeneration. But in addition to financial assistance, macular degeneration patients often need help understanding their condition and the eating and living habits that will help them maintain better eye health. Thanks to the American Macular Degeneration Foundation, patients can access a wealth of resources specifically for managing this condition. In addition to conducting research and educating the public, the AMDF offers a quarterly newsletter, Spotlight, that features helpful information, tips and stories from all over the world, printed in large typeface so that it’s easier to read.

What makes the AMDF especially helpful is that several people connected to the organization have macular degeneration themselves, so they know exactly what you are going through. Loss of sight can be a terrifying experience, but the AMDF’s hotline will connect you to a cheerful, dedicated, expert voice who knows what you are going through and can offer guidance. 

“A lot of times doctors do not want to get too emotional with patients, but sometimes it helps for people to talk things through,” says Sydney, who answers the calls at the AMDF’s hotline.   

Whether you want to talk something through or need to have an emotional conversation away from your medical team, the AMDF is here to support you through your experience with macular degeneration. 

For more information call 1-888-MACULAR (1-888-622-8527) or visit www.macular.org. 

SPECIAL FEATURE

10-YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF THE EXCHANGE RECAP

At our 10th annual The Exchange from Good Days: Rise & Shine for Good Days, we brought together our collaborators, including other non-profit groups and the specialty pharmacies we work with, and most importantly, our patients and their families, for a day of learning, laughter and reflection. 

The Exchange is Good Days’ annual conference to increase awareness and collaboration for the common goal of improving access to care. This year we celebrated the lives we have touched through effective compassion with our special guest and keynote speaker Robin Roberts, American broadcast journalist and host of ABC’s Good Morning America. 

In addition to Roberts, we were joined by numerous expert speakers including Paralympian ski racer and best-selling author Josh Sundquist, personal and professional development expert William DeFoore PhD, founder of The Caregivers Guardian Nadine Roberts Cornish, and innovation and change management expert Bruce A. Berger, president of Berger Consulting, LLC and emeritus professor at Auburn University.

A few of our hometown Dallas Cowboys legends were also surprise guests at this year’s The Exchange: Rise & Shine for Good Days! Thank you, Emmitt Smith, DeMarcus Ware and Jason Witten, for your support!

At Good Days, we’re committed to supporting patients, caregivers, and loved ones impacted by chronic and life-altering diseases every day. We welcome you to join us for next year’s The Exchange event. For more information email TheExchange@MyGoodDays.org.

2019 RE-ENROLLMENT NOTICE

The 2019 Re-Enrollment Campaign is now OPEN! 

To re-enroll go to the following website: 
www.mygooddays.org/reenroll/ for assistance.

Re-enrollment can be completed by the patient or the patient’s advocate. Once the re-enrollment has been completed, an 
immediate determination for the patient’s 2019 status will be provided. 

Please feel free to check status at 
www.mygooddays.org/check-status.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS FROM GOOD DAYS

CLORINDA WALLEY

I hope you’ve had a great Thanksgiving and are looking forward to the holiday season ahead. Since our last newsletter, Good Days has been hard at work helping people access health care resources and advocating to safeguard patient assistance programs. We also celebrated our partner organizations and the lives we have touched during our 10th annual The Exchange event in September. 

A recent national survey by Harvard University’s T.H. Chan School of Public Health confirms what Good Days has experienced in its interactions with patients: whether you have private or public health coverage, serious illness will often wipe out your life savings. The survey found that 36 percent of seriously ill patients with insurance said they had used up all or most of their savings to pay for their care and 21 percent were unable to pay for everyday necessities. 

Charitable patient assistance provides much needed financial security for Americans who realize they are underinsured because of an unexpected diagnosis. That is why Good Days joined 10 other leading national patient groups last month to submit a joint letter requesting that the Department of Health and Human Services establish safeguards to protect patient assistance programs from emerging threats. Last year we helped more than 176,000 individuals with access to health care resources, a number that continues to grow despite the consistent lack of available funding and efforts by some insurers to deny coverage to patients who receive assistance from charitable organizations like ours. Given our unique understanding of the challenges faced by everyday Americans, we will continue to do everything we can to alleviate challenges with access to care. 

In case you missed it, our organization earned the 2018 GuideStar Platinum Seal of Transparency, the highest honor from the largest source of information on U.S. nonprofits. Good Days is proud to share our key metrics with the world and highlight the impact we have each year. Additionally, Good Days made GreatNonprofits 2018 Top-Rated Non-Profit List, thanks to public feedback from patients we’ve supported, their family members and the partner organizations we work with. 

Finally, last month we began open enrollment for 2019. Enclosed you will find more information on the re-enrollment process. If we are unable to to provide financial assistance, our Patient Care Navigators will always try their best to direct patients towards available resources for their given health care scenario. 

On behalf of the entire team at Good Days, Happy Holidays and have a wonderful New Year. 

Sincerely,

Clorinda Walley, President

Good Days