This is a preview of the fall 2026 edition of Cancer Legal Care's newsletter, The Occasional Connector: A newsletter for people who care all the time.
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Letter from Lindy
Lindy Yokanovich, Founder & Executive Director
Dear Constant Carer,
This October we are celebrating our 19th year of service to the Minnesota cancer community. It seems hard to believe, but... here we are thanks to the wide community of good-hearted folks who have supported us at every stage. Things have gotten both better and worse for our clients since we started this work way back in 2007.
- Two things that have gotten better:
- No more being denied for insurance coverage because of a pre-existing condition like cancer, and
- now nearly all employees in Minnesota have access to paid leave from work when they have a serious health condition or need to care for a loved one who does. Read on for Erin’s update on Minnesota Paid Leave and how Cancer Legal Care is helping our clients avail themselves of this life-changing new law.
- Two things that have gotten worse:
- Cancer’s financial toxicity (42% of newly diagnosed patients will deplete their life savings within two years of diagnosis), and
- the increase in insurance coverage denials for medical care (one in five working-age adults with private insurance report coverage denials for doctor-recommended care for themselves or a family member).
Seeing these challenges in our clients’ lives everyday and hearing their gratitude for our human-centered approach strengthens our resolve to keep finding ways to expand our reach and our impact.
Some highlights and milestones so far this year:
- Surpassing $27,000,000 in free legal services provided by our staff and volunteer lawyers since our founding.
- Partnering with Minnesota Hospice and Gilda’s Club Twin Cities to hold health care directive community clinics over the last three years has given rise to the creation of our own health care directive form. Cancer Legal Care staff attorneys worked with health care providers from Minnesota Hospice to create a new and improved approach to the key questions that need asking and answering. You can find the form on our website.
- Partnering with more than 25 community organizations to get the word out about our free legal services has resulted in our most robust service year yet, and presenting at more than 35 community education events provided across the state.
Before I sign off, a bit about the “F” word that occupies so much of our national and statewide conversation. Fraud and waste are absolutely vital to protect against, and I encourage you to visit the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits’ website (see links below) to learn more about the higher standard of transparency and public accountability that nonprofits are held to compared to for-profit organizations. Cancer Legal Care takes very seriously our responsibility to be good stewards of the resources our supporters share with us. Our annual 990 filings with the IRS are on our website, and we continue to earn the highest standards of accountability through the Charities Review Council and Candid.
I would love to hear what’s on your mind and learn more about what keeps you caring and connected to Cancer Legal Care.
With every good wish,
Lindy
Minnesota Council of Nonprofits Resources:
