WSJ: Two of the biggest patient-assistance charities are combining

Two of the largest charities that provide hundreds of millions of dollars in financial assistance to help Americans pay for medical treatments merged in one of the biggest combinations in the nonprofit healthcare sector, reported the Wall Street Journal in March 2026. The nonprofits said the combination will allow them to better serve low- and middle-income patients facing rising healthcare costs, including many who have lost insurance coverage.

Patient Advocate Foundation Chief Executive Alan Balch will serve as executive chairman of the new group. Kevin Hagan, CEO of the PAN Foundation, will serve as chief executive of the combined group, the article stated.

“More people are struggling to pay for care and basic needs than ever before and the safety net’s being stretched thinner and thinner,” Balch said.

“Together we have more reach and we have more resources and we can be a powerful voice” for people facing cost and access barriers to healthcare, Hagan said.