Vent-Doctors and money...

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Heatherbelle
Heatherbelle Member Posts: 1,226 Member
edited March 2014 in Breast Cancer #1
From some of the previous posts it looks like I'm not the only one on here who had a crappy day today...
So I don't have health insurance. My husband is self-employed and I don't work, I'm a stay at home mom. We did have health insurance until a little over a year ago, our rates went from around $350/month for the 4 of us to almost $700/month (no illnesses or anything to put any of us ina higher risk, just their costs rising) -we had to cancel it. The day I was diagnosed I contacted Medicaid, and I applied for what's called Medicaid Option 3 in Indiana -specifically for women with breast or cervical cancers. The income guidelines are a bit looser with Option 3, and the process is quicker. From day 1 I have paid for every single doctor's appointment I've had, and we have been up front about our not having insurance, and that I'm waiting to be approved for Medicaid. Here I think that I've been waiting since last Friday for my surgeon to coordinate a time with my plastic surgeon to get my surgery scheduled - I got a call from the surgeon's office this morning saying they can't schedule me until I pay them half of the surgeon's fee...and this is AFTER we talked with the surgeon himself AND the patient representative at the medical center to see about any payment arrangements we would have to make & were told we didn't have to, if medicaid didn't accept me they would bill be & i'd set up payment arrangements at that time. I asked the nurse who called me today, "what if I'm denied Medicaid? Will ANYONE treat me without having thousands of dollars up front, or will I end up dying from a disease that, while it doesn't have a cure, is in most cases completely treatable?". I mean, from what I gather, it's not the surgery that's going to put us in the poor house, but the chemo, and all the medications. Will they not give me chemo unless I pay for half of that up front?
I mean, sure my husband owns a small business. But we are far from rich, and he has to pay almost 40% of his income back in taxes. I figure, my husband and I have both been working since we were 16 years old, all that time paying taxes to, among other things, pay for medical care for lots of other people in our state. But when I need the help, it's not there. I mean, really, do we have to lose our home, his business, everything that we have just so that I can get treatment? According to the income limits I was given when I applied for Medicaid, we do fall within the guidelines. But I have learned so much in the past few weeks, among them 'don't count on things going your way'. I really have absolutely NO IDEA what I will do if I don't get the assistance. So now I have to wait even longer for my surgery, and all I want to do is get all this done and over with. The masectomy, chemo, all of it. This is like torture-knowing that sometime in my near future I have all this really crappy stuff I have to go through, but I don't know when...
Sorry for the long, ranting vent but I had to get that out.
Thanks for listening :)
Heather

Comments

  • Dawne.Hope
    Dawne.Hope Member Posts: 823
    #2
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    oh, Heather! I'm so sorry!
    oh, Heather! I'm so sorry! When I was first diagnosed i was more scared about where the money would come from than my actual diagnosis. I didn't have insurance either!

    Take a deep breath. There are programs out there that can help you. When first diagnosed, I didn't have anything, and was able to work out payment plans. they should be able to do this for you. I finally got medicaid, but it took a little while. They cannot refuse you treatment. Talk to a social worker or billing at the medical facility and they will help you.

    You'll get help. It is available.
    Breathe deep again.

    Sorry you've had a cr***y day.

    Praying peace and provision for you,
    dh
  • Christine Louise
    Christine Louise Member Posts: 426 Member
    #3
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    I hate that!
    That's awful. Like dealing with cancer isn't bad enough, but payment issues too? I hope they can get it figured out ASAP and get your treatment started. Please keep us informed. Now, put it out of your mind (!) and get a good night's rest.
  • ms.sunshine
    ms.sunshine Member Posts: 707 Member
    #4
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    Christine Louise said:

    I hate that!
    That's awful. Like dealing with cancer isn't bad enough, but payment issues too? I hope they can get it figured out ASAP and get your treatment started. Please keep us informed. Now, put it out of your mind (!) and get a good night's rest.

    Do you have an oncologist?
    Do you have an oncologist? Ask for a financial person at the cancer center. Tell him/her your story. They should be able to get assistance for you. I have ins. and was able to get assistance with co-pays, and out-of-pocket expenses with chemo.
  • Ritzy
    Ritzy Member Posts: 4,381 Member
    #5
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    Dawne.Hope said:

    oh, Heather! I'm so sorry!
    oh, Heather! I'm so sorry! When I was first diagnosed i was more scared about where the money would come from than my actual diagnosis. I didn't have insurance either!

    Take a deep breath. There are programs out there that can help you. When first diagnosed, I didn't have anything, and was able to work out payment plans. they should be able to do this for you. I finally got medicaid, but it took a little while. They cannot refuse you treatment. Talk to a social worker or billing at the medical facility and they will help you.

    You'll get help. It is available.
    Breathe deep again.

    Sorry you've had a cr***y day.

    Praying peace and provision for you,
    dh

    I am so sorry Heather that
    I am so sorry Heather that you have to deal with finances along with fighting bc. I pray that Medicaid will work out for you and soon.

    If not, most cancer centers or hospitals will work out a payment plan for you. Contact them at your hospital and talk to them directly, not the doctors.

    Good luck!


    Sue :)
  • Heatherbelle
    Heatherbelle Member Posts: 1,226 Member
    #6
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    ms.sunshine said:

    Do you have an oncologist?
    Do you have an oncologist? Ask for a financial person at the cancer center. Tell him/her your story. They should be able to get assistance for you. I have ins. and was able to get assistance with co-pays, and out-of-pocket expenses with chemo.

    Thanks everyone :) Feeling
    Thanks everyone :) Feeling much better after a good night's rest. Yesterday my husband actually went to the different Dr. offices and got medical consent forms, so that he can deal directly with them regarding anything financial, so that I don't have to. He's quite a catch ;)
    The medical center where I'm currently receiving care is a general medical center, located in our downtown area, and we chose it because 1) my family dr. and gyno are in the practice 2) we've been going there for care for years 3) the convenience of having my surgeon on one floor, the oncologist down the hall, and my gynecologist a floor below. So they have all my medical records and it's been really convenient.
    However, there is a place called Goshen Center for Cancer Care, which is in a neighboring town, about 40 minutes away, that we are going to visit. Nobody as my current medical center had helped me out with finding assistance, or even pointed me in the right direction as far as that goes.
    SO this morning I'm going to sip some delicious hazelnut coffee and read gossip blogs online until my girls wake up, then we're taking a trip to the library, a trip to Ulta (makeup store in the mall=my favorite place EVER!) and over to my aunt's house for an afternoon of swimming.

    Thanks so much, again, for being a place where I can not only vent, but you all give me such support & encouragement & advice when i do!
    :) have a blessed day
    Heather
  • GregStahl
    GregStahl Member Posts: 188
    #7
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    Try the ACS
    I have run across a few sites that assist financially here is the ACS link:
    http://www.cancer.org/Treatment/FindingandPayingforTreatment/UnderstandingFinancialandLegalMatters/index
  • Marcia527
    Marcia527 Member Posts: 2,729
    #8
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    Heatherbelle said:

    Thanks everyone :) Feeling
    Thanks everyone :) Feeling much better after a good night's rest. Yesterday my husband actually went to the different Dr. offices and got medical consent forms, so that he can deal directly with them regarding anything financial, so that I don't have to. He's quite a catch ;)
    The medical center where I'm currently receiving care is a general medical center, located in our downtown area, and we chose it because 1) my family dr. and gyno are in the practice 2) we've been going there for care for years 3) the convenience of having my surgeon on one floor, the oncologist down the hall, and my gynecologist a floor below. So they have all my medical records and it's been really convenient.
    However, there is a place called Goshen Center for Cancer Care, which is in a neighboring town, about 40 minutes away, that we are going to visit. Nobody as my current medical center had helped me out with finding assistance, or even pointed me in the right direction as far as that goes.
    SO this morning I'm going to sip some delicious hazelnut coffee and read gossip blogs online until my girls wake up, then we're taking a trip to the library, a trip to Ulta (makeup store in the mall=my favorite place EVER!) and over to my aunt's house for an afternoon of swimming.

    Thanks so much, again, for being a place where I can not only vent, but you all give me such support & encouragement & advice when i do!
    :) have a blessed day
    Heather

    I use to be a Hoosier
    I know what working for yourself means. My husband does it too. A tough way to make a living, if that. Working for yourself doesn't mean you are rich, it means working your butt off.

    Indiana has a state health plan. Info on health insurance:

    http://www.in.gov/fssa/hip/


    It says a family of four can make up to $44000 a year. Don't know about pre-existing conditions but it's something you might want to check into.
  • Megan M
    Megan M Member Posts: 3,000
    #9
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    ms.sunshine said:

    Do you have an oncologist?
    Do you have an oncologist? Ask for a financial person at the cancer center. Tell him/her your story. They should be able to get assistance for you. I have ins. and was able to get assistance with co-pays, and out-of-pocket expenses with chemo.

    This is awful. I am sorry
    This is awful. I am sorry Heather. Have you called the American Cancer Society too? They might be able to help or to set you in the right direction.


    Hugs, Megan
  • Heatherbelle
    Heatherbelle Member Posts: 1,226 Member
    #10
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    GregStahl said:

    Try the ACS
    I have run across a few sites that assist financially here is the ACS link:
    http://www.cancer.org/Treatment/FindingandPayingforTreatment/UnderstandingFinancialandLegalMatters/index

    thank you thank you!!
    Thanks for sending me those links, I will definately check them out. We did get the surgeon to lower the amount he needs up front a bit, down to $1000 from $2300. Took them a check today so they're going to contact me tomorrow about getting my surgery scheduled. They told my husband (who is a SAINT for dealing with all the financial crap through all this) that I'm still looking at sometime in the week after next...surprisingly the woman who's been handling my case at the Breast & Cervical Cancer Program is my strongest ally and is speeding things up as fast as she can for me - I should have an answer about the medicaid by next Wednesday.
    On a lighter note, we're getting a family picture taken tomorrow night, and this weekend I'm getting a shorter, punkier haircut. I had 8 inches cut off a few days after I was diagnosed, my reasoning behind it was I know I'm going to have chemo, and I know I'm going to lose my hair. I've had it long since I was about 12 years old, so if I go shorter & shorter it won't be as hard for me as it would if I started losing these long chunks of my hair. I actually love my shorter 'do now, but this weekend I'm getting the back buzzed, with my bangs longer in the front, kind of angled, and I think I'm going to play with some color in the front, too. My dad wants me to sport a mohawk until chemo takes it away from me, but I think my 9 year old would be more embarrased of a mom with a mohawk than of a mom who is bald!
    Thanks again for taking the time to look up & send me those links, I really appreciate it. You guys rock ;)
    -Heather
  • Christine Louise
    Christine Louise Member Posts: 426 Member
    #11
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    Heatherbelle said:

    thank you thank you!!
    Thanks for sending me those links, I will definately check them out. We did get the surgeon to lower the amount he needs up front a bit, down to $1000 from $2300. Took them a check today so they're going to contact me tomorrow about getting my surgery scheduled. They told my husband (who is a SAINT for dealing with all the financial crap through all this) that I'm still looking at sometime in the week after next...surprisingly the woman who's been handling my case at the Breast & Cervical Cancer Program is my strongest ally and is speeding things up as fast as she can for me - I should have an answer about the medicaid by next Wednesday.
    On a lighter note, we're getting a family picture taken tomorrow night, and this weekend I'm getting a shorter, punkier haircut. I had 8 inches cut off a few days after I was diagnosed, my reasoning behind it was I know I'm going to have chemo, and I know I'm going to lose my hair. I've had it long since I was about 12 years old, so if I go shorter & shorter it won't be as hard for me as it would if I started losing these long chunks of my hair. I actually love my shorter 'do now, but this weekend I'm getting the back buzzed, with my bangs longer in the front, kind of angled, and I think I'm going to play with some color in the front, too. My dad wants me to sport a mohawk until chemo takes it away from me, but I think my 9 year old would be more embarrased of a mom with a mohawk than of a mom who is bald!
    Thanks again for taking the time to look up & send me those links, I really appreciate it. You guys rock ;)
    -Heather

    Glad to hear the financial
    Glad to hear the financial issues are getting better!

    I think you're right that having shorter hair makes it easier when/if you do lose it and/or buzz it. A woman I know whose long hair was a major part of her self-image had the hardest time. Enjoy your new do.
  • Heatherbelle
    Heatherbelle Member Posts: 1,226 Member
    #12
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    Christine Louise said:

    Glad to hear the financial
    Glad to hear the financial issues are getting better!

    I think you're right that having shorter hair makes it easier when/if you do lose it and/or buzz it. A woman I know whose long hair was a major part of her self-image had the hardest time. Enjoy your new do.

    YES!!!!!
    Great day today - I had a beautiful bouquet of flowers delivered to my house this morning from one of my girlfriends. I also was approved for Medicaid today. I am so happy and relieved at that! Such a weight lifted off my shoulders, and now I don't have to worry about the financial aspect of things and just have to worry about keeping myself healthy!
    Got the family pics taken tonight, can't wait to see them, and tomorrow morning I'm off for my new haircut!
    Thanks everyone!
    Heather
  • Dawne.Hope
    Dawne.Hope Member Posts: 823
    #13
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    Heatherbelle said:

    YES!!!!!
    Great day today - I had a beautiful bouquet of flowers delivered to my house this morning from one of my girlfriends. I also was approved for Medicaid today. I am so happy and relieved at that! Such a weight lifted off my shoulders, and now I don't have to worry about the financial aspect of things and just have to worry about keeping myself healthy!
    Got the family pics taken tonight, can't wait to see them, and tomorrow morning I'm off for my new haircut!
    Thanks everyone!
    Heather

    Yes!
    Congratulations, Heather, that is WONDERFUL news!

    Now just focus on your health. Such a relief! :))))
  • survivorbc09
    survivorbc09 Member Posts: 4,374 Member
    #14
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    Heatherbelle said:

    YES!!!!!
    Great day today - I had a beautiful bouquet of flowers delivered to my house this morning from one of my girlfriends. I also was approved for Medicaid today. I am so happy and relieved at that! Such a weight lifted off my shoulders, and now I don't have to worry about the financial aspect of things and just have to worry about keeping myself healthy!
    Got the family pics taken tonight, can't wait to see them, and tomorrow morning I'm off for my new haircut!
    Thanks everyone!
    Heather

    Congrats Heather! That is
    Congrats Heather! That is great!

    Hugs, Jan
  • MNLynn
    MNLynn Member Posts: 224
    #15
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    Heatherbelle said:

    YES!!!!!
    Great day today - I had a beautiful bouquet of flowers delivered to my house this morning from one of my girlfriends. I also was approved for Medicaid today. I am so happy and relieved at that! Such a weight lifted off my shoulders, and now I don't have to worry about the financial aspect of things and just have to worry about keeping myself healthy!
    Got the family pics taken tonight, can't wait to see them, and tomorrow morning I'm off for my new haircut!
    Thanks everyone!
    Heather

    so glad to hear . . .
    Glad to hear that things are looking up financially - it's hard enough to deal with the cancer things, but to have to worry about the financial side of it, too, is so hard to do. So, you're right - now just focus on whatever it takes to keep yourself healthy!!

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