medical bills

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Comments

  • Ritzy
    Ritzy Member Posts: 4,381 Member
    #22
    VickiSam said:

    Excellent information .. Thank you for
    sharing .. Also, ACS helps pay for gas -- getting to appointments, surgeries and procedures .. please check with your local American Cancer Society branch office .. and we all know gas prices are far too high here in America. Every bit helps.



    Vicki Sam

    I do know that the American
    I do know that the American Cancer Society will help with gas to and from treatments. There was a woman taking rads when I was, and, that was what she was getting.

    Sue :)
  • Brooklynchele
    Brooklynchele Member Posts: 123
    #23
    Bills
    Angela,

    Like you, I also had a deductible to meet. Before my plan started paying, I had to pay $9,000 out of pocket. But that's a lot better than many ladies. Every facility I went to had payment plans and options. The hospitals offered to submit the bills to their charity payment center where other people pay the bills for you. I didn't use any of those free services because I knew there were people much worse off than I was. Contact your providers. I'm sure they have a variety of options. I also believe there are several organizations that help with medical payments. Some of the others on this Board may have more info on them. The only thing I received from ACS was a $25 grocery card. They did not help me with gas but they did offer to help me find a ride. Good luck!

    Hugs,
    Michele
  • katznc
    katznc Member Posts: 70
    #24
    Patient navagator
    Does your hospital have a patient navagator or a financial person in your cancer program at hospital to get you to the right people? They know everything about what to do. Most hospitals have payment plans but they can be cold and hard to deal with. I had both at my cancer center but didn't know they existed until I lost my insurance.
  • janice_h
    janice_h Member Posts: 4
    #25
    medical costs and contacts
    I was recently diagnosed with having breast cancer and have been advised to have a double mastectomy. It was by coincedence - I was in the hospital with a recurring lung problem and when they did a CT scan to see if I'd blown out another lung, they found the masses in both breasts.

    I have no insurance. So far the bills have been overwhelming *L* The oncologist told me to not come in until I had the downpayment of $300 for the initial visit. My mouth dropped open needless to say. BUT I contacted the American Cancer Society and they not only have a social worker helping me find financing but also is helping me learn other avenues of obtaining information. Your state Department of Health and Mental Hygiene can be a BIG help in being the middle man. Some of the terms are patient advocate, or social worker, or financing department. If you only have $50 and they want $55, tough '****' ... give them what you can. Someone mentioned they can't do much with you (regarding collections) if you are paying what you can. But DO write to each one and advise them of any financial hardships you are facing.
  • mariam_11_09
    mariam_11_09 Member Posts: 691
    #26
    yeah, it is quite a shocker

    yeah, it is quite a shocker when you get those medical bills! This is my second year of treatment and I am hoping I will done by the end of the year so I won't have a deducitble and max out of pocket for a third year running. Also our company change health insurance plans twice on me so the max out of pocket keeps getting bigger.

    Last year, I was just paying what I could consistantly each month. Only this year when I once again had huge bills in January did they contact me and we agreed on a payment plan. This years bill I would pay with my flexible spending account and last year I would keep paying so I would be done at the end of the year. However they screwed up in a big way and everything was sent to a collection agency! I was rather upset about this. However once it went to the collection agency it couldn't go back.

    Fortunately I had a credit card with no interest for 18 months. So I paid off last years on the credit card so I didn't have to pay the collection agency interest and the part of this years bill that went to the collection agency I paid with my flexible spending account.

    I haven't made a formal complaint yet but as I said I was really upset, that after coming to an agreement they, without warning sent it off to a collection agency. The good part is that I no longer have to deal with the collection agency AND I get to pay last years bill on a no interest credit card over 18 months instead of 12. Makes it a little easier.

    I think you have to engage in some creative financing, shuffle and juggle money around according to what works for you. Most places will leave you alone for a while if you are paying a regular amount every month no matter how small but will put on a little pressure after a while. There are other credit cards such as 'Care Credit' that will give you interest free for one year from date of transaction. These are good backups to have should the pressue be on to pay.

    Lastly, as others have mentioned make sure you have bills for everything that was performed, what was done, what it cost, what insurance paid etc. And document all your calls with names of people should you interact with the financial department.

    Take care and don't stress too much about this.
  • mariam_11_09
    mariam_11_09 Member Posts: 691
    #27
    disneyfan2008 said:

    so sorry Angela
    all these bills are piling up...I am one of the very lucky ones..I ONLY pay co pays for office visits & co pay for my meds..rest is covered by my medical insurance (happy to say)
    I think IF YOU make little payments showing trying to pay-there isnt' much they can do if just don't have the funds!

    I wish you luck and hope someone has some good advice here!

    Denise

    They can charge you interest

    They can charge you interest or send it to a collection agency.
  • chriskaput
    chriskaput Member Posts: 109
    #28
    I know how you feel
    I actually started adding up the costs of just co-payments alone...and wow it was hundreds! I contact Cancer Care. They said they would cover any treatment costs and gas reimbursements for going to treatments, etc. I faxed my receipts of my chemo treatments but didn;t have any gas receipts. I got a $820 check within 2 weeks! No questions asked. Good luck ladies, I hope this helps.

    Hugs,
    Chris
  • robang13
    robang13 Member Posts: 333
    #29
    chriskaput said:

    I know how you feel
    I actually started adding up the costs of just co-payments alone...and wow it was hundreds! I contact Cancer Care. They said they would cover any treatment costs and gas reimbursements for going to treatments, etc. I faxed my receipts of my chemo treatments but didn;t have any gas receipts. I got a $820 check within 2 weeks! No questions asked. Good luck ladies, I hope this helps.

    Hugs,
    Chris

    You sent them receipts of
    You sent them receipts of your co-pay bills and they paid them? When I spoke to them I wasn't offered that. I was given 2 phone numbers to call for help. I called them but in order for them to do anything we had to almost be on welfare. It was like we make too much for help and too little to afford to pay. A lose lose situation for us.

    angela
  • chriskaput
    chriskaput Member Posts: 109
    #30
    robang13 said:

    You sent them receipts of
    You sent them receipts of your co-pay bills and they paid them? When I spoke to them I wasn't offered that. I was given 2 phone numbers to call for help. I called them but in order for them to do anything we had to almost be on welfare. It was like we make too much for help and too little to afford to pay. A lose lose situation for us.

    angela

    medical bills
    yes Angela, I just sent them a breakdown of every co-payment I paid (faxed it to them). They didn't ask me about household income, etc. When did you contact them? I just did this recently. They even paid me for gas reimbursement I think it was like $150....which I had no receipts for, They just sent me one check for the co-pays and gas reimb.
  • robang13
    robang13 Member Posts: 333
    #31
    chriskaput said:

    medical bills
    yes Angela, I just sent them a breakdown of every co-payment I paid (faxed it to them). They didn't ask me about household income, etc. When did you contact them? I just did this recently. They even paid me for gas reimbursement I think it was like $150....which I had no receipts for, They just sent me one check for the co-pays and gas reimb.

    I just contacted them 2
    I just contacted them 2 weeks ago. I told them how much out of pocket I had to pay and all the did was give me the 2 numbers to call and told me to be persistent and that it may take months to get them to actually do anything for me. Didn't sound too promising to me. I called one number and there wasn't even a prompt for what I wanted. The other number I never got an answer.

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