Questions ?

Insurance
Wow. So sorry about your problem. Is there any way you could get COBRA from you husbands last job. It is costly but that is what my husband is on now. You do have to be on SSDI for 24 months to get medicare. It sucks for people in this situation. I know you can do Cobra for at least 18 months and even extend it longer. It is costly as I said. To get medicaid you need to be down below poverty level it is awful. Some people have lost there homes because of it. Maybe the social worker can be of some help. Hope you find some help it doesn't help your situation to be under so much stress. Love Paula G.

Buzzard said:

Pro Bono Oncologists......
Some Oncs around here do pro bono work for patients with no insurance...you might see about contacting some of them if you can find them......I am sending you a PM about it....Good Luck and hopefully things will work out for you both...

tough situation
I live in South Carolina. I maxxed out my kick **** 1 million dollar policy in six months. I was still running my business and didn't qualify for either SSDI or medicaid. I leased my business for peanuts and scrambled to reduce my assets so that I could qualify. Here are some things you can do.
1. You need to get some kind of insurance. You need this for one reason. You need an insurance card. I learned this when my insurance maxxed and I had very minimal coverage with my wife"s insurance. When I say minimal, it was terrible, nevertheless, I was never asked any questions, they seem to take the card, give you treatment, and end up billing you 90-120 days later after the insurance company denies everything. There are many companies that offer reasonable coverage for part time employees. I think starbucks offers a terrific package for all employees that work over 20 hours. That may mean your husband has to get a second job but it might need to happen. If you can get on a decent plan, they can only deny preexisting conditions for a year, then they have to start paying. Once they start paying, after a year of credible coverage you should be able to switch among other employer health care plans. So your husband should look for work with the absolute very best plan.
2. Move to South Carolina. If you're a resident and you qualify for SSDI you automatically qualify for medicaid, even if they denied you.
3. Find a good public hospital. They have to treat you no matter what, The bills will keep racking up but they can't do anything about it. Most public hospitals also have a free cancer clinic, where they assign you an oncologist and surgeon. Use these guys some, but find some good doctors that you'll need to pay yourself to direct the free ones. You may have to pay for a $300 Dr's visit every 3 months or so but it will be well worth it.
4. Don't get discouraged. You have now entered the twilight zone. Your reality will forever be altered. Your going to have bills the likes of which seem to boggle the mind. They're gonna put you millions of dollars in debt and call you every day to get it. Whatever, I have caller ID. Live or die I am planning on filing for bankruptcy when this is all said and done. My medical bills will be washed away with a simple call to my lawyer.
5. Keep your medications to a minimum. Just because a Dr prescribes something doesn't mean you have to take it. Talk with your Dr, research alternatives. There are medications out there that cost $250-$350 per pill that can be replaced by watching your diet, or changing your lifestyle. You may need to start smoking marijuana.
6. Get all the help you can. Don't be afraid to ask for help from family, friends, and strangers, people will help. Seek out local charities.
7. Pray Obama can overhaul the healthcare system, you may have coverage as soon as next year.

seanslove said:

no insurance;lots of bills
Patti,

We live in Michigan,and when my husband became ill in April,we did not go to the hospital as we had no insurance nor extra money for health care. Therefore,he laid ill for six weeks prior to us going to the ER. Hind sight is 20/20,but I wonder now if we had known then what we known now,if his lung may have been saved,as upon going to the ER within two hours the damage was found and the fluid intially drained off the pluerl effuision was well over 1000cc. Health care is a huge issue,what I can tell you is Medicaid will pay for your medical needs. Go to our hospitals social services department and ask for a Medicaid advocate,they will have one. Our hospital assigned us one. Keep in mind you will have to stay on top of them and the state department,but by doing so you can get the help you need. Since he was found in stage 4 with multiple met's his was psuhed through quite fast and is being granted a medical exeption,which means he will be able to sta on straight Medicaid at all times. I hope his helps.

Medical Insurance Debate
I don't know why there is even a debate about universal health care in the US. (I am Canadian) There seems to be an ongoing issue about coverage for cancer survivors in the USA.It is bad enough to have to go through this without having the monumental worry of being in debt because of medical care. It may not be perfect here, but I did not pay anything for surgery, chemo or follow up treatment. Now if I had to take medication outside of the hospital, I would have to pay for it. Fortunately my wife has a presciption plan at her office which I can take advantage of. Even if I did not have that coverage, there would still be avenues that could help me. My heart goes out to those who have to deal with this.

Lance