Update on Hubby Day 2 and question

Insurance dilema
I understand your concerns about insurance as I had just lost my job a couple of months before I was diagnosed. Since I had no insurance or job the hospital where I was receiving my chemo and rads helped me fill out the paperwork for SS Disability and Medicaid. I was immediately approved for both and the Medicaid was retroactive from the day I was diagnosed.

Does the hospital where Charlie is being treated have a Financial Assistance department?? If so you could contact them and ask them to help you with the required paperwork, and boy is there a lot of paperwork ;-) The usual, 3 months of checking account statements, latest tax info and W2's, etc.etc. It is well worth the time it takes. They base your coverage for Medicaid on your income so you should not have much of a spend down (deductible) until Charlie receives his first disability check, then your deductible may increase. It's not perfect but at least I have some insurance now because I'm sure that with 2 cancer diagnosis that I will have a hard time trying to get private insurance now.

Hope this helps.

My best to you and Charlie,
Glenna

Jan Trinks said:

Insurance
Thanks Glenna. Charlie takes his chemo at the doctor's office but I know they have a benefits counselor. We've done the leg work for SS Disability but he doesn't qualify for SSI because he has a 401k through Kmart! We went to unemployment this morning for me to file my claim (we just love hitting all the government places)and if they start that before my last check on Aug. 31 that will help sock a little away because we're probably going to have to go the COBRA rate for a while anyway; but will check into the Medicaid thing. Thanks so much for your info and we will look into what you said. Hope you're doing well! Charlie recieved the taxotere and zometa yesterday and other than being tired seems to doing pretty well. He does feel good and has the back pain under control so he's relatively been pain free for about the last week; so that is good and God is good! Take care.

Jan and Charlie

401K
Unfortunately Charlie's 401K will probably create problems with his qualifying for Medicaid also. I had an IRA savings account that was money I had received years ago from a 401K I was in and I had to close out that account and show how I spent the money so I could qualify for Medicaid. I used the money to pay off bills, pay down my mortgage,taxes, etc. I then had to send copies of my receipts to Medicaid to show how I had spent the money. It was a very difficult thing to do as I had wanted to leave the money for my husband but it was necessary so I could get Medicaid.

It's so hard to concentrate on fighting cancer when you have financial worries at the same time, and getting any kind of insurance is next to impossible. Without Medicaid I would not have been able to receive my treatments so I was stuck between a rock and a hard place.

Glad to hear Charlie has the pain under control.

Take care and God bless,
Glenna

wifeforlife said:

cobra
well cobra is expensive... but insurance is very important. is there no way for you to find a job that has benefits?...if you keep him insured you can role him over to the next insurance... so sorry you are having these troubles.

Cobra
Jan,

I was on cobra and the govt. paid 65% of mine and I paid 35%. Is this how yours will work or do you know? My total premium would have been around 780.00, and this program helped greatly. If you haven't already, check into it. Oh, and glad Charlie has gotten the pain under control. My prayers are with you both.

Best,
Steve