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Breast Cancer and Health Insurance
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Having a medical condition without insurance is a serious matter and breast cancer is no exception. The tests, the surgery, the treatments can amount in the thousands of dollars and most Americans are not able to meet these costs on their own. Universal health care is not provided in America like it is in most of the countries in the western hemisphere. Nevertheless, someone or some organization must pay for the treatment. It could be the breast cancer patient and family, it could be an employer, or it could be the government that foots the bill making up the three options available to Americans at this time.
If you have health insurance
If you are lucky enough to have group health insurance coverage from your employer or if you carry a private insurance policy make sure you know what your health insurance covers. Not all insurance companies will cover breast cancer especially if it is a pre-existing condition, meaning you had the breast cancer before you applied for health insurance.
The next thing you must do is find out how much you are paying for the coverage. First of all not all employers offer group health insurance, then not all employers pay the full cost, Many times the employees will have to pay a portion of the health insurance premium and or a portion of the claims as well. Even if you have your own private insurance policy you may have a co-pay which means you have to pay a certain percentage of the costs of the benefits that you use even after you have paid your insurance premium.
What happens if I don’t have any health insurance coverage at all?
Government Medicare is available for individuals who are 65 years of age and older and if you have no income or very little income you may qualify for a program called Medicaid. You can find out more information about Medicare and Medicaid through The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, HYPERLINK “http://www.cms.gov” t “_blank” www.cms.gov
If you have been disabled for at least six months you may be able to get disability health care coverage through the federal Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) program. The federal governments normally considers individuals diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer (advanced breast cancer which has spread) to be a disability.
If you are under 65 years old and you have been disabled for at least 24 months, you can apply for Medicare if you have already been receiving disability benefits for at least two years. Contact both Medicare and the Social Security Administration. HYPERLINK “http://www.stopbreastcancer.org/nbccf/common/resources_content.html#SSA” HYPERLINK “http://www.ssa.gov” t “_blank” www.ssa.gov
When you have very little money, you can contact your state government office to find out if you are eligible for the Medicaid program. The Medicaid program is needs based health insurance program for Americans who fall in a low-income bracket. You can do a web search or look up the number in your local phone book. Since this is a state run program each state will have its own criteria for qualifying for Medicaid as well as what benefits the program offers.
Co-payment organizations for breast cancer
If you do not qualify for any of free health care programs available through the federal or state governments, you may try the organizations that offer health insurance with a co-payment. Though the situation is not ideal, as you are still expected to pay a portion of the coverage it does beat paying the entire cost on your own. There are several organizations who offer health insurance or can tell you about health insurance with co-payments for breast cancer patients, these organizations include, The Patent Advocate Foundation, HYPERLINK “http://www.copays.org” t “_blank” www.copays.org and Cancer Care HYPERLINK “http://www.cancercare.org” www.cancercare.org The Patient Access Network Foundation, HYPERLINK “http://www.patientaccessnetwork.org” t “_blank” www.patientaccessnetwork.org and HealthWell Foundation. HYPERLINK “http://www.healthwellfoundation.org” t “_blank” www.healthwellfoundation.org
Cancer advocates can also help you find free services in your area. You can begin your search with The National Breast Cancer Coalition/Fund (NBCC) HYPERLINK “http://www.stopbreastcancer.org” t “_blank” www.stopbreastcancer.org
The U. S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) offers screening programs for women of low income who are in need of breast cancer and cervical cancer diagnostic testing HYPERLINK “http://www.cdc.gov” t “_blank” www.cdc.gov. These free testing centers for early detection can save a lot of money for people who are ill and really do not have that kind of money to spare. Also many states offer free screening for women in low-income brackets who have breast and other forms of cancer. The Hill-Burton Free Care Program is another resource to look up, HYPERLINK “http://www.hrsa.gov/hillburton/default.htm” t “_blank” www.hrsa.gov/hillburton/default.htm
The Avon Breast Cancer Crusade provides money to various local organizations for free screening to low-income women. Find out where the programs are in your area. HYPERLINK “http://www.avonbreastcare.org” t “_blank” www.avonbreastcare.org
You might try the Healthinsuranceinfo.net for information of health insurance available in your state. HYPERLINK “http://www.healthinsuranceinfo.net” www.healthinsuranceinfo.net
Other sources to save money for breast cancer treatment and expenses
Ask your doctor if he or she has free medication (samples). The pharmaceutical companies often leave samples to be distributed to the patients.
If you need help with transportation to and from your treatment ask for help, the NBBC previously mentioned may know of services available in your area as well as The Patient Travel Organization HYPERLINK “http://www.patienttravel.org” t “_blank” www.patienttravel.org
Finally ask everyone you know for help from your families, friends, to senators and US representatives, doctors, nurses, social workers, religious leaders, and advocate groups. Get all the free help you can get.