Thursday, May 28, 2009

is there anyplace to get help with bills from cancer treatment

is there anyplace to get help with bills from cancer treatment?
i owe 9 thousand that the insurance didn't cover, a collection agency is after 2 thousand of that right now. my wife just had to close her small business so we lost her income. i don't want to file bankruptcy. is there any help of any kind for cancer patients bills?
Cancer - 4 Answers
 

Random Answers, Critics, Comments, Opinions :
1 :
Most hospitals and clinics offer a certain amount of "charity" or "financial hardship case" care if you fall into a low income category. Call and ask each provider if you can apply for it. The paperwork goes in front of the particular hospital or whatever's board to be determined. Unfortunately this happens to so many people - the costs of treating cancer can ruin you. At the very least, most collection agencies will settle for about 20% of what you owe if push comes to shove. Figure out how to pay it and move on. I admire you for not wanting to file bankruptcy. (Can your wife get any type of unemployment benefits?) Did you have any type of disability insurance that would help? Can you sell something to pay the bills? Best wishes.
2 :
You should talk with the hospital social workers. They know what services are available to help with the costs. Many hospitals will set up payment plans that are very reasonable. for example I paid 100 per month for several years to pay up my out of pocket expenses with a hospital.
3 :
Unfortunately, you would be better off if you were dirt poor. You could qualify for Medicaid or charity care. Since you have income and assets, you probably exceed the thresholds for assistance. Social worker or financial counselor is the best bet. The American Cancer Society can probably help wrangle that sort of support together for you. You should also be thrilled that your out of pocket cost is limited to only $9,000. Talk with the billing manager at the hospital / doctor's office about negotiating down the amount owed or setting up a payment plan. Since they've turned the account over to a collection agency, they may no longer have much of a stake in the matter, so this was better addressed earlier. Avoid bankrupty at all costs. It will be a long road to recover from that financially.
4 :
if you are low-income, you could apply for SSI from the goverment. They will take care of your medical bills. Best of Luck and Blessings, - J Blay



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