The question on everybody's mind... Why?

Jayschmay · New User Joined: 11 Jan 2006 Posts: 1 Location: Chicago

Just a little background before i rant Smile

: My girlfriend was diagnosed with breast cancer about 8 months ago and they also found uterine cysts. As you can probably imagine, those cysts turned into tumors. Doctors advised to get a historectamy, but without insurance, it was impossible to be able to pay for it. Complications started a few months ago with her breast and they had to remove some tissue. Even more bills to pay. Now, a few months later, the tumors have grown into full blown cancer and the cancer has metasticized and now she has ovarian cancer. The breast cancer is destroying the tissue from the inside and it's extremely necessary to get a historectamy and remove the cancer before it can attack more tissue.

She has no insurance and my insurance doesn't cover her. The hospital is not willing to help. They actually REFUSE to perform any more surgeries until she's able to provide proof of insurance. I've tried calling up Cancer Treatment Centers of America, hoping that since they advertise themselves as "treating the patient, not the disease" and helping people, and they were even worse than our local hospital.

Why is it that doctor's are so caught up in making money and seeing who's going to get the most expensive car, or house, that they stop caring about whether the patient survives just because someone doesn't have insurance? America is supposed to be such a great nation, but why is it that when people are sick and dieing that you can't get a break anywhere? Why is it that a country that will fund research for something as stupid and rediculous as a weapon to kill hundreds of thousands of innocent people, can't even find a cure for cancer or any life killing disease? Only millions of dollars are spent on cancer research while billions upon billions of dollars are poured into researching weapons of mass destruction. Imagine if they were to take out a fraction of that funding and allocate it to people; people who are dieing, people who can't afford treatment, people who need the help.

It seems that everyone on this part of the forum has the same problem: no insurance, and without it, no one willing to treat them. I'm sure everyone here has tried everything they could imagine. I know i've even gone on a payment plan for school (even though i have a full ride scholarship) just to use some of that scholarship money to try to cover some of the costs. I guess the only thing left to do is to write Oprah and hope she helps :-\

Elijah · New User Joined: 06 May 2006 Posts: 5

hi,

I can totally understand what you mean.
When my dad found out he had cancer he was already uncurable, but we still had high costs, also on the funeral and everything. But that was managable.
Now that I have cancer too, we thought we have a good insurance, we don't have to worry a lot, but then we found out they didn't cover a lot of things i need. Like they pay a part of the chemo i need but not all.
Or they pay for things but only if... under this circumstance... not if... but..
I trie not to worry about it as the chemo of right now is hard enough on me already, but i can't help but wonder.
What if i need something and we can't afford it? I might just die because of finance trouble.
I'm half dutch and I wished we'd just stayed there. At least they wouldn't withold treatment from me there for such a stupid reason.
O well. what do you do right?
Many luck to both of you!

Elijah
_________________
I was holding on, now I'm letting go
This is nothing more than a picture show
Everything I knew now I hardly know
Busy keeping less never getting more

Richard Day Gore

Vote. We need to tell our legislators that we're tired (and sick) of being held hostage by the medical and insurance industry. You mention being Dutch and wishing you were still there--there are now many Americans who leave the country to have their medical care, and it ends up being cheaper, and in some cases better, hotels and airfare included. There's something very wrong with that picture. As a cancer survivor who went through it without insurance, with devastating results to my financial status and at times to my health, I'm fed up hearing talking heads blab about "affordable insurance" and "affordable health care." Who knows what is affordable to you, but YOU? We need to tell Congress to stop our medical and insurance system from robbing our health, savings, and chances for the American Dream. Maybe if a few senators had to lose their homes so they could buy their prescriptions, or miss being able to send their kids to college because they need to pay for an operation, they might actually work for the people instead of kowtow to the medical lobby. It's hard enough just being sick, without having to worry that A: poverty awaits at the other end, or B: poverty will keep you from getting well.

Love and luck to all
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Richard Day Gore

roses4evver · Regular Joined: 16 Dec 2006 Posts: 30

If I were you, I would certainly write the "Oprah Show". What do you have to loose? I am so sorry that so many people are so sick & have no insurance. Where has our country gone????

Many prayers being sent your way!

Kali · New User Joined: 10 Jan 2007 Posts: 2

There are several steps that you can take to seek financial assistance for cancer healthcare. First you should contact your hospital or cancer clinic and ask for a medical social worker. A medical social worker can help pinpoint funding for you. If that is not a possibility, than contact the local American Cancer Society for assistance:

ACS: Financial and Legal Matters
http://www.cancer.org/docroot/MIT/mit_3.asp?sitearea=MIT

Medical Insurance and Financial Assistance for the Cancer Patient
http://tinyurl.com/6kxhl

You should also be aware that there are over 300 hospitals located in the US that were built with federal funding. These facilities are obligated to offer free or low cost healthcare to those unable to pay. The program is called Hill Burton:

Hill-Burton Free and Reduced Cost Health Care
http://www.hrsa.gov/hillburton/

List of Hill-Burton facilities by state:
http://www.hrsa.gov/hillburton/hillburtonfacilities.htm

And, finally, if you are still having problems try to contact CancerCare which offers free online counseling for problems like this:

Cancer Care
http://www.cancercare.org/

There are other federal and state programs that people without insurance may be able to utilize (such as Medicare - http://www.medicare.gov/ )

Good luck! and hang in there. Even when you have insurance it isn't easy!!

Miss_Melanie_2 · New User Joined: 11 Apr 2007 Posts: 5

Well, after eight months, I've got to ask the questions! Do you have insurance? Why didn't you marry her and put her on your insurance when she found out? Granted, she wouldn't be covered for a pre-existing condition for the first year, but after the first year she would be. Fortunately, if your girlfriend quits her job and allows all of her assets to be taken away she can apply for Medicaid--which would be enormously difficult if you were married, which will cover her cost. In fact, she should've done this initially and applied, she'd have her insurance by now. If she is unemployed and due to the fact she is having multiple complications associated with her disease she MAY qualify for social security benefits which will at least provide some money. I would contact a hospital social worker and explain the situation. Unfortunately this is the reality for many Americans in a society that doesn't provide universal health care. Too many Hobbes and not enough Rosseaus around here...anyway. You only have insurance if your too poor, happen to get your disease after marriage and/or getting on a group program, or your rich. Mad

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22 weeks pregnant as of April 11th, 2007.
Expecting a baby boy in August!

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