Quote:
Originally Posted by fern46
I am frustrated today and need to vent. My brother is going through a cancer battle and he keeps hitting one obstacle after another. He is supposed to be healing, but the blows keep on coming. He has insurance, but the only anesthesiologist that works at his hospital is out of network. He has had to have 4 separate procedures that required anesthesia. The cost is insane.
His doctor chose a pathologist that was also out of network while my brother was asleep and under anesthesia. That bill was several more thousand dollars.
With the chemo and multiple surgeries and doctors visits, my brother hit his out of pocket max for the year. Everything should be covered at 100%, but the doctors keep making crap decisions that are out of his hands. The bills are over 30k at this point and keep piling up. My brother worked so hard to save and have something to fall on should he ever lose his job. He had money set aside for his children's education. That is now gone. Going into debt is inevitable.
He was handling it all well and then the latest crap thing happened this week. His chemo has been going well and his masses have shrunk. He had a visible mass that appears to be gone now, so we can tell the treatment is working. He was supposed to have a PET scan this week to see if the cancer was gone and if additional chemo was needed. There is no other way to tell for his type of cancer, so it is medically necessary. The insurance company refused to pay. His doctor is now administering another round of chemo even though it might not be necessary at all. It is making him so sick and everyone is fine to watch him suffer to save a few dollars. I'm so disappointed and angry. He is such a good man and has worked hard all his life. He never gets sick and is treated like this the first time he needs support. He has kept a positive attitude throughout it all, but this last news has really gotten to him. Its just too much.
My husband and I are doing what we can to help, but it is like spitting on a raging financial fire. The whole thing makes me feel helpless and angry.
Rant over.
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Hi fern,
I am so sorry for all you and your brother are going through.
I do understand the frustration.
My brother has needed 2 major surgeries this year and the price tags are very high.
He is afraid he will lose his house, and he just might.
Is your brother's care at a public hospital?
If so, it is likely that he can apply for assistance through the patient accounts/financial office of the hospital. There is usually funding available for people who do not qualify for Public Assistance; yet, have a lot of medical debt. Please do check to see if this is an option for him. They usually give out paperwork that must be completed. They then go over the completed paperwork and make a determination.
I hope this is an option for your brother.
The other thing I have found helpful is in offering the hospital a lesser amount of money, a lump sum, paid immediately in full. This option depends upon the availability of cash, the amount of the bill, the willingness of the hospital to settle the debt. (For general information, I have found this approach welcomed by the local teaching hospital on larger debts and even smaller debts, ie: under $5K.)
Just a couple of thoughts. I will keep thinking on this.
In addition to the financial toll, this all takes such an emotional toll! It's common for people to feel anxious, angry, alone, demoralized, hopeless, overwhelmed and more.
Love and prayers for your brother, for you and for your family.
