Cancer treatment can be expensive. For those with reliable health insurance can find themselves with mounting medical bills. Survivors frequently have also lost income due to their inability to work as often or at all during recovery, making it impossible to pay for medical and household expenses. If you are unable to return to work after treatment, your financial burden will increase. We have a few things which you could consider as you could cope with the financial impact of cancer:
- Organize bills and rank them in order of priority- Organize medical, household, credit card, and tax bills, among other things. Then find out how much money you have to put into payments in your budget. Rent or mortgage payments, utilities, insurance, and medical bills should be at the top of the to-do list.
- Investigate other sources of income if you are unable to return to work-Long-term disability benefits, life insurance schemes, and retirement accounts are also possible sources of income to consider. Cancer survivors can qualify for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits.
- Ask if the insurance payment can be considered “payment in full.”- Some hospitals have grants to cover emergency costs that aren't fully covered by insurance and if you can't afford tests, procedures, or other care that your insurance coverage doesn't cover. Requests made to a hospital, cancer center, or doctor's office are more likely to be fulfilled.
- Talk to your creditors- Your creditors, or a credit counseling programme, will usually work with you to establish a payment plan if you call to discuss your situation.
- Contact- Make contact with a organization that assists cancer patients who are struggling financially.
For more advice and suggestions for managing the costs of cancer care, visit www.cancer.net/managingcostofcare.
Reference-
1. Financial Considerations. (2012, July 2). Cancer.Net. https://www.cancer.net/navigating-cancer-care/financial-considerations