Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I think some on here aren't aware that a lot of people some where in the middle do not qualify for any low cost Obama care. I'm one of them. I actually got a letter in the mail when it all started that said that because of the affordable health care act my premiums were going to increase. In those words. There are plenty of us that had to start paying quite a bit more to pay for so many more getting low cost or free. Being a cancer survivor I wouldn't go without insurance unless it got raised so high I absolutely couldn't pay it. Unfortunately I see my premiums go up every year with a bit less coverage. So, how many are like me? Not rich enough to have the cost be of little concern, not poor enough to get any kind of subsidy. If it keeps going up what then?
my adult children are in that situation. We carry them on our insurance, but I don't think we can once we retire. We have a few years to go until we cross that bridge.....My ds thinks he's covered under Obamacare, he says I'm racist when I tell him he doesn't qualify for it, he's being a real jerk right now, thinks WE are the jerks, etc, etc, but I still cover him. It might come in handy when I get so fed up I strangle him
It is her personal home, in her name and she lives in it. According to her, she contacted the Medicaid office and doesn't qualify for it. Sorry I did not give enough info...She is concerned that if she has medical bills(she will) that when she passes away, her home will be used to pay those bills and will not be given to her daughter (inheritance).
So, giving an inheritance is more important than paying for services received? Geez, we think Milennials are entitled.
you still do not get medicaid without being impoverished even if you get the ssdi . you can't get medicare either under 65 without a 2 year waiting period once you are on ssdi . there are very specific exceptions and cancer is not one of them .
all in all i don't think the comment about them speeding up the process if it is life threatening means much unless you qualify for medicaid . you are on the YOYO PLAN . you are on your own in that case if you are not impoverished enough for medicaid .
There's a difference between Medicare and Medicaid. Medicaid is means-based, that is, you can only have up to a certain amount of assets. Medicare doesn't care about your assets, but there are other hoops to jump through. You can qualify for both depending on your circumstances. At any rate, none of us are experts, this unfortunate lady should call around and see what is available. Don't start with a lawyer, they will just take your money for information one can obtain for free. Start by calling Medicaid AND Medicare, remember, they are NOT the same thing! Also, I like the idea of contacting a cancer social service worker, ask your doctor
OP please clarify something, to the best of your knowledge – so presumptions aren't made that take us down a road that's not even applicable, and therefore useless and irrelevant.
-- Exactly what INCOME does your friend have? (sources, not necessarily amounts, as best you know) I don’t see where YOU have ever explicitly said she is indeed LOW income, or that Soc. Sec. her ONLY income. If you did, I missed it.
-- Is the land her ONLY asset?
Apparently, as she's finding out she's not going to qualify for much help.
CAN she work to make more money, if so why doesn’t she? Plenty of people work while getting cancer treatment.
Maybe she should sell the land and move in with her daughter, get insurance and concentrate on her treatment. Can the daughter help mom?
There's a difference between Medicare and Medicaid. Medicaid is means-based, that is, you can only have up to a certain amount of assets. Medicare doesn't care about your assets, but there are other hoops to jump through. You can qualify for both depending on your circumstances. At any rate, none of us are experts, this unfortunate lady should call around and see what is available. Don't start with a lawyer, they will just take your money for information one can obtain for free. Start by calling Medicaid AND Medicare, remember, they are NOT the same thing! Also, I like the idea of contacting a cancer social service worker, ask your doctor
if you read what i posted you would see there is a mandatory 2 year delay between going on ssdi and being able to get MEDICARE which does the op no good . i know the difference between the 2 . if you can't qualify for medicaid and can't afford or wait for open enrollment of an aca plan you are out of luck for at least 2 years .
this is a case of the fact they were penny wise and pound foolish by not springing for the insurance . in this case some of those assets could have been sold and there is no reason for them to not have had insurance except they didn't want to spend the money . now they want to try to stiff the hospital and doctors while still preserving assets ..
Last edited by mathjak107; 09-03-2016 at 04:40 AM..
I have a friend who just found out that she has ovarian cancer. She has no insurance (I won't get into it, but completely her fault). She owns 15 acres of land with a home on it. Can the hospital take that away from her to pay for medical bills? She is wanting to put the land in her daughter's name to protect it. Is that even an option? Disclaimer: I do not necessarily agree with her tactics. I think she was extremely careless in deciding to retire early and go without health insurance.
Sorry to hear about your friend I am an endometrial cancer survivor and after going through this I can't imagine ever not having health insurance. When I received my diagnosis I had not too long prior started a new job so I did not have the sick time built up to take the paid time off needed for treatment. Being a Federal Government employee we do not pay into State TDI, so for this reason I took out a temporary disability insurance when I began this job never imagining I would ever need to use it. Within a week of time I was going to deplete my sick time I got a letter from work stating if I don't self pay my health insurance premiums my insurance would be cancelled and I would have to go on COBRA if I wanted to have coverage . Even with that temporary disability insurance policy, I had to pull teeth to get them to pay, and eventually got my first check the week I returned to work!! I was out of work two months, and fortunately I had the savings on hand to pay my premiums and my living expenses until my insurance kicked in with payments. Had I not had health insurance and the ability to pay the premiums as well as my living expenses during my treatment I would have likely lost my home.
It is a very unfortunate situation you friend is in, and it would be in her best interest to see an elder lawyer to get the best council. Sure most of us would like to retire early, but doing so with no solid health insurance can very easily lead to financial suicide.
OP please clarify something, to the best of your knowledge – so presumptions aren't made that take us down a road that's not even applicable, and therefore useless and irrelevant.
-- Exactly what INCOME does your friend have? (sources, not necessarily amounts, as best you know) I don’t see where YOU have ever explicitly said she is indeed LOW income, or that Soc. Sec. her ONLY income. If you did, I missed it.
-- Is the land her ONLY asset?
Apparently, as she's finding out she's not going to qualify for much help.
CAN she work to make more money, if so why doesn’t she? Plenty of people work while getting cancer treatment.
Maybe she should sell the land and move in with her daughter, get insurance and concentrate on her treatment. Can the daughter help mom?
She receives SS(reduced amount because she is only 62), and she works two days a week bringing her income to 16,000 a year according to her. Her daughter lives with her. I am not aware of any other assets other than her land. I could be wrong though.
So, giving an inheritance is more important than paying for services received? Geez, we think Milennials are entitled.
Exactly. She's trying to find a way to steal cancer treatment. Keep everything, seek treatment and not pay for it. The horrible real truth is that we all get sick and we all die of something. Having had cancer myself I can sympathize with only the cancer part. I paid really high premiums for years and then a couple of high deductibles when I had to have treatment to save my life. If you don't want to prepare its just much harder when you finally get sick. I know numerous people like this. They all found a way to save their life, but it's a billion times harder, financial ruin, delayed operations, choosing which things to do and which things to forgo because you can't pay for 100 percent of everything your doctor recommends.
One of the first things an oncologist told me was that if we had no insurance or money that I should get treatment and they would help me find a way to pay for it. They aren't just being nice when they say this. This also means they plan on getting paid.
I said it earlier, but the best suggestion for the poster's friend is for the friend to seek advice from the professionals who can help her sort through the options. As this thread shows there is a lot of conflicting information, opinions, and advice floating around. Just because one person qualifies for something, doesn't mean another will.
I am a cancer survivor, was the primary caregiver for my mother during her cancer battle, and have been a volunteer cancer patient advocate, so I know first hand how complicated each patient's situation can be. Trained professionals (oncologists and their staffs, attorneys, social workers, insurance specialists) are the place to turn for help sorting everything out so that you can create a solid plan for dealing with your illness and care. There is FREE professional counseling available but many patients aren't aware of this, or know who to talk to. That's why I offered some suggestions.
A big help for the poster's friend would be identifying which professionals are available, and helping her set up appointments with them. One of the best things a friend of my Mom's did for her when she was first diagnosed and worried about money was to pay for two sessions with an estate attorney who helped my mom identify what she might qualify for in terms of social security, medicare, and other programs and also helped her figure out how to best use and protect her assets for her care. The gift of his services was a wonderful gift. Nearly every community also has some sort of legal services program for people with low income, so even if paying for an attorney is not possible, legal advice can often still be obtained.
Also, the poster mentioned that her friend feels she is "getting the run around" from professionals. Many cancer patients can feel that way (although sometimes saying that is also code for "I don't understand what they're saying" or even "I don't like the advice they're giving me") Offering to accompany her to appointments with professionals to take notes and ask questions can also be a gift. When you are a cancer patient, all of the information thrown at you can feel very overwhelming. Having a friend or relative in the room with you when you are talking to professionals can often make a huge difference. There's no cost involved; all you need to spend is your time.
I wish the poster's friend (and the poster herself!) all the best.
that is the part that makes no sense. why does she not have an aca plan .
Cuz she didn't buy one.
Lots of people do this.
They just pay the fine (or don't) and just go on their merry way.
Till disaster strikes and then they want everyone else to solve their problem.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I am an endometrial cancer survivor and after going through this I can't imagine ever not having health insurance. When I received my diagnosis I had not too long prior started a new job so I did not have the sick time built up to take the paid time off needed for treatment. Being a Federal Government employee we do not pay into State TDI, so for this reason I took out a temporary disability insurance when I began this job never imagining I would ever need to use it. Within a week of time I was going to deplete my sick time I got a letter from work stating if I don't self pay my health insurance premiums my insurance would be cancelled and I would have to go on COBRA if I wanted to have coverage . Even with that temporary disability insurance policy, I had to pull teeth to get them to pay, and eventually got my first check the week I returned to work!! I was out of work two months, and fortunately I had the savings on hand to pay my premiums and my living expenses until my insurance kicked in with payments. Had I not had health insurance and the ability to pay the premiums as well as my living expenses during my treatment I would have likely lost my home.
