Hi Gang,
As we near the end of tx we are realizing that going back to work may not be as quick of an option as we thought. This will mean we have to go into the world of Cobra. We have not communicated this with our employer yet because Kev is still hoping to go back by January. (We JUST finished rad and chemo last week.)
Is there anywhere to find resources with help paying the Cobra payments? I think it will be quite expensive and even with his ss disability we just don't have any extra. We don't have enough for what we need already.
Any info would be appreciated.
Thanks,
Kathy
can he not get on medicaid or medicare? Ron is on SSD too has been since Dec 07. He has not worked since Dec 23rd 2007. They have paid for everything since his Non Hodkins Lymphoma and then his Oral Cancer surgeries and medications he has paid hardly anything at all.
Hi Kathy. With your husband just finishing his treatments last week, he still has lots of recovering to do. The first 2 or 3 weeks after finishing radiation will still be difficult. Your husband should begin to feel a little better very soon. You will be surprised at how much better he will be a month from now! He may even be able to return to work in Jan.
I am not aware of any place to get assistance with Cobra payments. I have gone without insurance myself. Most hospitals will have programs to help patients who are caught without insurance. When someone gets SS disability, they are eligible for medicare after being on SS for 2 years. It can be a very long waiting period until medicare kicks in.
Best wishes to your husband with his recovery!
I hear people have a lot of trouble with SSI and Medicare but I guess I was one of the lucky ones or something cuz as soon as Ron was diagnosed and had no insurance and was in the hospital I drove right to the SS office and Welfare and he as covered as of Dec 23rd 2007 with SS disability and medicare and has been so ever since! He had no waiting and it was rectroactive to the date of Dec 23rd or maybe it was 28th...but no waiting for him, swear to God this man is friggin lucky! His first bout with Non Hodgkins Lymphoma had to have stents put in both Kidneys and had respitory arrest and had to be put in a drug induced coma at the Cleveland Clinic for 11 days, out of ICU into regular room til released Feb 11th or so and to nursing home from Feb til April Fools Day out than in and out of hospital for fever and infection and medication and chemo and than infection needing antibiotics at home for 6 weeks all paid for by medicaid! And these two bouts with Oral Cancer and the surgeries...God thank them for taking care of him all these years! I call him my million dollar man!
Maybe it has something to do with age. Was Ron over 62 when he got medicare?
nope only 52 when he was diagnosed with Non Hodgkins
Thanks everyone. We can't get Medicaid because we have a house, car and a boat. We can't sell any of it because we don't own it and we owe more than they are worth. Cobra will be the only option. We will just take it as it comes.
Ron was very lucky, or blessed as we like to think of it!
Last Wednesday was his last radiation. He has quite terrible burns now on the outside of his neck. Guess that's normal. Still not using the PEG tube except for medicine. He just doesn't like it. He drinks 3-4 Ensures a day. He has also been eating scrambled eggs on and off the whole time. The Dr's and nurses say that's great, so I guess he's done better than expected.
Thanks for all the input. If anyone thinks of anything else, please let me know!
Ya so I'm hearing that he is lucky. I hear alot of people trying to get on it and they have to wait years sometimes, I must have said and done something right when I went down there to apply for him.
