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Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 5,260
Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts)
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Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts)

Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 5,260
I have to correct some of that post.. SS pays the lawyers and they don't touch your money. The Judge even told me not to let them con me out of any money because they get paid from Social Security. I had $45,000 until I had to pay Wheeling Pittsburgh Steel back over $18,700.


Since posting this. UPMC, Pittsburgh, Oct 2011 until Jan. I averaged about 2 to 3 surgeries a week there. w Can't have jaw made as bone is deteroriating steaily that is left in jaw. Mersa is to blame. Feeding tube . Had trach for 4mos. Got it out April.
--- Passed away 5/14/14, will be greatly missed by everyone here
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 681
"Above & Beyond" Member (500+ posts)
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"Above & Beyond" Member (500+ posts)

Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 681
Brenda,

Does the hospital you use have a cancer navigator? If they dont, ask to be notified when they do. This is a person whose job is to help cancer patients and their families through the various bumps in the road, medical, financial, psychologial, burecratic, etc. Many drug companies now have special programs to help patients who can not afford medications. Also try drugstore chains.


SCC stage II Partial mandibulectomy w. neck dissection- July 2005. Renal cancer w. partial nephrectomy-Jan 2004. Breast cancer discovered in routine mammogram. Successful lumpectomy, sentinal nodes clear, RT only-2008 Reconstruction of mandible w fibula free flap-Jan 09. TORS removal of begnin pappiloma from esophagus-2010. Masectomy,rt breast 2013.
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Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 5,260
Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts)
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Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts)

Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 5,260
Go to the post I put in today, I listed and ins co that will sell to us and put their 800 number there too


Since posting this. UPMC, Pittsburgh, Oct 2011 until Jan. I averaged about 2 to 3 surgeries a week there. w Can't have jaw made as bone is deteroriating steaily that is left in jaw. Mersa is to blame. Feeding tube . Had trach for 4mos. Got it out April.
--- Passed away 5/14/14, will be greatly missed by everyone here
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 1,844
Patient Advocate (1000+ posts)
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Patient Advocate (1000+ posts)

Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 1,844
Well I'm glad that you decided not to quit. I was in somewhat in your position when I was diagnosed. I had recently made a move to another state to new job and had to drop my insurance carrier.

My new employer didn't offer health insurance so my wife and I went out and got health insurance for her and the kids but it was way to expensive to add me to the plan (very healthy then and not diagnosed with cancer yet) so I ended up just getting dental and life insurance and was looking for a catastrophic plan. Then got caught without health insurance when I was diagnosed.

We ended up working with the hospital's financial aid people. They turned us to our counties medicaid program who due to our financial need picked me up. We contacted the county, the county commissioners determined that we had financial need and they picked up our billing for a year. We have to pay that money back to them but it's an easy $25/month payment.

I applied to SSI and was approved the 1st time, but had to wait 5 months from the time of first application to get assistance. We kept applying to medicaid and were finally approved before I had to have my surgery in June.

I'm still on SSI and Medicaid, the biggest thing is to keep working with your hospitals people, your county's people, state people...trust me, people in these positions have hearts and will help you, just tell your story and express your need without getting frustrated at them. Now we did have hardly any income as I had to step away from my job and my wife had gotten laid off due to the economy and that helped us.

The paperwork is everything too, every agency complemented my wife on her paperwork being flawless and that it saved them soo much time.

My community really stepped up as well and has raised thousands of $ for me and my family as well. This money helped us pay our bills when neither of us had any income coming in, and supported us until my SSI finally came through in September (filed in Feb).

Hope that helps, also work with your local churches, the Lutheran church matched our local charity efforts up to $2500 dollar for dollar.

good luck to you, I know it's hard, I've been there and if you have any ?'s I can answer i would be very glad to help, just message me.

Eric


Young Frack, SCC T4N2M0, Cisplatin,35+ rads,ND, RT Mandiblectomy w fibular free flap, facial paralysis, "He who has a "why" to live can bear with almost any "how"." -Nietzche "WARNING" PG-13 due to Sarcasm & WAY too much attitude, interact at your own risk.
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 97
Supporting Member (50+ posts)
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Supporting Member (50+ posts)

Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 97
Same here,

My students and home town came through with fund raisers and anything else I could have asked for while in treatments. Not so much from the places that you would really expect support from.

SS, no luck, but then I came through the whole experience in fair shape, can work a few hours here and there, not enough to survive on though.

It's been 6 months since I had any medical coverage or minimal income. Still no help and I really would like to get in for a follow-up, but I am not the kind to run up a bill I KNOW I can't ever pay.

Owning a couple of $400 cars, buying the crumbling old house I have been in for 30 years and getting a little uneployment seems to be the barriers. It seems that you must be living in a cardboard box before they will talk to you, but then again, with no perminant address...

Interestingly enough, minimum funding IS available to go back to work, but like getting the "unofficial" diagnosis years ago, they can't actually assist with medical issues, even if to be certain you aren't going to drop dead after they pump $$$ into putting you back to work.

Time to give another try to all the above, but it seems to me that having a little faith and not expending all of my energy on dead end bunny trails might actually be best. Keeping a sharp eye out for stray METs of course.

Tired and broke,

UncleVern


ENT conjectures before, no PET approved by HMO. Metastasis 11/06. CT 2/07: mass RT sub-mandibular gland. 7 CM mass/tonsil, base of tongue removed, biopsies 2/07 and 3/07. Vein lost, RT face numb. PET scan: spot in chest, un-investigated. Oral surgery 4/07. 3X Cisplatin and 32X IMRT from 4/07-5/07.
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