There is no doubt that cancer can be costly, but there are some things you can do to help lessen the financial impact of the disease.
PUBLISHED February 19, 2018
Tamera Anderson-Hanna is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor, Certified Addiction Professional, Certified Rehabilitation Counselor and became a Registered Yoga Teacher while coping with breast cancer in 2015. She owns Wellness, Therapy, & Yoga in Florida where she provides personal wellness services and coaching and she is a public speaker on wellness-related topics. You can connect with her at www.wellnesstherapyyoga.com.
There is no doubt that cancer can be costly. For some, this might be the first major medical diagnosis ever faced, and it can be both emotionally and financially overwhelming.
If there has been one time in my life I was grateful to have insurance, it was when I was diagnosed with cancer. I had no idea how my policy would kick in for medical procedures related to cancer, but I dove in to reading about my benefits. I was relieved to learn about some of the details regarding coverage. First, I had to learn and understand what my annual catastrophic deductible was, just in case. Essentially, a catastrophic deductible means that once you met the limit for out-of-pocket expenses for a calendar year, then, per some policies, all other procedures, copayments and expenses are covered for the remainder of the year. I kept track of the in-network expenses, and once I met a catastrophic deductible, I was no longer charged for any in-network appointment or procedures. I tried to use in-network providers I felt comfortable with whenever possible.
During my journey, I learned that some providers or tests and treatments were not provided by my in-network benefits. I reached out to the providers and asked if they would lower the treatment to what it would be if it was in-network. I did not find a single provider who was not willing to adjust an expense. Trust me, I received some startling numbers on the initial bills, but had them changed with a simple phone call. I say call and ask. The worst that could happen is that a provider will say no, but I did not find this to happen in my case. The adjustments can potentially save thousands of dollars.
If there has been one time in my life I was grateful to have insurance, it was when I was diagnosed with cancer. I had no idea how my policy would kick in for medical procedures related to cancer, but I dove in to reading about my benefits. I was relieved to learn about some of the details regarding coverage. First, I had to learn and understand what my annual catastrophic deductible was, just in case. Essentially, a catastrophic deductible means that once you met the limit for out-of-pocket expenses for a calendar year, then, per some policies, all other procedures, copayments and expenses are covered for the remainder of the year. I kept track of the in-network expenses, and once I met a catastrophic deductible, I was no longer charged for any in-network appointment or procedures. I tried to use in-network providers I felt comfortable with whenever possible.
During my journey, I learned that some providers or tests and treatments were not provided by my in-network benefits. I reached out to the providers and asked if they would lower the treatment to what it would be if it was in-network. I did not find a single provider who was not willing to adjust an expense. Trust me, I received some startling numbers on the initial bills, but had them changed with a simple phone call. I say call and ask. The worst that could happen is that a provider will say no, but I did not find this to happen in my case. The adjustments can potentially save thousands of dollars.
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