No insurance and alots of medical bills

Ok, I don't have insurance and have been sending payments to all of the doctors. 8 total bills and over $100,000. Now they are starting to send me to collections (WTH) I just want to start crying. I'm doing what I can and can't get any help from the government (they say I make to much money). My husband is a full time student which he has a 4.0 and we still have to pay out of pocket for his classes. I should have never went to the hospital!!! All I can say is good thing I have Xanax

Know exactly how you feel I have at least a million in medical bills bc I had no insurance but let's be real I can't pay them so my credits awful not much I can do about it.

Amber:

That is an awful situation and I'm sorry it's happening to you. I was wondering this whole time why your doctor was pushing expensive treatments, and too many of them to boot! They usually don't do that if a person is uninsured. I had insurance but refused treatments that had a high co-pay, so all I can tell you is to try to stick with the cheaper ones for now. Unfortunately, that means steroids. I did that for years because I didn't want to stick my kids college money in my veins for a short term solution. If you don't respond to Prednisone, maybe try Decadron?

I'm so sorry - you certainly don't need the extra stress when you're ill with something serious.

So. Take control. Declare bankruptcy if necessary. The tool is there for people who need it. If you need more advice, go see a free financial consultant - they're out there; call United Way for a referral.

Then move to cheaper treatments, if you can. There are some out there. Prednisone is one to think about - it's very inexpensive, a few dollars, and although it has some side effects that aren't the best, it might be better for you than the stress you're now under. Only you can decide which is the lesser of evils.

Best of luck. Hope you can pull it together until your spouse gets out of school and gets some health insurance, or until the Affordable Care Act can be fully implemented to help people who need it - like you.

Darn, Amber. You can't catch a break. I've (we've) been following your story for a while now and I'm really sorry you're having to go through this.

Make sure you speak with the collections people and also with any other bill folks. Just reaching out to them begins the process. When you call them, let them know your financial situation, and let them know you want to pay, but that you will need to be on a very low payment plan. They are usually willing to take something rather than nothing, and that will keep your credit from going into the crapper.

I'm really mad at that doctor. What he did is actually almost unethical (knowing your finances, then not only giving you rituxan but twice the amount of it). D you have a local news station that you can call on him?!?

I'd sue the doctor for giving you far more rituxan than protocol. Any ITP specialist would say it was wrong and must have doubled the bill. The doctor should pay it himself.

Ask the hospitals and doctors (not the collection agencies which work on percentage commissions) whether they will reduce your bill to what they would have billed on an insured patient. Blue Cross and other companies negotiate lower-than-sticker-price charges for various procedures and drugs. Then, they pay their share and the patient pays hers. The starting point price, however, is lower for the insured patient through the negotiations between the hospital and the insurer. So start from there. Ask them. Most will do it. They may say it's too late once it's gone into collection. If they absolutely won't reduce the old bills, start asking them to do it as you incur new ones. A friend of mine had a father with cancer who was uninsured. I suggested she try this, and they agreed. All the providers would rather get something than nothing, and most know that, if you don't have insurance and can't pay your bills, suing you will likely get them nothing. A caution: in some states, a government provider (ambulances, hospitals, etc.) can garnish your tax refund for unpaid bills. (The smarter consumer, however, should already be aiming for a zero net tax bill (none owed, no refund) at the end of the tax year, so as not to give Uncle Sam an interest free loan of your money all year.) If you are absolutely under water in debt and have no equity in your home and don't care about your future credit prospects for the short-term future, bankruptcy might be a good idea, as someone else said. That system was meant to be used by folks who have had a financial catastrophe. If you are inclined to that, you should ask some advice of a reputable bankruptcy lawyer, but don't wait until you are totally out of money, as it will cost to file and do all the preliminary stuff (credit counseling, etc.).
Norma

Ann wrote: I'd sue the doctor for giving you far more rituxan than protocol. Any ITP specialist would say it was wrong and must have doubled the bill. The doctor should pay it himself.

I AGREE!!!!
I feel for you Amber. Definatly not the STRESS you need right now!!!
I have insurance and received a letter the night before the last treatment of my second round, stating that they were not going to cover the treatments!!! I had to cover the last treatment, which was aproximatly $8k. That pretty much took care of savings!!! Not sure what happened to the first three treatments. Definatly talk to the Hospital billing dept and explain your situation. They may be able to help.
Good Luck!!

People in the US should be asking for low dose Rituxan. It has been shown to work just as well as the usual high doses given and will be far cheaper. 100mg four times is protocol for low dose treatment. Otherwise, try one or two of the higher doses. Four is not necessary.

Mngrrrl

The bad thing is I did chapter 7 last year almost the year to date of my ITP.

KittieG

I have talked to all of the ones that went into collections and all the bills. They will not do any type of payment play under $25, which I can not do. So I have to remember every month (which is not that big of a deal) to send payment. And I send them what I can every month. I thought as long as I am sending them money they couldn't send me to collections!! Well I was really wrong on that, which is total BS!!

Thanks for everyones input.

juliannesmom

Chapter 7 was done almost a year ago and our home is being auctioned off tomorrow 10/2/12.

Dang Amber. Sorry to hear what you are going through.

Amber, I hate that you are going through this. You are definitely in my thoughts. I got sent to collections over 50$ from one place- and that was with making monthly payments- I only had 50$ left at that hospital! There are no words but certainly a circle of hell for those that have put you in your situation! I am also very sorry to hear you were unable to negotiate any of your bills. Fortunately, I was- in the future, if you can get a chunk together, most hospitals will give you at least a 20% discount if you tell them you will pay it all that day (with or without insurance). You have to specifically ask for it.

Dean- in the future, if you insurance company pulls that nonsense, especially if there is no basis for it, call them, note the dates, times, and people you spoke with and tell them to put the word "lawyer" in your records. I fought with BC/BS over 1 of my Rituxin infusions for 9 months and finally called and said I am calling a lawyer and it LITERALLY was approved the next day.

Yeah, if I ever have to travel down the treatment road again, I will be contacting BCBS!! I do not understand how they can choose what treatments they will cover!! Their "Physician reviewer" did not think it was medically necessary to have the Rituxan treatments the second time. They felt a Splenectomy was the next step. Who are they to decide what my next treatment should be in order for them to cover it!!! At $500+ a month they Damn well better cover any treatment I choose or refund my premiums!!! They are supposed to work for ME!!! I am paying them to!!! I did not have the energy at the time to argue with them. 3 appeals were sent, 2 from Dr, 1 from Hosp, all denied!!! Not sure what happened to the cost of the first three treatments of the second round. First round of treatments there were no issues.

I can't understand how that happened because I thought most doctors would get a pre-auth and make sure it was covered before they gave the treatment. My doctors office sure did. If they don't, they take the risk of getting stuck with a huge expense by a patient who may never pay.

Sandi wrote: I can't understand how that happened because I thought most doctors would get a pre-auth and make sure it was covered before they gave the treatment. My doctors office sure did. If they don't, they take the risk of getting stuck with a huge expense by a patient who may never pay.

That is what I thought!! I kick myself for not fighting it!!

Well, good news is that one of the collections sent me a hard ship form and I got aproved. So they wrote of the $4500, and I got a bill from the ER, last time it was $15000 and now they droped it to about $2300. Which is all good news, they see that I'm trying my best and not avoiding them. Still trying to keep my head up, last week my honda broke down and washer machine broke. But car is fixed and got a new washer (THANKS DAD) if I didn't have him I don't know what I would do.....

LOVE YOU DAD!!!

Good to hear Amber!!!

As of yesterday I got approved for 100% charity care with NorthSide Forsyth Hospital. Thank god!! Its new is the system and will have to call back next week to get my letter so I can send it to some other doctors. This is a big weight lifted from our shoulders.

Just wanted everyone here that has supported me to know the good news.

That is good news Amber! I know how hard this has been on you financially. It must be a huge relief.

You have no idea how big of an relief this is, now i can take care of myself. Stress and ITP are not a good comb. This is a huge weight off of my family....

Thanks again to everyone here.... Getting CBC tomorrow and re-check on Thursday.

I am so glad things are looking up a bit! I am sorry you have to go through any of this! Glad your dad could help a bit.





It is stories like yours that makes me glad the majority of health care is still free Ontario Canada. It won't be this way for ever they are talking privatizing it. Each year they take one more item off the list of items covered.

Yay Amber!