Thursday, December 18, 2008 irish56princess@yahoo.com asks

Q: What do people do who do not have health insurance when diagnosed?

My job and health insurance are both ending Dec 31st, and I am going Monday for Ultrasound but they are suspicious that it may be cancer directly behind my right nipple. I have had some drainage off and on for nearly a year. And the density was prominate. My insurance will be gone 12/31 and I absolutely can not afford the Cobra premium...I am a sole provider. What do people do facing this with NO insurance???

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Answers (4)

PJ Hamel, Health Guide

12/18/08 1:17pm

Hi - I'd ask your local hospital or treatment facility first, what's available to women facing breast cancer without insurance. Then, the American Cancer Society has a section on covering the cost of cancer treatment. It's VERY long, but scroll through it and see if anything applies to you. Also, read our post on where to go for free mammograms, as it includes information on a variety of programs providing financial assistance to uninsured women with breast cancer. Finally, check out the National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program. You would need to register for it RIGHT NOW, before you get a diagnosis, so don't delay; check it out. That might be your best bet. Good luck to you, and hopefully your diagnosis comes back negative and you don't need to worry about all of this... PJH

Lolo

12/18/08 10:16am

Well depending on which state you are in, there is Cobra insurance that carries on your current insurance (usually at a higher rate) for a period of 6-18 months. This I think was put in place to bridge coverage when changing jobs from one insurance carrier to another. Check and see if your current insurance offers this. In Texas it is the law.

nanette

12/18/08 6:16pm

hello. i was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2007. Thank God for the susan komen grant. i have NO insurance. i wanted to tell you that the hospital im going to has a gov't program for the uninsured. the hospital borrows money from us taxpayers to add onto their existing hospital or buy new equiptment, etc. in turn, the hospital agrees to take in so many patients without insurance per year. you, being the sole provider , you should qualify. you have to find a hospital in your area that participates. they go by income i guess. i have to tell you though, WATCH out, they decide, whomever they are, what treatment you get. i wanted a double mastectomy, due to my VERY strong family history. my mom died at 59, and both my dads sisters have had breast cancer. i told the drs this. well, one of the idiots decided he would only remove my one breast. no radiation, just tamoxifen. now, he, or whomever, has decided they will not cover making my cancer free breast symmetrical. im thinking of fighting them. if it were a mans problem, this would never happen. i wonder if i should get on medicaid. i thought it was a law if you had cancer they had to make them symmetrical. sorry to vent, but i feel awful. i want women to know about this. be tough and stay on their backs. God Bless nanetteh get in touch with the susan komen foundation. STAY TOUGH..............