cancer- no insurance - Health Insurance Issues Message Board

dyana · 10-15-2003, 07:57 AM

duaghter had liposarcoma removed but now needs radiation, cat scans, mri therapy and followups. i'm sure you know the pattern. medicaid denied, waiting for ssi and disability. while the bills are piling in and the collectors are calling. the whole muscle and nerves were removed so she is unable to work for how long- we don't know. she is 24. i pay as much as i can but don't have the financial means to do so. and suggestions are appreciated.
dyana

rubindj · 10-16-2003, 09:35 PM

Options (welcome to america):

Enroll her in the local junior college full time. At 24, doing so may make her eligible as a dependent on your policy. However, she may be subject to a pre-existing exclusion

The following will changer her status under Medicaid, and may get her coverage even though she was denied before:
Get preganent, if she has no income, Medicaid will pick her up then and for the two years, even if she has an abortion. This has a different eligibility requirements than otherwise.

Get her admitted to a nursing home.

Buy into the state insurance pool, however, you will still have a pre-exisitng exclusion

Final option: Be prepared to face the 20% greater fatality rate in cancer patients for those who don't have insurance.

zip2play · 10-18-2003, 10:08 AM

dyana,

I know all states are different, but here's my best call.
I'm sure since your daughter is 24 with HIDEOUS medical bills, getting her to zero assets should be quite simple. That will qualify her for Medicaid and rather good coverage. You say "Medicaid was denied"....why?
Don't throw your money into the pot; it will only be dissipated quickly. You have no financial obligations for a 24 year old. Let her take whatever she has and pay bills and then call on the State when there is no more. Most states allow a Medicaid recipient to keep a car, some furniture and maybe $1500 in financial assets...check you're state's website.

If your daughter is wealthy, well then this won't be a good choice....but I assume weathy people would buy insurance.

Remember, this is PRECISELY the reason Medicaid was set up, no need for guilt.
KEEP appealing your Medicaid ruling if you run into hardheads....you'll win this. There are also lawyers who specialize in getting Medicaid...some pro bono.

[This message has been edited by zip2play (edited 10-18-2003).]

rubindj · 10-19-2003, 09:42 PM

This can depend on the state. In mine, to recieve Medicaid you have to meet one of the following conditions (all of which are the MIMIMUM required by the feds):

-Be preganet and less than 200% of the poverty level.
-Be 2 years post partum and less than 200 % of the poverty level.
-Be eligible for SSI assistance, and less than 100% of poverty.
-Be less than than 21, and less than 200% of poverty (there are no income tests on this last).
-Be confined to a nursing institution, have no assets, and have income less than 185% of poverty.

There is no medicaid otherwise. Even if your unemployed, applying for diability, have cancer, and are dying, there is no medicaid.

Sorry, I'm assuming based on your initial denial of medicaid, that the reason was based on this type of state.