In case you missed it, getting a Really Big Diagnosis like, say, cancer, is a big whack to the wallet. Even if you have titanium-plated insurance (spoiler: there is no such animal in the US healthcare payment system), there will be bills for many, many things. If you have a deductible, be prepared to build a spreadsheet matrix with complex algebra to calculate how much of what care will be on you. If you have co-insurance – your spouse’s employer coverage, for instance – that’ll add complexity to your algebra. It’s a lot. In a piece on the Discover credit card and financial services blog, recent Cancer Club inductee Kris Blackmon lays out how unexpected medical expenses impact people dealing with a Really Big Diagnosis, or any ongoing health issue that requires lots of clinical care – and therefore medical bills – offering a solid strategy for dealing with those bills. Do your research Talk to your clinical team’s billing office in advance about what your options are under your coverage plan. You’ll have to do this with each provider and facility you’ll receive care in – Blackmon says she chose to be treated at a major academic medical center because of the one-stop care coordination available in a comprehensive care setting. Ask all the questions If you’ve been hanging around these parts for any length of time, you know I’m all about being your own best advocate when getting medical treatment. Kris Blackmon puts mustard on that ball by recommending that, even if you wind up in the emergency department (which can totally happen during cancer treatment), you ask to speak to the billing department rep in the ED before any treatment is ordered, or delivered, so you know what your options are, and what the bill might be for them. Read the…
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