Insurance used up. Being self-paid

Scrapbooker

I found out i had only $5,000 in out patient care through my insurance. That amount was used up after the first biopsy that diagnosed me with breast cancer. I have been working with the hospital to be self paid and get a 75% discount on surgery procedures. There has been a 50% discount on other procedures too. Does anyone else know about being self paid? Is it a good idea?

dogeyed

I don't know about that, but I do know there are assistance foundations to help pay bills, too.  You just have to make sure this doesn't conflict with what the hospital is offering you.  The American Cancer Society and other major national cancer groups have lists of folks you can apply to for assistance.  You can find those online.  So, that's something else you can tap into. 

But it sounds to me, just as a guess, that the percentages the hospital is offering you are almost as good as my insurance.  I have Medicare, which they pay 80 percent, plus there's some sort of discount for the treating service being on their list and other mysterious discounts, so it winds up being I pay much less than the 20 percent left.  And I also got assistance with just my chemo, that's all I wanted, so that cut costs a lot also.  And some hospitals offer much lower percentages of self-pay than what you are being offered by your hospital.  Hope my thoughts help.

Moderators

Dear Scrapbooker, 

 

On the breastcancer.org site there is an entire section devoted to Paying for Your Care which includes issues with insurance.

 

We hope this helps

The moderators