Denied Insurance-what to do

Hi Steph,

Try contacting your local health department and ask about the Breast and Cervical Cancer screening program.

I am self-employed and had no insurance.  This program saved my life.

Best of luck to you,

Bren

I thought these new state High Risk programs were supposed to accept you even if you have a pre-existing disease.  The main problem is you have to stay off insurance for 6 months to be able to sign up.  That means 6 months paying for everything yourself.  If you are living now in Texas, why don't you go to your state's site concerning this new government program each state is supposed to have and it will tell you exactly how much your premiums will be.  It should not be exhorbitant for one person.  That is what the Healthcare Bill was to be able.  Helping people in your predicament get affordable insurance when they can't get it privately.  I hope you work this out.  Do you not have even a primary care doctor who could write out a mammogram RX for you?  It doesn't have to come from an Oncologist.  What about these Urgent Care Centers we have now all over the place.  There should be someplace you can get a mammogram without it bankrupting you.  B est of luck!

Steph, go to a local women's free clinic.  Get an OB/GYN free exam.  Ask the dr. there about options.  She should be able to write you a script for a mammo.  Also, if that doesn't work, there should be, as above, free mammograms buses that do come around.  They make it to most states, just google "free mammogram buses" and see what comes up.

Good luck!  I had no insurance at all when I had my first bc in 2001.  If they tell you you must pay out of pocket for it, call the local hospitals' billing dept.  Ask for a "hardship" payment plan.  They by law, must comply and work with you.  This will not be offered unless you ask for it.

 My 80 year old mom just went for her first ever.  She did not have a primary dr. at all, nor a script.  She used that mammogram bus clinic.  They generally park at libraries, or grocery plazas.  The site should have an 800 # you can use to call them.

Have you contacted the local American Cancer Society? They are really good at helping with things like this.

http://www.cancer.org/ 

http://www.cancer.org/Treatment/FindingandPayingforTreatment/ManagingInsuranceIssues/HealthInsuranceandFinancialAssistancefortheCancerPatient/index 

BTW I think the ACS also  has aid for free mammograms. I don't know about the eligibility though.

This question is probably going to sound really stupid but..... What is the difference between a "screening" and a "diagnostic" mammogram?  Aren't they both the same procedure?

The two times that anything weird ever showed up on a mammogram, the next step was to do an ultrasound (not a second mammogram). So I have always just assumed that the normal procedure was mammogram -> ultrasound -> contrast MRI -> surgery if needed. Never knew there were different 'types' of mammograms; what is the difference?

Steph, thanks for the explanation -- I learned something!

Because I had a BMX with no reconstruction, I won't be needing mammograms anymore; the routine now will be monthly self-exam -> regular exams by breast surgeon -> ultrasound if anything feels suspicious. 

Whoops, didn't read previous post carefully enough before replying.  Guess before mets they were more concerned with a recurrence in my breast.  Now, it has spread to other areas (with no new tumors in my breast), other more expensive scans should show what's happening.  I do remember the diagnostic mammos were more expensive!

Lane

Unless they ask for payment when they do the diagnositic mammo, you may be able to make payment arrangements after the fact.  I have a high deductable plan (5,000 before anything except wellness is covered) so I made payment arrangements for many of my diagnostic and treatments.  It was no big deal and the payments were reasonable.

Roseann