CHAPTER 9
Financial Issues
When you’re in pain, the last thing you want to think about is paying for your medicine. Yet money worries have stopped many people from getting the pain treatment they need. Talk with your oncology social worker if you have questions. He or she should be able to direct you to resources in your area. Here are some general tips:
Insurance
When dealing with health insurance, you might want to:
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Call your insurance company and find out what treatments are covered. Sometimes insurance companies pay for only certain types of medicines. If the medicine you need isn’t covered, your doctor may need to write a special appeal letter. Or your doctor may need to prescribe a different treatment.
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Ask if your insurance company can give you a case manager to help you with your coverage.
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Check to make sure that your plan will cover any specialists your doctor refers you to. If it does not, check with your insurance company to see which doctors are included in your plan. Ask your doctor to refer you to someone on your plan’s list.
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Find out whether you have to pay copayments up front and how much they cost.
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Find out how you should pay your balance. For example, do you file a claim? Does the insurance company pay first? Or do you pay and get reimbursed?
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Tell the insurance company if you believe you’ve received an incorrect bill. You should also tell your doctor or the hospital or clinic that sent the bill. Don’t be afraid to ask questions.
